3N Team of 2011

[tigerland12]

Richie McCaw is so good he can start and come off the bench aswell aye Braveheart

Surley that's cheating....oh wait

 

[Mica]

Richie McCaw is so good he can start and come off the bench aswell aye Braveheart

Surley that's cheating....oh wait

Just a typo I think Tiger. The text says that he wants Brussouw on the bench

 

[Braveheart.]

Just a typo I think Tiger. The text says that he wants Brussouw on the bench

Nail. Head.

Just a typo... Richie is a cheat, but not a magician.

 

[daz]

It's a very hard team to pick given that NZ and SA had their eyes on the RWC by sending under strength teams on tour and the resulting turnover of players.

Sorry Braveheart, not having a go at you personally, just a general whinge by me using you as a reference point.

Can I just say that the repeated references by many to "understrength/B Team/not taking seriously", etc are tiresome.

The Test team for each 3N game was named, it played, and it won or lost.

Some players may have not been named for various reasons, but the Test team that took to the paddock was the representative team of each 3N country. There is no B team, and there are no excuses.

This includes Wobs v Samoa as well as the AB's and Saffa's for the 3N.

Ok....I feel better now.

 

[Blue]

Why are people picking Thorne? He was okay but Horwill was better.

You can't play Horwill and Thorne together. Too similar. I would play Horwill at 4.

But for the fourty great minutes from Vicks, no other 5 put of their hand. Vicks was terrible in the lineout which negates that.

Matfield was okay against the All Blacks, Whitelock in my opinion goes missing when it matters and Ali is a fucken flake. All over the shop. Good one second, shitbucket the next.

Hence I pick Matfield becuase nobody organises a lineout any better.

 

[Jnor]

I see what you're saying Blue but when we're picking hypothetical teams from three countries, surely the only way to do it is to simply go by best individual player in a given position.

There's not much point picking this team based on combinations which are also hypothetical.

Or maybe I'm taking this too seriously

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

1. Sekope Kepu (Aus)
2. Stephen Moore (Aus)
3. Owen Franks (NZ)
4. Brad Thorn (NZ)
5. James Horwill (Aus)
6. Jerome Kaino (NZ)
7. Richie McCaw (SA)
8. Piere Spies (SA)
9. Will Genia (Aus)
10. Daniel Carter (NZ)
11. Digby Ioane (Aus)
12. Ma'a Nonu (NZ)
13. Conrad Smith (NZ)
14. Cory Jane (NZ)
15. Kurtley Beale (Aus)

16. Bismark Du Plessis (SA)
17. Janie Du Plessis (SA)
18. Dannie Russow (SA)
19. Richie McCaw (NZ)
20. Piri Weepu (NZ)
21. Quade Cooper (Aus)
22. James O'Connor (Aus)

Have to say I don't like JOC (James O'Connor) or Quade in there.

Quade just didn't do it for me this tri-nations. not that he was terrible (defense aside) but on the bench I'd want AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in his place. He showed some great form switching from 13 to 14. More versatility than quade and how good was his defense saturday? yowzers.
I'd probably take JOC (James O'Connor) off as well. I'd want a more dangerous weapon coming off the bench, probably sivi. JOC (James O'Connor) seemed to be missing a little bit this tri-nations.....hopefully a spell on the bench helps him lift. going to be tough for him to get a spot.

There's miles between 9-12 and their closest competitors.
Nonu looks amazing again. goodbye SBW

 

[daz]

Hence I pick Matfield becuase nobody organises a lineout any better.

+1

We keep talking about the importance of the set-piece. If that is true, as long as he is active Matfield will always be the first name called for the second row in a 3N team.

 

[PaarlBok]

Brussow played one very good game and that was it. Pocock played in all four games and outplayed his opposite number in 3 of those 4 games (including outplaying Brussow in SA). So he gets the bench spot IMO.

You probably watched that one with one eye Boet? Brussouw only had 50 minutes and PoCock wasnt even close to him in that period.

 

[GC]

You probably watched that one with one eye Boet? Brussouw only had 50 minutes and PoCock wasnt even close to him in that period.

I watched with both eyes and Pocock was better. Didn't miss any tackles. Stole much ball. Brussow got bamboozled by JOC (James O'Connor). Pocock would've smashed him.

 

[PaarlBok]

I watched with both eyes and Pocock was better. Didn't miss any tackles. Stole much ball. Brussow got bamboozled by JOC (James O'Connor). Pocock would've smashed him.

Neither of them have turn ball over in the test.

 

[GC]

Neither of them have turn ball over in the test.

Looking at the stats, you are correct. No turnovers to either. It's that annoying case of causing a penalty as the opposition is holding on rather than a turnover. Brussow made 9 and missed 2 hit 1 ruck in 50 mins. Pocock made 12 missed none and hit 4 rucks in 80 mins.

I think Pocock has only missed one tackle all Tri Nations and has made the most tackles in virtually every match. That is phenomenal and why I think he is better than Brussow. Undoubtedly Brussow is in the top three 7s in the world though.

 

[tigerland12]

Personally I thought it was a draw between the two, both immense players.

 

[gmta]

Maybe slightly off topic, but what are thoughts on a 3N team vs 6N team played over 2 or 3 games in WC off years?

 

[Blue]

I see what you're saying Blue but when we're picking hypothetical teams from three countries, surely the only way to do it is to simply go by best individual player in a given position.

There's not much point picking this team based on combinations which are also hypothetical.

Or maybe I'm taking this too seriously

4 and 5 lock are two very different positions.

Lots of 5's can play at 4, but very few 4's can move to 5 and organise the lineout. They also have a license to roam a bit more which is often not suited to the 4's body type and brain.

Horwill is to me a tight lock. Get stuck in. Thorn is 100% a 4.

But I get your point

 

[tigerland12]

I thought the only difference was tighthead lock and loosehead lock, I don't think that they play different roles or one HAS to call the line-out.

The Reds for example, you're saying Horwill would of been a tight lock who calls the line-outs but Simmons played that role.

I'm not having a dig at you, but I'm not sure the number on their back impacts anything more then the scrum

 

[PaarlBok]

Looking at the stats, you are correct. No turnovers to either. It's that annoying case of causing a penalty as the opposition is holding on rather than a turnover. Brussow made 9 and missed 2 hit 1 ruck in 50 mins. Pocock made 12 missed none and hit 4 rucks in 80 mins.

I think Pocock has only missed one tackle all Tri Nations and has made the most tackles in virtually every match. That is phenomenal and why I think he is better than Brussow. Undoubtedly Brussow is in the top three 7s in the world though.

Boet to be honest, Brussouw on his own played a huge role in both Bokke last two tests. PoCock only shined after he left in the 50 th minute. In that first half we were truly on top of the Wallabies.

 

[pete88]

1. Steenkamp
2. Moore
3. J. du Plessis
4. Thorn
5. Horwill (c)
6. Kaino
7. Pocock
8. Spies
9. Genia
10. Carter
11. Ioane
12. Nonu
13. Smith
14. Jane
15. Beale

16. B. du Plessis
17. O. Franks
18. Samo
19. Brussow
20. Weepu
21. Cooper
22. O'Connor

I've gone with the Bok props the pushed the ABs around so much in PE. Kepu was part of an Aussie front row that only really dominated front rows with 4th choice props, so I'm going to go against the Kepu love in this thread. I'll admit the lineout has potential to go to shit, I'm asking Thorn and Horwill to play 80 and Samo to cover the second row in case of injury. Maybe I shouldn't have left Matfield out, as there is no real caller in that pack but I like Samo's versatility off the bench and Brussow with 15-25 to go. Also hard to leave McCaw and Dagg out, as I don't think Beale, O'Connor (lol) and Pocock were at their best in this tournament, but Izzy didn't get the game time in and McCaw lost on a three-way coin toss (yes they exist, no it's not an innuendo).