Rugby Survey

[ohtani's jacket]

The league version:

First game you can remember seeing: Winfield Cup season, 1989.
Greatest match you've seen: State of Origin, Game Two, 1991.
Best Grand Final you've seen: Canberra vs. Balmain, 1988 (on DVD).
Best State of Origin series you've seen: 1991.
Best Test you've seen: Either NZ's victory over Australia in Melbourne, 1991, or the win in Sydney this year.
Most memorable win: Newcastle beating Manly in the '97 ARL final.
Most painful loss: Queensland's famous last minute try with Mark Coyne in 1994.

Favourite player: Andrew Johns and Steve Renouf.
Greatest player you've seen: Alfie Langer.
Greatest side: '88-'91 Canberra Raiders, followed by the '92-'93 Brisbane Broncos and '92-'94 New South Wales side.
Greatest coach: Tim Sheens.
Greatest captain: Wally Lewis.
Best performance you've seen, individual and team: Bradley Clyde winning the Clive Churchill medal despite losing the '91 Grand Final. Best team performance -- NSW winning the '93 Origin decider at Lang Park.
Best performance against your team(s), individual and team: The best team performance was Queensland in the '91 Origin series. The best individual performance -- Langer, Meninga and Lewis, consistently, in State of Origin football.
Most hated rival: Queensland.
Most respected rival: Brisbane.
Player who's exit from the game was the biggest loss: Wally Lewis.

 

[Burpey]

League, that's my thing.

First game you can remember seeing: Dragons v Sharks, Kogarah Oval 1993
Greatest match you've seen (live): Bulldogs v Eels, 1998 Prelim Final
Best Grand Final you've seen (live): Panthers v Roosters 2003
Best State of Origin series you've seen: 2000 (I'm from NSW )
Best Test you've seen: NZ v Aus in Tri-Nations this year in NZ
Most memorable win: Panthers v Roosters 2003 GF
Most painful loss: Dragons v Storm 1999 GF

Favourite player: Luke Bailey
Greatest player you've seen: A Johns
Greatest side: Broncos of the 1990s or Eels in 2001
Greatest coach: Graham Murray
Greatest captain: Wally Lewis.
Best performance you've seen, individual and team: Luke Phillips in the 2000 GF, made so many try-saving tackles
Best performance against your team(s), individual and team: Kimmorley in the 1999 GF
Most hated rival: Broncos
Most respected rival: Tigers
Player who's exit from the game was the biggest loss: Allan Langer

 

[PY]

It is your press that seals the deal for me. Oh and your players complaining to the ref every 5 seconds.

As long as it's nothing to do with us fans.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

OK, gotta keep this rolling...

Let's pick some first XVs based on our experience:

All Blacks, 1987-2005:

1. Craig Dowd
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Olo Brown
4. Ian Jones
5. Robin Brooke
6. Michael Jones
7. Richie McCaw
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Justin Marshall
10. Grant Fox
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Walter Little
13. Joe Stanley
14. John Kirwan
15. Christian Cullen

Rest of the World XV, 1987-2005

1. Os Du-Randt (SA)
2. Keith Wood (Ire)
3. Jason Leonard (Eng)
4. Martin Johnson (Eng)
5. John Eales (Aus)
6. Richard Hill (Eng)
7. George Smith (Aus)
8. Toutai Kefu (Aus)
9. Joost Vanderwesthuizen (SA)
10. Michael Lynagh (Aus)
11. David Campese (Aus)
12. Tim Horan (Aus)
13. Will Carling (Eng)
14. Rory Underwood (Eng)
15. Gavin Hastings (Scot)

God that was hard. I ended up cheating by playing Leonard as a tighthead prop.

 

[open365]

^you seem to have forgot Neil back.

 

[steds]

Super Rugby League. I would try Union, but I only ever watch it when Scotland play.

First game you can remember seeing: A Saints game with my granddad and uncle where Alan Hunte scored a full length try, although I can't recall what the match was. Saints vs. Bradford 1996 Challenge Cup Final was the first one where I knew who the opposition were.
Greatest match you've seen: Saints vs. Bradford 1996 Challenge Cup Final
Best Grand Final you've seen: Not alot to choose from. Never seen an Aussie GF, and there's only been 8 in GB. 2002 Saints vs. Bradford
Best State of Origin series you've seen: 2005 (only one I've watched!)
Best Test you've seen: NZ v Aus in Tri-Nations at Telstra this year.
Most memorable win: 96 Challenge Cup Final again or the home game against Wigan in 2001
Most painful loss: 1989 Challenge Cup Final vs. Wigan (27-0). Constant nagging reminder of days when the scum were good which every Wigan fan uses.

Favourite player: Currently Paul Wellens. All time - Tommy God (AKA Tommy Martyn)
Greatest player you've seen: In the flesh Jamie Lyon without a doubt. On the other end of a television screen in far off Warrington (and occasionally Australia when he decides to be not-injured ), Andrew Johns.
Greatest side: Every Australian team which ventures upon these shores are head and shoulders above anything we offer up. The one that won the 2000 World Cup was as good as any I've seen.
Greatest coach: Alex Murphy's record at Leigh, Warrington and Wigan was fantastic. I'd love to see what he could do in the modern era against guys like Bennett
Greatest captain: Chris Joynt
Best performance you've seen, individual and team: Jamie Lyon at Odsal this year. New Zealand's efforts in the Tri-Nations this year, especially the first two games. Sheffield Eagles in the 98 Challenge Cup Final
Best performance against your team(s), individual and team: Robbie Paul in the 96 Challenge Cup Final.
Most hated rival: Wigoon.
Most respected rival: Warrington.
Player who's exit from the game was the biggest loss: Meninga or Langer

Took me an hour and a half (in between watching the socey and tearing my old computer up)...shouldn't have bothered.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

^you seem to have forgot Neil back.

Maybe.

I could've gone for the loose forward trio of Richard Hill, Neil Back and Lawrence Dallaglio, but in the end, I felt Smith has done more than any other player in redefining the role of the openside flanker. You could easily play Smith at blindside and Back at the openside, if you think Back is a better player than Hill.

 

[Smudge]

Super Rugby League. I would try Union, but I only ever watch it when Scotland play.

We have a masochist in our midst.

 

[Smudge]

^you seem to have forgot Neil back.

Non-NZ post-1987 Opensides I would have ahead of Neil Back:

- Peter Winterbottom
- George Smith
- Simon Poedevin

 

[ohtani's jacket]

Winterbottom and Poidevin. Names I haven't heard in a while.

I'd love to read your first XVs.

Who would you choose at tighthead?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ok, a slow sunday here chez Brumby, so thought I'd have a bash.

England XV post 1987

15) Josh Lewsey
14) Rory Underwood
13) Jeremy Guscott
12) Will Greenwood
11) Jason Robinson
10) Jonny Wilkinson
9) Dewi Morris
1) Jason Leonard
2) Brian Moore
3) Jeff Probyn
4) Martin Johnson (c)
5) Wade Dooley
6) Richard Hill
7) Peter Winterbottom
8) Lawrence Dallaglio

RotW XV post 1987

15) Serge Blanco
14) David Campese
13) Phillipe Sella
12) Tim Horan
11) Jonah Lomu
10) Michael Lynagh
9) Joost van der Westhuizen
1) Os du Randt
2) Sean Fitzpatrick (c)
3) Cobus Visagie
4) John Eales
5) Ian Jones
6) Michael Jones
7) Josh Kronfeld
8) Zinzan Brooke

It's scary the amount of world class players I had to leave out: no Bunce or either of the Littles (Jason & Walter) in the centres, no Nick Farr-Jones, no Keith Wood (who I almost included when I realised my XV had no Celts at all), no Jeff Wilson, no Christian Cullen, no Benazzi (sp?). I could go on...

I was a bit disappointed to have to include Lewsey at 15 for England, 'cos I honestly thought we must've had a better full-back since then, but when I looked at the candidates (Webb, Catt, Paul Hull, Balshaw, Jason Robinson) realised we probably hadn't!

 

[Smudge]

1. Craig Dowd
2. Sean Fitzpatrick
3. Olo Brown
4. Ian Jones
5. Chris Jack
6. Michael Jones
7. Josh Kronfeld
8. Zinzan Brooke
9. Graeme Bachop
10. Dan Carter
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Walter Little
13. Frank Bunce
14. Jeff Wilson
15. Christian Cullen

The tough ones for me were the wingers. Lomu at his peak was unstoppable, but I genuinely believe the Rok is getting close to greatness. I went for the Little/Bunce combo in midfield, and preferred the link play of Kronfeld over McCaw at 7 (although that could be my Otago bias).

That front row would be hard to top, although Hayman and McDowell are both pushing Brown close.

ROW XV:

15. Serge Blanco
14. David Campese
13. Danie Gerber
12. Tim Horan
11. Simon Geoghegan
10. Michael Lynagh
9. Joost van der Westhuizen
8. Laurent Rodriguez
7. Simon Poedevin
6. Richard Hill
5. John Eales
4. Martin Johnson
3. Christian Califano
2. Keith Wood
1. Os Du Randt.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

I was a bit disappointed to have to include Lewsey at 15 for England, 'cos I honestly thought we must've had a better full-back since then, but when I looked at the candidates (Webb, Catt, Paul Hull, Balshaw, Jason Robinson) realised we probably hadn't!

I would've gone for some combination of Simon Hodgkinson and Jonathan Webb. I liked that early 90s team. When the Lions toured New Zealand in '93, they each adopted a school. Our school had Rory Underwood and a few others I can't remember. Having met the guy, I remember being excited when he scored in the second Test.

I'm surprised that you didn't pick Will Carling.

It's scary the amount of world class players I had to leave out: no Bunce or either of the Littles (Jason & Walter) in the centres

So many great centre combinations -- Stanley and Schuster, Bunce and Little, Horan and Little, Guscott and Carling, Sella and Mesnel. I thought about putting Blanco at fullback, but he retired so early into my era.

Cobus Visagie is an interesting one. Quite a respected front rower in his day until the doping allegations. A lot of South Africans rate Tommy Laubscher. I considered Pieter de Villiers & Federico Mendez.

 

[Anna]

I was a bit disappointed to have to include Lewsey at 15 for England, 'cos I honestly thought we must've had a better full-back since then, but when I looked at the candidates (Webb, Catt, Paul Hull, Balshaw, Jason Robinson) realised we probably hadn't!

Er, Matt Perry?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Er, Matt Perry?

D'oh! A very underrated player, Perry. So underrated, in fact, that I completely forgot about him, despite him being (I think) still our most capped 15.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

I considered Pieter de Villiers & Federico Mendez.

Mendez is a hooker. The guy I was thinking of was Patricio Noriega. I've become obsessed with tighthead props! Marius Hurter was another guy I thought of today. I asked around at work and the general consensus was Christian Califano.

I'd still play Leonard on the other side. Imagine Os and Leonard together.

That front row would be hard to top, although Hayman and McDowell are both pushing Brown close.

The front row really came down to McDowell-Fitzpatrick-Drake, McDowell-Fitzpatrick-Loe, Loe-Fitzpratick-Brown or Dowd-Fitzpatrick-Brown. I chose the latter because of the series victory in South Africa. McDowell is unlucky to miss out. Hayman could become an all-time great.

I went for the Little/Bunce combo in midfield, and preferred the link play of Kronfeld over McCaw at 7 (although that could be my Otago bias).

Bunce and Little were a great midfield combination, although I feel Stanley was our best centre. I have no problems with Kronfeld as openside flanker; a great player, particularly in his younger dayers, before the cynicism set in.

I can understand playing Wilson over Kirwan, too, since Wilson was a better all-round player, but nobody tops Kirwan at his mercurial best. Bachop was an interesting choice. I assume you preferred his passing game.

I'm not convinced that Carter has surpassed Fox or Mehrtens yet, but he has the skills to be a great all-round number 10. Jack was a bit of a surprise.

As for the Rest of the World, you brought the goods -- Simon Geoghegan, the Electric Eel! Don't think I ever saw Gerber play. I liked your squad a lot.

 

[Simon]

ill do mine for league

First game you can remember seeing: 1989 Grand Final Canberra vs Balmain
Greatest match you've seen: 1997 SL Tri Series Final NSW vs QLD
Best Grand Final you've seen: 1992 Brisbane vs St George
Best State of Origin series you've seen: 1995, QLD 3-0
Best Test you've seen: none
Most memorable win: 1988, Brisbane's first ever match, was against defending premiers Manly, Broncos won 44-10
Most painful loss: 1994 final series vs Norths

Favourite player: Brett Seymour
Greatest player you've seen: Allan Langer
Greatest side: Broncos 92-93
Greatest coach: Wayne Bennett
Greatest captain: Mal Meninga
Best performance you've seen, individual and team: Indiv. Brett Kimmorley for Sharks in 2001 against Knights, scored a couple and set up a thousand. team. Raiders in the 94 grand final.
Best performance against your team(s), individual and team: indiv. Mal Meninga 1993 at Bruce Stadium, canberra won 26-4 and he was the difference. team.Melbourne in 2005, beat us 50-4 need i say more.
Most hated rival: Roosters
Most respected rival: Raiders
Player who's exit from the game was the biggest loss: Gorden Tallis

 

[howardj]

ill do mine for league

Most painful loss: 1994 final series vs Norths

Geez that stung.

I didn't speak to anyone for a week after that.

 

[Simon]

Geez that stung.

I didn't speak to anyone for a week after that.

lol yeh, that loss i probably took more painfully than any other, bloody jason taylor

 

[Anna]

D'oh! A very underrated player, Perry. So underrated, in fact, that I completely forgot about him, despite him being (I think) still our most capped 15.

He is indeed. Was listening to coverage of the Bath v Gloucs Powergen Cup match on BBC radio gloucs online & the commentators were being very complimentary of him, which is always nice to hear from the arch enemy