sbobrfc says...

I'm still surprised that everyone seems to have ignored Aaron Cruden?!?! he's shown incredible maturity in leading the Chiefs to a Super title, and responds excellently whenever Danny boy pulls a muscle for the AIG AB's, he really deserves more credit than he's getting - in my view. He'll be the finished product in 2-3 years, and will end up as everyone's all time 10 within 5 years. (That Beauden Barrett isn't too bad either, if only he were Pommish...)

Posted 14:41 24th December 2012

hellovanite says...

Ok Sona is not the best scrummager going but as nzmaoriboy said he will get better. I personally thought that earlier in the season for the chiefs he was a wee bit loose with his bind and tended to drop his shoulder as a result but nonetheless handled his own and continued to improve. There is no doubt that he is a confidence player, so give him time. Mr Rosbif made some veiled comments regarding the standard we are used to in the SH and as I do, I took um-bridge to his taunting. Nothing more and nothing less than that. :)

Posted 19:40 20th December 2012

Norm says...

Cheers PR

I am not surprised to see Best here and yes I am an ulster fan. This is not just from the last 12 months either, he was the best hooker at last years world cup by several country miles. yes the Irish scrum collapsed in Twickenham last year but hey the guy cant prop and hook simultaneously now can he.

Long overdue respect for a great player. Wrong to call him as national skipper last year he is better focused on the role he does best, excuse the pun!

Posted 12:10 20th December 2012

hellovanite says...

Posted 10:34 20th December 2012

Rugga68 says...

I'm a South African, but I really don't think Ruan Pienaar where the best scrumhalve, maybe top 4!

Posted 07:25 20th December 2012

jash says...

hopeless team...McCaw did not play whole season in Super Rugby but he get the nod...rubbisg lineup...faviruing NZ palyers only...Manu Tuilagi should have been the center instead of Smith...Planet rugby forgot what he did to ABs..

Posted 23:36 19th December 2012

JayStarr says...

Fair team and mentions all around... except you also did not mention Andre Taylor! The top try-scorer in the top try-scoring tournament - from February to August - and no mention! He was better than Dagg the entire Super Rugby tournament. He might not have had a shot with the All Blacks, but while he WAS playing there was no better full-back than Andre Taylor!

As for your Bakkies-Botha-reputation comments about Eben Etzebeth: He has done nothing in South Africa or Super Rugby to give him such a reputation... And he has done nothing on the international scene either - it is just the UK media (and "citing officers") who decided to label him as such. You actually looked at an incident where an English player grabbed him by the throat, Etzebeth pushing the English player in the face to get him off him, and then having another 5 English players jump him, hitting him with a swinging arm and choking him again on the ground and say that it was ETZEBETH who was the thug! An Englisman also entirely falsely accused him of eye-gouging... So it is YOU who should get rid of your "big bad bully Sprinboks" mentality and stop believing your own hype. Eben Etzebeth never has been and never will be Bakkies Botha.

Posted 19:22 19th December 2012

nzmaoriboy says...

@rosbif- You may find mate that scrummaging has a lot to do with the collective effort as well as the personal tools of a said Prop. I played top level rugby in NZ (in the front row) & generally found the higher I went up the grades the easier the rugby became as you were working with fitter stronger & smarter players. I also remember having to go back to club rugby after the Air NZ cup & playing against these old shapeless salty dogs that gave me a lot of trouble in the scrums simply due to the fact their only SKILL they possessed was to break backs at scrum time & nothing else he he. Sona will get better as he learns & trains with his team! he ain't no slouch he did do well with the chiefs whom crushed the Saders/All blacks pack!. Just look at how far Census & Tongihua have come! I played with/against them in NZ and they couldn't even make the Super rugby teams as their scrummaging was average they got pushed to pillar & post in our national campaigns...their is no doubt however that they are now better players but it has taken them a long time to get to where they are. Sona's had a good year reverse the qualities and tell me how many other props would score and have a better work rate than Sona??

Posted 18:55 19th December 2012

Toulousain says...

bloemboy, you are funny! i had heard the hcup vs s15 thing a few times, but 6n vs s15, now you are smoking dope mon ami..... i can't speak for the other 6N teams, but maybe you forgot france is in that tournament too? rwc runner-up last year, best record overall at rwcs at making it to semis (tied with nz), currently ranked 4th in the world, ring any bells? hmmm, hardly a match for rebels or lions or cheetahs or ANOther s15 team, eh...?

by the way, your list of french players is interesting (if a little short). you might add servat, dusautoir, bonnaire and harionordoquy, and that's just in the pack.....

merry xmas and happy smoking :-)

Posted 13:51 19th December 2012

Rosbif says...

@hellovanite. Here's an early xmas present for you...

http://www.vipbox.tv/

Free rugby on your laptop. How great is that! All the Top 14 games are on it. Feel free to watch any of Perpignan's forthcoming games (Montpellier at home Dec 22nd, Toulon away dec 30th) while there's not much SH rugby going on.... Then we can have a proper talk about Taumalolo in the New Year perhaps?

@new_j4a. hehehe yes, I've been working on my trolling skills, but I'm afraid my heart isn't really in it! 25 degrees and sunny here in Rondebosch. Kids in the pool. Beer in the fridge. Cricket on the radio. Must remember to do my daily run around the RBHS playing fields a little earlier tomorrow before the sun gets too high! Happy Xmas to you and yours too :-)

Posted 10:04 19th December 2012