| RUGBY WORLD PLAYER & TEAM OF THE DECADE [message #3589] |
Tue, 05 January 2010 07:43  |
 Paul Morgan - RW
Messages: 279
Registered: September 2007 |
Senior Member |
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The new edition of Rugby World goes on sale today with our Player and Team of the Decade announced.
But what do you think? Would you have selected a different Player or different members of the team.
Does a side with 4 Kiwis, 3 Englishmen, 2 Welshmen and 2 South Africans reflect the Naughties?
HE STARTED the decade with a hat-trick in his first Six Nations Championship and finished it as one of the key reasons why Ireland went the whole of 2009 without suffering a defeat. So in the eyes of Rugby World there’s only one man who should be named Player of the Decade: Brian O’Driscoll.
The man from Blackrock College will earn his 100th Ireland cap in the coming Six Nations and more than any other has written his name large and bold across the decade that will be known as the Noughties.
Whether as captain of Ireland, Leinster or the Lions, O’Driscoll has shown exemplary form over a sustained period – form that wins him our accolade above and beyond a host of players who have left an indelible mark on our great game.
O’Driscoll may be our Player of the Decade, but he doesn’t captain our Team of the Decade. That honour falls to the captain without peer, England’s Martin Johnson.
The decade produced two World Cup winners, in England and South Africa, so naturally those teams had a number of players on our shortlist. But it isn’t all about World Cups as New Zealand managed to earn four representatives in
our starting XV without even making a final.
Similarly, the rise of Argentina in this decade and Wales’ two Grand Slams had the judges scratching their heads
and working out how we could keep our team down to 15 players. A number
of big names missed out, such as Lawrence Dallaglio and Neil Back, as we looked for balance in our side and the recognition
of players like Sergio Parisse, who may never win a Six Nations or
World Cup but should nevertheless always figure when we’re looking for legends of our game.
Full team
Mils Muliaina - New Zealand
Jason Robinson - England
Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland
Matt Giteau - Australia
Shane Williams - Wales
Dan Carter - New Zealand
Agustin Pichot - Argentina
Gethin Jenkins - Wales
John Smit - South Africa
Carl Hayman - New Zealand
Martin Johnson (c) - England
Victor Matfield - South Africa
Richard Hill - England
Richie McCaw - New Zealand
Sergio Parisse - Italy
Subs: Rodrigo Roncero, Mario Ledesma, Sylvian Marconnet, Juan-Martín Fernández Lobbe, Fourie Du Preez, Jonny Wilkinson, Yannick Jauzion, Juan Martín Hernández.
[Updated on: Tue, 05 January 2010 09:04]
Paul Morgan - Editor, Rugby World Magazine, the world's best-selling rugby magazine
If you'd like to get 32 per cent off a one-year subscription to Rugby World magazine go to the home page of www.rugbyworld.com
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| Re: RUGBY WORLD PLAYER & TEAM OF THE DECADE [message #3590] |
Tue, 05 January 2010 14:28  |
Barack Obama
Messages: 2925
Registered: January 2009 |
Senior Member |
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You have an exaggerated view of the status of 6 Nations rugby.
Similarly, Japanese pundits might go with a predominantly Asian team, or Polynesians with a predominantly Island selection.
That's their prerogative.
Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not?
George Bernard Shaw
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| Re: RUGBY WORLD PLAYER & TEAM OF THE DECADE [message #3595] |
Wed, 06 January 2010 10:13 |
Paul Morgan - RW
Messages: 279
Registered: September 2007 |
Senior Member |
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The teams are of course subjective and cover a whole decade, when there were two World Cups, one of which England won and the other they got to the final.
Paul Morgan - Editor, Rugby World Magazine, the world's best-selling rugby magazine
If you'd like to get 32 per cent off a one-year subscription to Rugby World magazine go to the home page of www.rugbyworld.com
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| Re: RUGBY WORLD PLAYER & TEAM OF THE DECADE [message #3596] |
Wed, 06 January 2010 16:26 |
fonuatanu
Messages: 1
Registered: January 2010
Location: Hawaii |
Junior Member |
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My friend, you put too much status on the world cup. New zealand have won one and been finalist in a few others??? your searching for a needle in the hay stack.
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| Re: RUGBY WORLD PLAYER & TEAM OF THE DECADE [message #3597] |
Wed, 06 January 2010 17:04 |
Barack Obama
Messages: 2925
Registered: January 2009 |
Senior Member |
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Yes, I'd have to agree. Credit to England, which I have already called 'Team of the Decade,' after initially backing SA for that mantle, but your team has quite a few players from nations which get blown off the paddock by NZ every time.
One website put their team to the poll, and although this was a British-based website, it ended up with a team comprised of two-thirds Tri Nations players and, basically, a few Englishmen. That's more realistic.
World Cups? Well, why have BOD as Player of the Decade? Did Ireland make a World Cup semis? Have they ever beaten NZ? As for the Lions, they didn't win a series.
Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not?
George Bernard Shaw
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| Re: RUGBY WORLD PLAYER & TEAM OF THE DECADE [message #3602] |
Thu, 07 January 2010 13:47 |
Benjamin Saunders
Messages: 29
Registered: November 2009 |
Junior Member |
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What does Ireland's poor record against New Zealand have anything to do with the ability of Brian O'Driscoll?
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