kenttaff says...

heaslip???are you having a laugh. he doesnt do a job for ireland anymore (but they still pick him obviously) never mind the lions

Posted 14:04 25th July 2012

Jcahill1 says...

@ jonesy2

I doubt he is better than any of them.

Posted 21:23 22nd July 2012

cuw3100 says...

LOL despite the collective 6 nations rarely defeating the 3 nations, fans have very high opinios of their players when comparing against each other, allthough GD is from Wales.

First of all he is an 8 like Read , Spies , Palu , et al. Ability to play as a flanker should not cloud this fact. McCaw plays at 8 and 6 but at heart he is a 7!!!

Delve has been able to hold his place at 8 during a S15 season, which is a credit to his abilities. Same cannot be said of Waldrom who left Crusaders becoz there was Read (and Luke W who were sometimes prefered at 8 by Tod B). So for GD to play as many matches he did, says he had the game to match the opposition (or Rebels did not have anyone of better abilities.)

as an independent fan who is not from the 3 nations, i was impressed that he managed to be a part of a S15 outfit constantly (although the OZ teams this year were below par compared to NZ or SA) unlike other NH players like Danny C and James H. Fred M ofcourse has been a little more successful.

IMHO Delve is a better 8 than Those in Wales, England and Scotland. He is on par with those in Ireland and France but not as good as Parrise.

Again IMHO Delve is good enough to be in OZ bench. Problem is no matter who the Lions bring this sort of superiority complex of the home based players will ensure the outcome is bleak. For all the talk about the narrowing gap between SH and NH the playing styles are like chalk and cheese (3rd test AB v IReland).

A man with better vision would have GD in the Welsh mix becoz there are so many boys in the squad who willllearn from his experience. When the NZ training group this year was announced there were guys like Romano and Shields who showed what playing with old experienced heads can do to their game (did anyone see romano against the chiefs?) but then sometimes people have hard heads and logic is set aside for pride :)

Posted 05:22 22nd July 2012

three6three6 says...

This is a pipe dream.... Gareth Delve may have played some decent rugby... but he was on the fringes of the Wales team in 2010. He is unlikely to be picked as a No. 8 in the Lions Squad. Toby Falatau, Ryan Jones and Jamie Heaslip would certainly be ahead of him in the selectors current thinking.

A more realistic ambition would be to play for the Rebels against the Lions next year.

Posted 14:47 20th July 2012

jonesy2 says...

Herbman-- he hasnt been one of the rebels best at all. maybe one of the rebels 25 best or something. although he hasnt been terrible by any means. 10-15 better loose forwards in super rugby than him! are you insane?! its more like 115 you nutcase! hahaha

KubilaKhan- well most of them are flankers and delve is an 8. he is probably better or on a par with than waldrom, heaslip haskell and falatau

Posted 07:05 20th July 2012

Herbman says...

He's been one of the Rebels' better players (not that I've seen all their games), but there are probably at least 10-15 other loose forwards ahead of him in Super Rugby.

Posted 19:13 19th July 2012