Dan Carter, World Rugby Player of the Year 2015
Gregor Paul selects his World XV for 2015 which features 6 All Blacks, 3 Australians and Argentinians, and 1 Fijian, Georgian and Scotsman — and nobody from South Africa, England, Ireland, Wales or France.
15 Ben Smith (New Zealand):
Ben from all accounts had an outrageously good season. He captained the Highlanders to the most unlikely Super Rugby title and then inspired the All Blacks to a World Cup victory. His aerial skills and footwork are unbelievable.
14 Adam Ashley-Cooper(Australia):
Ashley-Cooper is the Wallaby version of Smith. He’s a superb all-round footballer who continually does the right thing. Has pace, footwork, awareness and the ability to covert half-chances. Was deadly at the World Cup.
13 Mark Bennett (Scotland):
A rugged, tough ball runner with innate timing. Picked off the intercept try in the World Cup quarter-final that should have sunk Australia and contributed some big tackling and deft passing.
12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand):
Ended his All Black career in the best possible way. Most direct and destructive midfielder world rugby has known. And yet he’s more than bash and dash – throws a cracking long pass, has soft hands and a clever short kicking game.
11 Juan Imhoff (Argentina):
He found his best form at the World Cup and it was impressive. He’s got natural predatory instincts and the pace and power to make good on them. Scored a try against Ireland that was hugely under-appreciated – his timing, decision making and skill were all first class.
10 Dan Carter(New Zealand):
The old class returned once he had the confidence in his body. Vintage Carter. No one else could have snapped those critical goals, or kicked as accurately under pressure as he did. Ten years after he beat the Lions with his running game, he won a World Cup with his kicking game.
9 Aaron Smith (New Zealand):
Was electric for much of Super Rugby and while his passing and running were the headline acts, his kicking game developed into a world-class component of his armoury. Does anyone in the game have a better step?
8 Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia):
This dude played only 45 minutes against the All Blacks at the World Cup and he was the official man of the match. He’s huge, agile, smashes people off the ball and, despite being the size of a house, motors around and keeps up with the ball.
7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand):
The old master played as well as ever and while some of his Aussie backrow mates won rave reviews, neither David Pocock nor Michael Hooper offered the same range of skills and overall influence as McCaw. He cleaned them both up in the World Cup final.
6 David Pocock (Australia):
He was shown up in the World Cup final for having only the one trick, but it is a magnificent skill he has. No one is as effective at the breakdown as Pocock and his ability to win as much ball as he did had a major impact on the World Cup.
5 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji):
The big Fijian showed an incredible ability to offload and yet not shirk his core roles. He won lineout ball, tackled like a loose forward and carried the ball like an outside back. Was named as the Pacific Island Players’ Association Player of the Year.
4 Sam Whitelock(New Zealand):
The more he played, the better he got. Was a towering force at the lineout and took some critical steals in the World Cup semifinal win over South Africa. What impressed most about him, though, was his tackle count. Whitelock racks up the same sort of numbers as the best loose forwards and he’s also become a world-class ball carrier.
3 Ramiro Herrera (Argentina):
Anchored an impressive Pumas scrum and also thumped about. A huge man but he wasn’t in any way lumbering. Gave the Argentines an air of intimidation.
2 Agustin Creevy (Argentina):
The Pumas captain is a late convert to the hooking role and there is still much of the loose forward about him. He gave Argentina much of their go-forward and added a sparkle to their play with his clever offloads. Threw well at the lineout and got his body into great positions over the tackled ball.
1 Scott Sio (Australia):
A strong, agile, mobile prop with the technical ability and skills to hold his own in the set piece and yet play a meaningful role elsewhere. The Wallabies haven’t had a player likes this for decades.
nzherald
I must say im a big bavuma fan.
Ab, faf and amla played so nervously and tentatively, edged a few and gave a few chances that england never took.
Even against a tiring attack and with enormois expectation on his shoulders
Bavuma may be tiny but he has huge balls to go to 50 of 52 balls… And then to get a 100, hopefully the other okes can follow his example.
300 @ IAAS:
Depends on the mindset. If you are 1 down in a series, do you try to save a match or do you try to win?
They can save all the matches they want from here on in and Eng will still win the series. I doubt they are worried if the Proteas are content with a draw, it’s to their advantage as well
Anyway im looking forward to today, if we dont bowl as shit as we did on the second day we could create some pressure. Will definitely be more exciting than the last two days… Hoping for a morkel special.
But as nortie said england will be more than happy with a draw on probably one of our most succesful grounds in recent years. So they will probably launch a blockathon.
Cricinfo
10.05am Good morning, and welcome back to Newlands for the final day of one of the more memorable bore-draws* in Test history. Four centuries so far, each of them carrying huge significance for vastly differing reasons – Ben Stokes’ record-shattering 258, Jonny Bairstow’s personal landmark of 150 not out, Hashim Amla’s leadership from the front for South Africa, and then, yesterday, the most important of the lot. Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten 102, the first hundred by a black South African, was applauded by every single member of a 16,000-strong crowd, and an entire nation beyond the boundary. To find out exactly why, read Firdose Moonda’s excellent tribute to an historic innings.
Zaakir: “Good Morning all…. It’s either going to be a historic day of Test Cricket or one really boring day, but all depends on the first session. If the Proteas can force pressure on England’s top order with top quality pace bowling, it could make this a day to remember. Think Morris will be key, but 2 wickets in the first hour should be the prime objective. ”
* Intro subject to revision in the event of a clatter of England wickets…
Thanks cook, late christmas present 😀
Got him
Big inside edge
I guess it was worth the review.
Bloody hell YES
Fantastic catch by Morris. Better than the one in the 1st innings.
So this test match is a borefest then. Pfft
IAAS wrote:
For now finally it isnt.
Nee monnas… 2 good balls per 12 balls wont cut it.
@ MacroPolo:
He has to attack the stumps more. Far too wide. He has to make the batsmen play more.
12.3
0 Morkel to Compton, no run, short, and pulled through midwicket. Or not, as that takes an under-edge and wobbles off his pad. Bavuma was lurking under the lid, watching it all the way, in spite of the batsman shaping to take his head off. Impressive
Another morkel no ball wicket… Thanks morne.
Morkel should be shot. He is a repeat offender.
How can this continue to happen? We have like 6 bowling coaches.
MacroPolo wrote:
Ou lyn van hom, doen dit al sy hele loopbaan.
Kan nie leer nie
And it had to be one of the best batsmen in the world as well.
To be realistic. Root is now looking good for a century.
Morris day? What a beauty of a ball.
Great delivery by Morris. Root gone.
@ MacroPolo: @ 319.
Beefy Botham and Polly pointed out that it comes from the nets. It is just bad practice and should be monitored. The coaches should make it clear to the bowler.
@ IAAS:
I think the coaches deserves most of the blame for this… 11th time morkel has done this.
Two more wickets before lunch and England are in trouble.
Piedt needs to be tidy and not give an inch… Let morris do the damage.
Piedt also needs to run through the overs here asap.
We miggt have to rely on some reverse swing soon. When thw cloud cover decipates the pitch woll become a road again.
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