I reckon billy is overrated. Hughes was more impressive in one game than billy has been, it's just he filled a role that noone else usually does for England and is a completely different type of player than anyone's used to.
Is it a World XV based on recent form or on the whole year ? Because if it is the latter, no Australian would be selected. Moreover, Conor Murray and Jack McGrath were far from outstanding in the 6N. My team would be :
Vunipola
Coles
Franks
Retallick
Itoje
Kaino
Haskell
Vunipola
Smith (was himself before entering the ChCh airport)
Barrett
Williams
Fofana
ALB
Dagg
Smith
Reminds me. I had better get onto the ToTY.
Will get onto it on the weekend.
Apologies for delay and thanks for reminding me.
Pocock being there gives the list no credibility which is a pity because he actually did pretty well in other parts.
Smith better than Murray for balance of the year (but if selecting best players in the world now it is defendable - which this list is not).
Itoje fantastic but Whitelock better - his lineout work and ball playing ability is being chronically underrated here, perhaps injury for first part of EOYT counts against him.
Read would be the weakest selection aside from those.
Seems to be a lot of people rating Read on the EOYT version, not the earlier season edition.
Having said that though, I would go Isa at 8.
I don't get Pocock at all. Hooper maybe, even though I don't really like him as a player.
@rotated On the basis of needing a half back you could take Genia. general play has been fine this year and as far as I know has managed to keep it in his pants while at the airport.
Personally I think Smiths good games which were outstanding out weigh his bad this year and he would still be my first pick.
TJP has had a pretty good year. Can't comment on any of the NH players having only seen the against the ABs. No Wallabies or Saffas would be near the team IMO.
On scrum halves, Smith has been the benchmark this year (and last) but looks as though his form fell off after the airport khazi incident. The 9s from Aus and SA have not set the world alight. From what I've seen, Genia shows glimpses of the player he was but not enough to warrant selection. Of the NH 9s, I would say the stand outs have been Webb and (latterly) Youngs. Murray has been good but not consistently up to his previous standards. If the French settled on one of their several decent 9s it might be a different story.
If selecting purely on the value they bring to their side I would say it's a toss up between Webb and Smith with Youngs making a late charge. If we're picking on who is the most complete player I'd pick from Smith and Murray and hope they both regain their mojo.
AB forwards: coles good early but faded. franks there or thereabouts without being outstanding. both locks certainties. no loosies.
backs: smith good but then ruined. perenara good but can't really pass: in the running. barrett no question. ALB and probably crotty there or thereabouts. savea no, dagg and ben smith right up there.
you could easily have a world xv with only our locks and barrett making it i reckon.
Personally hampered by not watching as many RC and Super Rugby games as I'd like to, so hard to comment on Smith, TJP , Genia etc throughout the full season.
Murray has been the best NH 9 for me though. Very solid all round game and seems to be the hub of most things that Ireland have done well this year. Youngs has definitely finished the year well though and looks sharper than he has for a long time.
Reminds me. I had better get onto the ToTY.
Will get onto it on the weekend.
Apologies for delay and thanks for reminding me.
As promised. ToTY nominations open in the TSF Competitions forum:
Rules here:
At some stage I may troll this thread and pick up discussion points around the guys talked about herein.