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
@ Just For Kicks: their probably just swivel around in their seats and swop ties and mikes.
We were chatting about quota’s, the laws, etc in SA earlier. At the lunch break we were shown a piece that really sums up the situation in SA. We have talked/seen how poor development is at grassroots in all sports (how can you enforce quotas when there is no one to put into the teams).
The piece was about Gary Kirsten. Here is one of the best cricketers SA has produced. One of the Greatest (if not the greatest) coaches we have produced. What is he doing? With no help from CSA, he has personally set up a cricket improvement programme in Khayaletsha (sp) where he is putting nest into schools and coaching the pupils. Personally raising the money to be able to do this. 3 schools so far with more to come. I say again. Absolutely no help from CSA, and not a CSA initiative.
His belief is that as soon as a prospective player is identified, he shouldn’t be given a scholarship, but remain where he is to allow others at the school to aspire to that player. Great idea of keeping home grown talent at home. one man, on his own. This is something CSA should be doing.
A very poor indictment of the powers that be….and well done Gary.
@ Just For Kicks: nope. Looks a gruff old Scotsman is all.
Hash starting to show signs of his former self. Some confidence coming through with his strokes now
Tassies wrote:
Definitely not a Scot!!!! Must chat over a beer sometime!
Hash look calm. Which is good. Under the circumstances. At the risk of repeating myself; I like Hashim Amla. Good bloke. Great cricketer. Captain?
Tassies wrote:
To put it in context, a bit, what you see, about him being the sole owner is far from the truth!
Am just busy to tweak some of December’s Articles, to make them conform a bit.
@ Just For Kicks: Ok. Don’t know him. Just assumed by some of the stuff on the website. Beers always good. Then I switch to wine.
@ Just For Kicks:
thanks for piece JFK. Good job Gary.
I knew he had a cricket academy going – didn’t know any details. kudos to him. CSA can hold their heads in shame.
good over from Fynn. Well played Dean.
A lot gets made about Ben Stokes’ onslaught in the media and credit to him in setting all kinds of records with that knock,but not to sound sour,cause it happened in my beloved and fairest Cape,but it should be noted that 3 of our 4 bowlers today have 6 tests between them and it came at a time when one could say it’s our worst possible attacking unit in years(maybe the Waugh/Blewett onslaught at the Wanderers 1997 came close to this)…experienced playing a rather big role or shall I say lack thereof,so the perfect setting for the perfect storm by Stokes/Bairstow,and besides Ben Stokes prior to his 258 only had 1000 test runs to his name in all his 37 innings ever played…wys jou maar net…
there goes the familiar Amla wristwork we got to know so well. A flick of the wrists and four more to the total.
IAAS wrote:
Interestingly, I don’t think this iniative has anything to do with his academy (I stand under correction), but is literally a 1 man show.
102 @ provincefan: You make hay whilst the sun shines
@ Just For Kicks: Interesting. I didn’t know that. What I do know is: very few have respect for CSA, who do absolutely nothing for our cricket, besides infuse it with politics. I met Gary once. At Constantia CC where he was an invited guest to chat to us mortals. He was fabulous, self-effacing and very entertaining. And I agree; one of the best openers we ever produced and a brilliant coach. Could have been a good psychologist.
106 @ Tassies:He came to the restaurant on our farm a couple of times, so got to meet him completely out of context and work. A truly nice guy, absolute family man with absolutely no airs and graces. Fame has never gone to his head. He’s always known when to quit, and is now intent on giving something back to society. A true philanthropist and unsung hero.
@ provincefan: point taken PF. I agree on the circumstances. Stokes simply made best use of them. I witnessed Adam Gilchrist put us to the sword at the Wanderers many moons ago. Too lazy to look it up. But you might remember.
Hope I don’t put the mockers on, but I reckon Amla is now in, and is going to go on and make a big hundred
@ Just For Kicks: pretty much how I interpret him. Lovely, equally unaffected wife too. Also fond of his boet, Peter Kirsie.
Athers and Polly talking about the van Zyl runout – consensus was that there was a run in that. And that Elgar was ball watching.
Finally Stokes comes into the attack. Can his run of luck continue?
110 @ Tassies:
At the same events, Fleck was there. Chalk and cheese. He was so far up his own backside that his wine tasting ability was seriously affected. Treated us like the serfs we probably were, was loud and brash. Not half the sportsman that Gary was, but made up for it in brashness and crassness.
But still a nice guy
@ Just For Kicks:
Stokes looks pumped – he’ll push a few through at 140 soon enough.
Alma seeing the ball well now, coming off the middle of the bat, and looking very settled.
IAAS wrote:
Yeah, he does, and the only one troubling the batsmen a bit so far.
Run rate 3.5. Not bad, considering.
Barmy Army remarkably quiet now
@ Just For Kicks: never met Flekkie. Don’t like him as a coach. Province obviously disagree. But what do they know?
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