Wallaby team of the decade

[barbarian]

It's Friday and I'm bored. We're almost at the end of the 2010s, so let's pick a team of the decade.

Criteria:

Have to have played a test since 2010 (obviously)
Players are picked on the basis of peak form, not longevity
Players must be picked in the position where they displayed that peak form


My starting foray:

1. Benn Robinson
2. TPN Steve Moore
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. Adam Coleman
6. Rocky Elsom
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Bernard Foley
11. James O'Connor
12. Matt Giteau
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Israel Folau

I'll stick up for a few of my picks that may be more controversial.

Elsom's 2010/11 season was great, and though he never quite got back to that form I haven't seen anything from a Wallaby six that has been as good as that. Scott Fardy in 2015 came very close.

Bernard Foley will cop it for sure, but his 2015 World Cup was great, and better than Quade's 2010 season.

You could make arguments for a few other wingers, and maybe Beale's 2010 season is the hardest done by there. It's close.

Anyway, over to you. Tell me why I'm a moron.

 

[Slim 293]

I would suggest Fardy’s 2013 - 2016 form was far greater than Elsom’s last year in test rugby, which was a big step down from his pre pre-Leinster days........ at the time there were a lot of supporters calling for Elsom to be dropped back then but he still had the best work rate just with less impact.

There’s actually a strong case for the entire 2015 RWC Pooper backrow.

Also, TPN spent the entire decade behind Moore, or being injured, or not throwing straight.

I don’t think Coleman is a guaranteed Wallabies starter let alone being close to team of the decade. I would argue that even Simmons would be more deserving, but I’d go with Horwill.

Alrighty, I’ll give it a crack.........

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Pocock
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12. Giteau
13. Kuridrani
14. Folau
15. Beale

Hard choice for 10......... both have had more bad games than good ones, but Quade had a few more better ones between 2010 - 2013.

I’ve tinkered with the back 3 to reward Beale on his 2010-2011 form, Folau on the Lions series, and piss JOC (James O'Connor) off.

 

[Derpus]

If you are looking at the entirety of their careers i think Moore was better than TPN at test level for most of it, mostly due to throwing.

I love robbo but not sure he beats out Slipper.

I'd take Fardy over Elsom.

Fuck O'Connor off for Mitchell.

Horwill over Coleman. Coleman has had one good year and has also presided over the worst Wallabies lineout in recent history.

I feel bad for leaving Beale out but i think his best spot will always be off the bench.

Can we all agree in advance not to rekindle Hooper v Pocock debate.

 

[barbarian]

Also, TPN spent the entire decade behind Moore, or being injured, or not throwing straight.

Yeah that was a weird miss by me. Have changed now.

I don’t think Coleman is a guaranteed Wallabies starter let alone being close to team of the decade. I would argue that even Simmons would be more deserving, but I’d go with Horwill.

Horwill's best form was pre-2010 though. The second lock spot is tough, could also go Kane Douglas for his World Cup 2015 form alone, or Vicks for his 2011 form.

Coleman's 2017 showed enough to get him in there, for mine, but I acknowledge it might not be enough for some.

I’ve tinkered with the back 3 to reward Beale on his 2010-2011 form, Folau on the Lions series, and piss JOC (James O'Connor) off.

I'll die on JOC (James O'Connor) hill if I have to. He was our best player at the 2011 World Cup, and was one of our top 3 in 2010. At his best he'd walk into our current side.
.

 

[Braveheart81]

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Pocock
9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Folau
12. Giteau
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Robinson
18. Ala'alatoa
19. Vickerman
20. McMahon
21. Phipps
22. Cooper
23. JOC (James O'Connor)

 

[Rebels3]

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Pocock
9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Folau
12. Giteau
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Robinson
18. Ala'alatoa
19. Vickerman
20. McMahon
21. Phipps
22. Cooper
23. JOC (James O'Connor)

Couldn't have done better.

 

[barbarian]

9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Folau
12. Giteau
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Beale

When has Folau played well on the wing? Makes more sense to me to have Folau at 15 and Beale on the wing.

 

[Braveheart81]

When has Folau played well on the wing? Makes more sense to me to have Folau at 15 and Beale on the wing.

His debut series against the B&I Lions.

I'd put him at fullback but I also wanted to shoehorn Beale into the side.

I'm definitely not part of the brigade (mostly on the front page of the site) that argue constantly that Folau is not a great fullback. I think his record speaks for itself.

 

[Ignoto]

Horwill's best form was pre-2010 though. The second lock spot is tough, could also go Kane Douglas for his World Cup 2015 form alone, or Vicks for his 2011 form.

I would have thought Kev's best period was 09 - 2012. In that time was made Captain of the Wallabies and lifted the last Tri-Nations trophy.

Coleman I feel is a better athlete then Horwill, but would I be wrong in saying, Coleman struggles to string more than a handful of games together before breaking down?

 

[RebelYell]

1. Benn Robinson
2. Steve Moore
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. James Horwill
6. Sean McMahon
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Bernard Foley
11. Rob Horne
12. Matt Giteau
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Israel Folau

 

[Up the Guts]

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Fardy
7. Hooper
8. Pocock
9. Genia
10. Foley
11. Folau
12. Giteau
13. Kuridrani
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Robinson
18. Ala'alatoa
19. Vickerman
20. McMahon
21. Phipps
22. Cooper
23. JOC (James O'Connor)

Folau is at 14 if he’s on the wing. Come on BH, show a little bit of respect for the great techincal differences between left and right wing.

 

[RugbyReg]

If you go by GAGR votes as a whole, and an accumulation of all votes from all tests from 2010 until now, then the team would be:

15 Kurtley Beale
14 Adam Ashley-Cooper
13 Tevita Kuridrani
12 Berrick Barnes
11 Israel Folau (otherwise you'd pick Digby Ioane on the wing)
10 Quade Cooper
9 Will Genia
8 David Pocock
7 Michael Hooper
6 Scott Fardy
5 Nathan Sharpe
4 Adam Coleman
3 Sekope Kepu
2 Stephen Moore
1 James Slipper

16 TPN
17 Scott Sio
18 Any of Tupou, Alexander, Palmer, AAA
19 James Horwill
20 Sean McMahon
21 Luke Burgess
22 Digby Ioane
23 Dane Haylett-Petty


But that's probably more a team of longevity of form, rather than a moment in time.

 

[Up the Guts]

Love the fact the same back row and fly half issues have been going on for a decade.

 

[Dctarget]

1. Ben Daley
2. Saia Fainga'a
3. Greg Holmes
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill (c)
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Beau Robinson
8. Radike Samo
9. Will Genia (vc)
10. Quade Cooper
11. Digby Ioane
12. Ben Tapuai
13. Anthony Fainga'a
14. Rod Davies
15. Jono Lance

Fight me.

 

[Derpus]

When has Folau played well on the wing? Makes more sense to me to have Folau at 15 and Beale on the wing.

Lions series and that one Argentina test, about the only times he has played there.

Berrick was always so underrated.

 

[Tomikin]

As the British and Irish Lions Fans Song goes

1. Kurtley Beale
2. Kurtley Beale
3. Kurtley Beale
4. Kurtley Beale
5. Kurtley Beale
6. Kurtley Beale
7. Kurtley Beale
8. Kurtley Beale
9. Kurtley Beale
10. Kurtley Beale
11. Kurtley Beale
12. Kurtley Beale
13. Kurtley Beale
14. Kurtley Beale
15. Kurtley Beale

We all dream of team of Kurtley Beale's a team of Kurtley Beale's a team of Kurtley Beale's

 

[RoffsChoice]

We're picking based on their best games for us in a Wallabies jersey? Then I'd say it's as follows:

1. James Slipper (2014 Rugby Championship - Game 2 v South Africa)
2. Stephen Moore (2013 EOYT - Wales)
3. Sekope Kepu (2014 Mid Year Tests - Game 2 v France)
4. Kane Douglas (2015 World Cup - Wales)​
5. Sam Carter (2014 Mid Year Tests - Game 1 v France)​
6. Scott Fardy (2015 Bledisloe 1)
7. David Pocock (2011 World Cup QF)
8. Sean McMahon (2017 Bledisloe 3)
9. Will Genia (2013 Lions Series - Game 2)
10. Bernard Foley (2015 World Cup - England)
11. Joe Tomane (2013 Rugby Championship - Game 2 v Argentina)
12. Matt To'omua (2013 EOYT - Italy)
13. Tevita Kuridrani (2016 EOYT - Wales)
14. Dane Haylett-Petty (2016 Mid Year Tests - Game 1 v England)
15. Israel Folau (2014 Mid Year Tests - Game 1 v France)

But, on overall ability over the decade, I'd say it's a bit different:

1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore
3. Sekope Kepu
4. James Horwill
5. Adam Coleman
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. David Pocock
9. Will Genia
10. Bernard Foley
11. Dane Haylett-Petty
12. Kurtley Beale
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Israel Folau

 

[Up the Guts]

Lions series and that one Argentina test, about the only times he has played there.

Berrick was always so underrated.

And didn’t Israel completely carve up those fixtures? That try he scored on the Gold Coast last year was quickly forgotten in the wake of the loss but was surely the solo effort of the year.

 

[Derpus]

And didn’t Israel completely carve up those fixtures? That try he scored on the Gold Coast last year was quickly forgotten in the wake of the loss but was surely the solo effort of the year.

Correct

 

[barbarian]

The interesting positional debate is loosehead prop. Three candidates all with valid arguments in their favour-

Benn Robbo - Took our scrum from a real weakness to something approaching a strength. Reliable as anything, and a great ball-carrier.

James Slipper - Great at the set piece, and even more mobile than Robbo. Injury has hindered him, but he still put together a few great years.

Scott Sio - Probably our best scrummaging LHP, and his World Cup in 2015 was outstanding. Hasn't quite recaptured that form for a number of reasons.

You could argue those three would be right up there in an all-time Wallaby prop ranking, so it's a great debate to have.
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