Hot: McCaw... Not: Goosen
It is time for Planet Rugby's weekly wrap of who has their name in lights right now...and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons...
They're smokin'!
Richie McCaw: Winning 100 Tests is something which must rank as one of the greatest individual achievements in the history of the game. This feat has started a debate in some quarters whether the All Blacks captain is the greatest player of all time. And rightly so, we say.
Mike Harris: Despite playing out of position at full-back, in front of a hostile crowd, the Reds man led the charge with 20 points in the Wallabies' win over Argentina in Rosario.
Charlie Hodgson: The veteran pivot showed there was still plenty of fuel left in his tank as he notched all 28 points in Saracens' Premiership victory over London Welsh last weekend.
Waikato: The Mooloos ended Taranaki's lengthy stint as Ranfurly Shield holders in style with a convincing win at the Amber and Blacks' home ground.
Griquas: The Currie Cup's most unfancied team continued with their giant-killing act when they beat the high-riding Golden Lions in Kimberley. The win over the defending champions shows that previous wins over the Sharks and Blue Bulls was no fluke.
Get these guys a cup of warm soup!
South African Rugby Union and Australain Rugby Union: The mother bodies of the Springboks and Wallabies will have to do serious introspection regarding their decision not to follow the lead of the New Zealand Rugby Union by using the central contracting system. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has described it as one of the main reasons why his team completed the Rugby Championship with hardly any injuries. The Springboks and Wallabies, however, were decimated by casualties. Enough said.
Mont de Marsan: The Top 14 newbies have found the going tough and only have one point to show after eight matches. They have already conceded a staggering 240 points at an average of 30 points per game.
Zebre: Like Mont de Marsan the Italian outfit have struggled in their new surroundings. Still winless after five matches, Zebre boast a single point in the PRO12 standings, conceding 164 points at an average of 32 points per match.
Heyneke Meyer and Johan Goosen: Both should take the blame for allowing Goosen to stay on the field for about five minutes when he was clearly injured. During that time, Goosen missed the crucial tackle which allowed All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock to cross the whitewash.
By David Skippers
Comments
Rosbif says...
Poor old Steve Borthwick. Imagine for a second that he might be reading this? Well, if you are Steve, don't worry old chap, we all love you. And there's always the bleeding schnoz of the year competition - you would win that one hands down!
Posted 19:31 11th October 2012
nhb99 says...
I'm quitting while I'm ahead...
Posted 19:09 11th October 2012
APV1 says...
@ Ferdie - you too, eh?
Posted 17:57 11th October 2012
bad_robot says...
@Ferdie - actually Zinzan has 3 drop goals in tests (also 1 each against Wales and South Africa)
Posted 17:04 11th October 2012
Carpelone says...
blah, blah, blah
Posted 15:34 11th October 2012
Carpelone says...
The best ever? McCaw? Nahh. It is SBW. Naahhh. Must be Dan Carter. Naahhh. Piri, how can we forget the brave Haka leader. What about Umaga? I would prefer Carlos Spencer. And Open Mouth Izzy?
I like to wear dark glasses his jersey is going to be dark, really, really dark......
Posted 15:31 11th October 2012
Ferdie says...
nhb99 - Got to be Steve Borthwick.
Why? Good player no doubt, but unless you're his mum, don't think he'd make any world Top 10 lists?
Posted 13:56 11th October 2012
Ferdie says...
startledwombat and trinats2 - regardless of who is best, Zinzan can still say he has kicked more (one!) test drop goals than McCaw. So therefore he must be best!
That drop goal is almost better than 4-try Lomu running over Catt in the same match - the cheek of it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0nfYW-wIZ4
Posted 13:46 11th October 2012
Trinats2 says...
One word, CAMPO
Posted 12:12 11th October 2012
Chubbylugs says...
@Sasquatch
do you really mean that goal kickers are by default the best players?
Does that mean Chris Paterson is the best rugby player ever? Perhaps look at points per game. Dusty hare would be in with a shout. Gavin Hastings?
Come on there's 14 other players that score the tries and earn the shots at goal
Posted 11:49 11th October 2012
markpat says...
Anyone mentioning Neil Back as the best player ever in a serious sentence needs their views re-examining! He wasn't even England's best loose forward of that time - England were capable of slotting one of about 6 players into that back row at no huge loss to the team, the biggest loss of the back row was when Richard Hill was absent, certainly not Neil Back (also, he shouldn't have even been playing rugby after pushing the ref in the match and then claiming he thought he was a Bath player! - lifetime ban avoided with a ridiculous excuse).
I don't see Lomu as a valid candidate either - yes, he had a huge impact, but he most definitely was NOT an all round player.
Posted 11:39 11th October 2012
startledwombat says...
Trinats2:
good call. I am willing to bet that, if asked, Zinzan Brooke might well indeed agree that he is the greatest player of all time!
Posted 10:18 11th October 2012
APV1 says...
@ sandal - I asked your other half what the difference between "lengthy" and "long" was. They had no concept of either...
;-)
Posted 10:16 11th October 2012
new_j4a says...
@all, now you've done it with all of those great names from the past: I just went and watched the greatest try ever again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwCbG4I0QyA) and now I am going to have to dig up the whole 1973 NZ v Barbarians game and watch it.
Posted 10:14 11th October 2012
APV1 says...
I must not take the obvious bait.
I must not take the obvious bait.
I must not...
@ nhb99 - thank you for making me see the error of my ways and for reminding me to get my family braincell back from my deranged brother.
Posted 09:59 11th October 2012
sandal says...
@AWEBLAX
Lol. But some good names there.
Did you ever see Grant Batty? His career was shortened by injury, and it was a handicap having to play on the wing with Sid-me-first-Going at halfback. But if ever a player seemed capable of doing anything. Absolutely anything ...
Him and Gerald Davies.
Posted 07:54 11th October 2012
sandal says...
BMakka8
It is difficult indeed to compare players from different eras, especially when your eyes have misted over so much that they distort the vision of John Taylor, John Jeffreys etc to the degree that they obscure McCaw.
There's too much irony about! Kick it into touch!
@Chubbylugs
Yes, imagine a healthy Lomu able to play at the top level for 10 years or so.
Posted 07:26 11th October 2012
AWEBLAX says...
Dan Carter coolest player ever, Richie greatest captain ever just pipping Eales & Fitzy, Zinny changed the way back rowers play the game so he's the greatest whatever, Colin Meads greatest AllBlack ever, Jonah greatest rugby superstar ever, can't pick greatest player ever, Richies my favourite but Cullens is right up there all I know is because I like to wear dark glasses his jersey is going to be dark, really, really dark......
Posted 06:42 11th October 2012
sandal says...
lengthy?
That used to be an odd way of saying long. Now it's not clear what it means.
Posted 05:49 11th October 2012
porridge_time says...
An excellent example of why HC qualification is rediculous and the French and English were right to hand in their notice.
Not it's not! It's an example of where better than them so we want more money to ourselves.
Posted 00:06 11th October 2012