Pick your favourites
- 9 Feb 07, 12:22 PM
Glasgow - Who is the best Scottish player of all time, and who is the best Welsh player of all time? What the heck, who is your favourite player of all time?
Here I am, dribbling, looking ahead to the Scotland Wales game. ESPN the other night had a Wales/Scotland game on from the nineteen seventies, and it was brilliant.
I love these games and they remind me firstly of sitting with two rolls with ham and mustard, a tomato, and a glass of milk, and Andy Irvine taking penalty kicks with me, my brothers and my Dad running to the hall unable to watch and my mum left in the front room.
Also they remind me of great days on the old Murrayfield terraces, or of actually being on the pitch itself.
Anyway, my favourite Welsh player of all time was in the TV game I was watching. He was Gareth Edwards. He passed the ball as if it was coming out of the barrel of a tank gun, he had strength and power and he ran like the wind. My favourite Welsh player of all time is Gareth Edwards. He was a true great.
And my favourite Scottish player of all time was wing-forward David Leslie, who could do the seemingly impossible. Leslie was my hero as a boy, and then I got to play against and alongside him, sharing a room with him on my first cap. He even told me how to sleep (on my back, arms outside the sheets!).
And you know the bizarre thing. I can shut my eyes and I can remember, man for man, the whole of that Welsh team from 1978 from just watching that one game. Faulkner, Windsor, Price, Wheel, Martin, Cobner, Squire, Quinnell, Edwards, Bennett, Gravell, Fenwick, JJ Williams, Davies, JPR Williams. Just as well I am not driving as I would have crashed by now, but how the heck can I remember that team?
Come on, tell us who your favourite players are, and if you are in the Jam House in Edinburgh on Saturday night for the big rugby fundraising event I will see you there.
Wales 27-18 England
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Very poignant this one on today of all days.
I can genuinely say my favouite player of all time was Brian Williams of Neath.
I was never any good as a player but loved my rugby. From an early age was taken to watch Neath and grew to love the club.
Watching the team in which Brian played was the highlight of my rugby watching and I don't think the passion and excitment of watching that side play from the old terracing at the Gnoll could ever be repeated.
Of all the great players at Neath at the time it was Brian who epitomised the team and stood out with his incredible drive, commitment and strength.
I accept it never quite worked for Brian on the international stage but as a club prop and without question in old-fashioned mauling and general play he was without equal.
At my home now in Bristol I have a small space for the Groggs of that old Neath front row of Brian, Kevin Phillips and John Davies (With an honourable mention for Jeremy Pugh). It will seem even more special now.
In my household Brian will never be forgotten.
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For Wales JPR Williams
For Scotland Gary Armstrong
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I am 43 and the greatest players I ever watched were also from the 70's and 80's. Amongst them would be:
Forwards
Graham Price - the prop of all props;
Robert Paparamborde - the other prop of all props;
Phil Orr - a third one (pity there're only two props in a front row);
John Jeffries - yet another dour, hard but great Scottish back-row, perhaps the best of the lot;
Maurice Colclough and Nigel Horton - the English 2nd row men;
Fergus Slattery - when I was about 12 or 13, Fergus was some kind of divine being;
Alain Paco - the French hooker. I just loved the name! And of course, for the same reason, his captain .. Jean-Pierre Bastiat, the No. 8.
Backs
There are only a few, me being a prop ...
Gerald Davies;
Gareth Edwards;
Patrick Esteve (the 'Narbonne' or the 'Bayonne'Express, can't remember which)
Jerome Gallion;
JPR Williams;
Ollie Campbell;
and finally, the magnificent, wondrous Serge Blanco.
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I'm with you John. Gareth Edwards is undoubtedly my pick for the best Welsh player and player of all time, although Wilko and Dan Carter still have time to change that.
As for Scotland, I was always a big fan of Finlay Caulder (named my son after him!) and John Jeffries, but Outside Half John Rutherford gets my vote.
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Some of these are choices are head and some are heart:
David Sole - 1 (1990 Grand Slam)Brian Moore - 2 (even as a scot I admired his passion & mobility)
Jim Aitken - 3 (1984 Grand Slam)
Martin Johnson - 4 (no better 2nd row ever)
Willie John McBride (close 2nd to MJ)
John Jeffries - 6
Finlay Calder - 7
Benazzi - 8 (sorry JB)
Gary Armstrong - 9 (we produce the best scrum halfs in NH)
Wilko - 10 (best kicker, tackling no 10)
D Duckham - 11 (only good english player in 70s)
O'Driscoll - 12(out of position ...sorry)
Guscott - 13(mercurial)
I Evans - 14 (try record speaks for itself)
S Blanco - 15
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hi jock
love to come to the jam house on sat. but stuck over here in sunny spain best scottish player sorry but has to be big packy ian paxton then probably barry john with phil bennett a close 2nd as the welsh players.
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not lucky enought to have seen any of the games live but the name Barry John summons everything up for me. To watch videos of him swerving and stepping through defenses and also having the ability to drop goals of either foot is magnificent.
Add to him Gareth Edwards and I cannot chose between them.
From the modern day I feel a need to mention Jonah Lomu who had the biggest impact on the game of anyone, he re-wrote the rule book on back play and rugby in general. I rememeber watching him play number 8 for the NZ schools about 12 months before his test debut - a frightening and awesome sight.
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Easy... Brian O'Driscoll
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favorite player of All time
Gareth Edwards for everything
Welsh: Barry John (for skill), Geoff Wheel (for effort)
English: Martin Johnson(for effort) Guscott (for Skill)
Irish: Mike Gibson (for everything)Willie John (for Heart)
Scotish: Gavin Hastings (Skill) Gordon Brown (For Effort)
French: JP Rives(for effort),Serge Blanco (for skill)
NZ: Colin Meads (for Effort) Dan Carter (for Skill)
Aus: J Eales (for effort), Campase (for skill
SA: Tiechman (for effort), Percy Montgomery (skill)
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Easy.... Jonny Wilkinson!!!
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gee this is a toughy. Best player is almost impossible but for excitement, for getting you off your feet everytime they got (sometimes they dropped it) the ball - ANDY IRVINE and SERG BLANCO
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My favourite player of all time was the legendary French flanker forward Jean Pierre Rives, who gave his all for his country and was quite an exceptional leader of men. Pound for pound, the most destructive tackler i have ever seen - absolutely superb!
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Has to be Jonny Wilkinson, the guy is a talisman.
Also, Waisale Serevi has been a great credit to the game.
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The best Scottish player I have ever seen play is Gary Armstrong. Simply phenomenal.
The best rugby player I've ever seen in Martin Johnson. A god amongst men.
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Love the nostalgia JB! superb stuff!
My favourtie Welsh player of all time, going by my lifetime (30) would have to be Ieuan Evans or Jonathan Davies (pre league days)... probably go for Davies and my favourtie Scottish player would have to be David Sole (precursor for the modern day prop forward in my humble view) and Jim Renwick, only becuase, as a bairn he reminded me of my dad (BALDY)
I suppose while i'm here...
English player: Dusty Hare (just the name makes me laugh)
Irish player: Brendan Mullen (great player in a poor period for Irish rugby)
French player: Serge Blanco (a man that can play rugby that well after 60 fags a day has to be a legend!)
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The best of all time.... I am noticing a paucity of selections from the New Zealand national side - the 'All Blacks'. The team that bar a few poor years have been the dominant side in world rugby for the past 100 years.
Who can possibly forget such greats as:
Open your eyes - any one that puts Guscott (yep seriously he did....) in a world's best ever 15 needs their head read...and coming from a guy who's team that have never EVER beaten the All Blacks......
Shame on you!
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Best Scottish Player Of All Time: Gavin Hastings!!
Best Current Scottish Player: Jason White or Mike Blair
Best Player In The World: Dan Carter (better than "Wilko" by a long way
COME ON THE SCOTS!
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growing up as a hooker my hero was Colin Deans for Scotland and Sean Fitzpatrick internationally - Deans in my mind is the first hooker to develop the art of throwing into the line out. Nowadays players i really admire(d) are/were BoD, Christian Cullen, Will Greenwood, Richard Hill, Rich McCaw, Martyn Johnson and Dan Carter
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Easy, Ian McLauchlan, Jim Renwick and Andy irvine!
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Gareth Edwards has to be the greatest player of all time. Lets remember that he played in a time, when in my opinion Rugby was tougher than it is now.
He had everything, stength, agility, awareness, skill and most of all sheer determination, he could make a try out of nothing.
He is also reponsible for scoring in my opinion, the greatest try of all time, for the Barbarians against New Zealand.
Simply the Best
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The question posed by JB is almost impossible to answer; different eras produce different players with different talents honed by the environment in which they played. Indeed, many of the players in the 70s and 80s would be submerged in the cut and thrust and sheer committment of the present day game. And besides, the rules have been tinkered with and changed over the years and this was bound to have an effect on how players played the game and asked different questions of them during different playing periods. Those who were deemed to be outstanding in previous times would be emasculated now and many very good players would struggle to make their international sides now. Thus, comparisons between players who played in different times is at best extremely subjective. Having said all that, and despite being a Scot, my vote goes to that consumate practioner of Irish and British Lion back play who was also the epitome of courtesy, sportsmanship and not forgetting sheer ability, Michael Gibson. I yield to no-one in my respect for this most professional, skillful and likeable man. In the whole of the rugby world he would be my preferred dinner guest. Les Mayne, Tanzania.
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Well I enjoy the running rugby more than anything so got to go with players that make the noise levels increase whenever they touch the ball.
Eng - Jason Robinson - shame he came into Union so late
Sco - Andy Irvine
Wal - Gareth Edwards
Ire - Keith Wood (ok not a back but enjoyed a good run!)
Fra - Serge Blanco or Phillipe Sella
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From snow bound Upstate, NY
Gavin Hastings for Scotland. He carried Scotland during his World Cup appearances.
JPR Williams for Wales. Little know that his play was enhanced for sporting the greatest Mutton Chops of all time.
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Ireland:Tony Ward, Fergus Slattery
England: David Duckham Fran Cotton
France: Jean-Pierre Rives,Serge Blanco
Wales:Gerald Davies, The Pontypool front Row
Scotland;Andy Irvine & Mighty Mouse!
These are my picks from my era.
I hated all in red shirts because they were so arrogant, especially JPR Willims with his rolled down socks and greased legs, I remember him tackeling(body-checking) Mike Gibson long after Gibson had kicked the ball over his head preventing a sure try! What comes around goes around.
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Jean Peirre Rives
Best Scot - Andy Irvine
Best Welch - the old guy who looks a bit like the grandad in the "Adams Family"
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Some of the comments below amaze me. You can't call any modern day player in the "Hall of Fame".
The Best XV of all time is:
15 - Serge Blanco
14 - Gerald Davies
13- Mike Gibson
12 - Bledd Williams
11 - David Campese
10 - Barry John
9 - Gareth Edwards
1 - Graham Price
2 - Keith Wood
3 - Olo Brown
4 - Colin Meads (cpt)
5 - Martin Johnson
6- Brain Lohore
7 - Michael Jones
8 - Zinzan Brooke
As for these people who ask for the admittance of Jonny Wilkinson, sorry but you haven't a clue about rugby. Barry John, Phil Bennet, Dai Watkins, Jonathan Davies, Cliff Morgan, Lewis Jones, Hugo Porto, Mike Lynah, and Grant Fox. All masters of the game, who could turn a game at a drop of a hat!!!!
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Dwayne peel without a doubt!!!
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I was lucky enough to have once been trained by this man, in my opinion, the greatest wing and the player who most influenced my playing days. But it was close - as an outside half I modelled myself on firstly Barry John and then Phil Bennett, but it was this man's side-step that captivated me. Ask anyone present at the old Arms Park on International Day - the sense of expectation and the drawing in of breath of 60'000 people as the ball made its way along the backs towards his wing. Who am I talking about? Gerald Davies of course.
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I always think of who is furthest ahead of their contemparies when trying to select a greatest player.
Having watched a lot of 1990s rugby I always had a soft spot for Tom Smith for Scotland and the Welsh spine of Quinell, Howley and Jenkins (although the current group could be better as a unit).
All time I'd go for Martin Johnson. There are only a handful of 2nd rows in the same class and he managed to win it all as a captain.
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Jeffrey, Calder, Armstrong, Hastings and the Fiji 7's team of the mid 80's. Crikey they were good.
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Lewis Jones was sublime; in his creation of space and overlaps, acceleration and place kicking. Always cool and creative. Ah those days at Headingley: Lewis on one side and Fred on t'other
John Bates
Pennsylvania
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Wales - Gareth Edwards
Scotland - Gavin Hastings
France - Phillipe Sella
Italy - Diego Dominguez
Ireland - Willie John McBride
England - Rory Underwood
Overall - The greatest player of all time (ooo contravertial) Gareth Edwards.
NZ - Jonah Lomu
Aus - David Campese
SA - Gary Teich (jus coz im a gwent boi.)
Others - Serevi (Fiji), Gareth Rees (Canada), Pat Lam (Samoa).
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My all time favourite player has to be Serg Blanco.
Favourite Scot: Gary Armstrong
Favourite English: Dean Richards
Favourite Welsh: Scott Gibbs
Favourite Irish: Keith Wood
Favourite Italian: Either of the Bergamasco's
Favourite Others: Grant Fox, David Campese, Philippe Sella, Olivier Magne, Pat Lam.
I love the 6 Nations, to me it's probably the purest celebration of sport in the world today.
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I named my son after Ieuan Evans... I watched the guy sidestep 3 scots (two of them twice) to score under the posts. I saw him chase down campese several times. i saw him make a monkey out of rory underwood so many times he hired him as his bitch. maybe not the best player of all time but the one that gave me most pleasure.
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Maybe a tad biased, however without doubt M.C.H.Gibson of Ireland. Mike was in my French class at Campbell College in Belfast - called 'Gibfils' by the teacher! I tackled him once in a school game - wow - solid muscle from head to foot. For sheer knowledge and understanding of the game of rugby, for pure sportsmanship, genius on the field, Mike has no equal. (Should have stayed at flyhalf though!)
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I agree with Vince re Gerald Davies(I picked him above)
The same anticipation was felt in Landsdowne Road when Tony Ward got the ball especially in broken play
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Head and shoulders above the rest...
The Mighty Mike Teague!
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Jean-Pierre Rives
Brian Moore
Jason Leonard
Detect a pattern?
Oh, and Jonah Lomu was quite good ;)
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Maybe a tad biased, however without doubt C.M.H.Gibson of Ireland. Mike was in my French class at Campbell College in Belfast - called 'Gibfils' by the teacher! I tackled him once in a school game - wow - solid muscle from head to foot. For sheer knowledge and understanding of the game of rugby, for pure sportsmanship, genius on the field, Mike has no equal. (Should have stayed at flyhalf though!)
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Bryan Richards Wales, Swansea, Cambridge and Baa Baas Outside Half - of the 50's and 60's - capped only once by Wales because as legend has it the outside backs refused to play with him again because they never got ball as he didn't need their help.
When coaching an U14 team as a fifty something teacher dressed in a suit, a trench coat and wellies he told us to get the ball off him....15v1 and we never got near him. Pure Class!
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Best side ever would be Picked from:
15 Blanco/JPR
14John Bevan/G Davies
13 Gibson/B O Driscoll
12 Mark Ring/Umaga
11 Lomu/Lagisque
10 Barry John/Carter
9 Gareth Edwards/Sid Going
8 Merv Davies/Tiechman
7 Richie McCaw/Terry Cobner
6 Mike Tiege/W Shelford (out of posn but you have to have him in there)
5 Colin Meads/John Eales
4 Johnson/Geoff Wheel
3 Graham Price/Fran cotton
2 Bryn Meredith/Wilson Whinneray
1 Visage/Paperambourde
Perm any 15 and you will not beat that side
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It is well known in Wales that if you are lucky enough to get to heaven, you will see Barry John sitting at the right hand of someone only slightly more important.
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Chris Cusiter for Scotland and Shane Williams for Wales im not old enough to remember anyone else!!!!
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For me the most talented player in recent decades–able to play well in any position in any weather conditions–was Zinzan Brooke. And I'm an Aussie...
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Great game this, JB:-
1 - David Sole (Sco)
2 - Keith Wood (Ire)
3 - Graham Price (Wal)
4 - Martin Johnson (Eng)
5 - Willie John McBride (Ire)
6 - John Jeffrey (Sco)
7 - Finlay Calder (Sco)
8 - Lawrence Dallaglio (Eng)
9 - Gareth Edwards (Wal)
10 - Jonny Wilkinson (Eng)
11 - Gerald Davies (Wal)
12 - Brian O'Driscoll (Ire)
13 - Mike Gibson (Ire)
14 - Ieuan Evans (Wal)
15 - JPR Williams (Wal)
Non-Brits? Serge Blanco, Dan Carter, Zinzan Brooke, Sean Fitzpatrick, Francois Pienaar, Colin Meads, Michael Lynagh, Phillipe Sella, Robert Paparemborde.
Others? Barry John, Phil Bennett, Bleddyn Williams, Haydn Tanner, John Gwilliams, Dewi Bebb,...OK, I'm Welsh!
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anybody remenber Ron Glasgow as i boy i "heard" his tackes across Murrayfield. Nobody got up.
Rives of France
JPR for Wales
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Best (ever) Team BI & Ireland
(not currently playing)
JPR
G.Davies
S.Gibbs
M.Gibson
D.Duckham
B.John
G.Edwards
Merv.Davies
F.Slattery
J.Jefferies
M.Johnson
Willie John(Cap)
G.Price
B.Winsor
F.Cotton
Replacements
R.Howley
P.Bennett
JJ Williams
K.Wood
J. Lennard
G.Brown
S.Quenell
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SERGE BLANCO BY A MILE .... Few other players have had the ability to raise the crowd everytime they get the ball .... the ultimate rugby legend ... Campese was also pretty useful
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John,
For Scottish player must agree with you. David Leslie was my boyhood hero too (I started my rugby career at flank forward). The amount of ball he won from rucks & mauls in the days when those were still real contests was phenomenal.
For Welsh player I would say JPR Williams - solid as a rock in defense & a real danger in attack.
Best ever - David Campese.
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And my favourite English player was
David Duckham - as a boy I remember when he lost the tv camera during a game against the All Blacks when he was playing for the Barbarians. Bill Beaumont was my first Lions captain and he was a far better player than he looked.
And my favourite French player was - Jean Pierre Rives. He once played, effectively, with one arm, I think in Australia, when he had damaged his shoulder so severely in the lead up to a game that he could not even lift his arm. Mind you, Mighy Mouse Maclachlan, the Scottish prop, famously played with a broken leg against England
They were tougher then
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Gavin HASTINGS has to be one of the best SCotland players of modern times
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Flaming Campese - I once chased him down the wing in an international and he was far faster than me, turned up at the building site I was working on that Monday and every navvy had seen it. Went to the canteen and was served by a fifteen year old girl. "What do you want to drink and eat?" she asked, I said I would have a coffee and a mars bar.
"Oh" she said. "Campese doesn't eat mars bars!"
Flipping heck. Ruck and roll.
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My favourite player would have to be "Cooch" Chilcott. I'm not sure there's another player who's the subject of as many classic rugby anecdotes.
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This thread wasn't about the best players...it was about our favourite. Rule Number One: ATFQ (answer the question).
My favourite player is Jonah Lomu. I saw him play England at Old Trafford in 1997, and couldn't believe his athleticism. His contribution to modern rugby has been phenomenal, and as for his display in determination in coming back from a medical condition that would have written off almost anyone...what a man. A fearsome competitor, massively brave...he puts the majority of modern sportsmen to shame with his integrity. A true role model, and an absolute ledge!
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Best x-player Jean Pierre Rives
Best current player Dan Carter
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On behalf of my dad: Jack Kyle - pure genius on the field and a gentleman off it.When he stopped playing rugby, he went on to be a doctor for many years to the poor in Africa
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I agree with Howard (post 39) on Michael Gibson. Without equal in terms of his intelligence and sheer ability to read the game. On the Lions Tour of New Zealand in '71/72 the Kiwis said he was the greatest player they'd ever seen. Colin Meads said that Gibson, on his own, foiled approximately 80% of their attacking moves. Barry John was also on that tour and together with Gareth Edwards they would be my other 'greats'. You have to remember also that these men held down pretty big jobs too - Willie John was a bank manager and Gibson a solicitor.
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jason white and gavin hastings for me
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Team I would most like to watch:
15. S. Blanco
14. C. Cullen
13. B. O'Driscoll
12. P. Sella
11. J. Lomu
10. D. Carter
9. J. Van der Westhuizen
8. Z. Brooke
7. R. McCaw
6. M. Jones
5. M. Johnson
4. C. Meads
3. O. Brown
2. K. Wood
1. C. Dowd
Perhaps not a team for the purists, nor a team made up of the 'best' or 'greatest' ever, but surely one hell of a team nonetheless.
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Can't believe the best player, and my favourite, ever to wear 12 hasn't had a mention yet. Why even consider playing BOD, Tana or other great outside centres there?
Let's hear it for Tim Horan.
Imagine him and Sella: the ultimate midfield pairing.
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Did anyone ever see Neil Sharp an outstanding flyhalf for the Granite City RFC? He had the hands of a surgeon with a passion for he unexpected. He gets my vote!!
Neil Sharp ( retired )
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I remember Ron Glasgow. He and I played in the same Dunfermline team just after I left school. He was a teacher at Dollar Academy and was as uncompromising on the training ground as he was in competition. I too have felt the effects of his crushing tackles!!! Still give me nightmares!
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Michael Jones was perhaps the best number 7 of all time- more athletic and with greater anticipation than Richie McCaw. As he got older he slowed down so switched positions and became the best number 6 in the worl at the time. Tana Umaga was an inspirational leader who first broke into the All Blacks as a speedy winger... then moved to centre as his career progressed. Sean Fitzpatrick once mentioned that he would follow Umaga into battle.
My girlfriend is of the firm opinion that Jonny Wilkinson is the best rugby player of all time.
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has to Jonah Lomu the first rugby superstar seeing someone that big and that kick bonce 3 or 4 tacklers at a time on the way to a try was just brillant, always a pleasure to watch
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has to Jonah Lomu the first rugby superstar seeing someone that big and that quick bonce 3 or 4 tacklers at a time on the way to a try was just brillant, always a pleasure to watch.
Best English player (as i am English) is Wilkinson, highest points holding in the 5/6 nations says it all
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David Sole
Brian Moore
Grahame Price
Michael Jones
Bob Norster
Richie McCaw
Jerry Collins
Scott Quinnell
Rob Howley
Barry John (he had to go in or my wife would have shot me)
Brian odriscoll
Mark Hughes
Jonah Lomu
Christian Cullen
Me
I see the weakness in this team as the full back but with a bit of coaching and an iron lung I think I would make and unmistakable impact!
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Has to be Zinzan Brooke for me - amazing all round skill and ability - a master craftsmen, a truly hard man and an entertainer too. Remember that drop goal from out on the right wing in the '95 world cup?
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We have had a few World XVs so here is an England XV to take on Scotland in the Calcutta Cup.
1 Trevor Woodman
2 Peter Wheeler
3 Phil Blakeway
4 Martin Johnson
5 Nigel Horton
6 Tim Rodber
7 Richard Hill
8 Andy Ripley
9 Dickie Jeeps
10 Richard Sharpe
11 John Young
12 Geoff Evans
13 Peter Preece
14 Keith Fielding
15 Bob Hiller
What do you think?
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Colin Deans and Jim Renwick for Scotland (and Hawick)
Then Gary Armstrong and John Rutherford
Andy Irvine, David Leslie, John Jeffery, David Sole and Tom Smith close behind.
Cannot believe people nominated Gavin Hastings, he was never even the best Hastings in the Scotland team, never mind the best player.
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My favourite Scottish player would have to be Simon Taylor. I hope he gets the chance to show everyone just how good he is. Jim Telfer was good too.
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The World XV Probables V Possibles
1.Craig Dowd Graham Price
2.Sean Fitzpatrick Keith Wood
3.Olo Brown Carl Hayman
4.Colin Meads Jon Eales
5.Martin Johnson Ian Jones
6.Michael Jones Walter Spanghero
7.Ritchie McCaw Josh Kronfeld
8.Francois Pienaar Buck Shelford
9.Gareth Edwards George Gregan
10.Daniel Carter Barry John
11.Jonah Lomu Rupeni Caucau
12.Danie Gerber Scott Gibbs
13.Tana Umaga Frank Bunce
14.David Campese John Kirwan
15.Serge Blanco Christian Cullen
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Gareth Old Boy,
When your Probables v Possibles Trial is over, perhaps we could arrange a fixture. Here is my Invitation XV.
1 Os du Randt
2 Raphael Ibanez
3 Phil Blakeway
4 Martin Johnson
5 Mark Andrews
6 Colin Meads – (Captain)
7 Richie McCaw
8 Tim Rodber
9 Gareth Edwards
10 Mike Gibson
11 Jonah Lomu
12 Jo Maso
13 Frank Bunce
14 Philippe Bernat-Salle
15 Matthew Burke
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JPR Williams?
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joey,
I know this could be viewed as sacrilege in these islands, but I always thought Pierre Villepreux was better than J.P.R. Williams.
Matthew Burke is the best Full-Back I have ever seen.
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The original question was: Who is the best Scottish player of all time and who is the best Welsh player of all time?
The correct answer, as one of your earlier respondents correctly realised, is John Rutherford and Gareth Edwards respectively.
Certain other respondents have expanded the debate to include the best XV of all time.
The best XV (since 1970 say) is:
15. JPR Williams
14. John Kirwan
13. Tim Horan
12. Mike Gibson
11. David Campese
10. Michael Lynagh
9. Gareth Edwards
8. Wayne Shelford
7. Michael Jones
6. Richard Hill
5. John Eales
4. Martin Johnson
3. Graham Price
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
1. Fran Cotton
So now you know.
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Here are some of my favorites, (past and present)
Carl Haymans
Keith Woods
olo Brwon
John Eales
Paul O'connell
Big Jerry Collins
Josh Kronfeld
Zinzan Brook (only for his drop goal in the 95 wc)
Joost Van Der Westeuzen
Wasali Serevi
Joanh Jomu
Carlos Spencer
Tim Horan
Simon Geoghgan
David Campese
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My all time hero comes from the 1970s
As a young full back in my school team
it had to be Andy Irvine
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Best Scottish players: Irvine, Renick, Rutherford, Armsrong, F. Caulder,and Craig Paterson (who's been holding together a non-existent Scottish backline for several seasons & should have been playing at stand-Off!)
Welsh: Edwards, B. John, G.Davies, S. Gibbs, J.Davies
Team:
15/Serge Blanco
14/Patrice Lagisquet
13/Danny Gerber
12/Philippe Sella
11/Jona Lomu
10/Dan Carter
9/Gareth Edwards
8/Abdel Benazzi
7/J-P Rives
6/Findlay Calder
5/Martin Jonson
4/John Eales
3/Olo Brown
2/Keith Woods
1/Craig Dowd
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