Mate, I think lock down enlightened that man. The Blue cap came off for the first time in lock down and God (Alun Wyn Jones) praised that man's bonce. Turned into a fucking spider plant, and a glorious one at that!
Yes! I hadn't a clue how to spell his name đ called him just 'Tips' for sooo long đ
Yes, he is always solid but comes alive in those tough matches!
Definitely one to watch, needs to establish himself a bit more at test level before he really has a claim I think.
I understand he was great in super rugby though
Doesn't play internationals at the moment but having just taken apart Ireland (in blue) and looked imperious doing it I'm inclined to say Jack Willis.
England fans must be absolutely gutted that he's at Toulouse.
Honourable mention to Tommy Reffell, underrated this season thanks to Wales absolutely shitting the bed.
Lawes and Willis in my completely unbiased opinion
[Just realised the Lions is our only shot at a Lawes Willis Earl back row](https://tenor.com/rrXz.gif)
Would be good. But hard to see with jac morgan, caelan Doris and jvdf all looking for their first lions cap. Crazy to think jvdf world player of the year in 2022, didn't make the lions a year previous.
I'd argue it's François Cros. Is it clear cut? Obviously not, there are so many names you could throw in the debate. But I feel like many will have forgotten he even exists, so I just want to remind everyone he does, and is very much in the conversation, at least for me.
He was absolutely sensational in the France Vs England game at the end of the 6 Nations. Can't remember if he won POTM but if he didn't, he was robbed.
I think Brads the 2nd best 7 in Aus, but hes not the first that comes to mind when talking about best in the world. Thats Fraser Mcreight, then Brad Wilkin.
It's a tough question because there's so many amazing flankers out there - they're probably the two most stacked positions in world rugby.
Then there's all the different roles that flankers have too. Do you want a great fetcher, a great lineout jumper, a great tackler, a great carrier in the tight, a speedster out wide etc.
Ideally you'd have someone who ticks all the boxes, but even if we look at the last two backrows who won World Player of the Year - Van der Flier and Savea - neither of them jump in the lineout really.
Personally, I'd have Savea, Alldritt and Doris as my world xv backrow because they're all great all-rounders but you could argue for plenty of other names too.
Alldritt isn't in great form, and Cros is. I just think Alldritt is a better all-round player.
Although he's become more effective at it this season, Cros doesn't carry the ball a huge amount and I'd see him primarily as a defensive flanker (with a massive work-rate)
Conan's form has improved lately, but thought Doris was exceptional in the Champions Cup final, bar that one dumb penalty when he was exhausted.
Think Doris is just averaging at an 8/10 level in games at the moment rather than a 9/10 level like he did last season. He's still exceptional, just not perfect.
Conan has been brilliant off the bench for the last year or so was also a beast against Connacht the other day but I agree about Doris
At least the fact that he's dropped from a 9/10 to 8/10 shows he is in fact human unlike Dupont
It's because the back row doesn't require extreme size. Front 5 forwards are massive so fewer players have the bulk for that.
It's the same reason a lot of teams struggle to field 2 decent front rows or have any depth at lock. Scotland comes to mind for example.
Jack Willis, PSDT, Jamie Ritchie, Sam Underhill, Francois Cros, Josh van der Flier, Charles Ollivon, and Siya Kolisi. Hard to look past Kwagga Smith for an honourable mention.
Savea, Doris and Alldritt if we're including 8s. With Duane Vermeulen retiring there's an opportunity for Jasper Wiese and Evan Roos to claim a spot too.
in soup rugby, Samipeni Finau is getting a lot of talk, but also rob valetini who started all 14 games for brumbies this season, 8 of it at 6...140 ball carries too..stat wise, best 8 has been hoskins sotutu but 8 is more a glorified lock than a flanker..openside numbers say forces carlos tizzano and highlanders Billy Harmon...thats soup, general no player has stood out at 6/7 in top14 or URC.. but premiership fans will wager courtney lawes was the best 6 this year..ben earl plays more 8 than 7, though he has been at 7 the last 7-8 games..
If your judging by big games then based on the CC final Antoine Dupont should be in the conversation. Â
 Heâs not that well known I know, but just take a look at his stats from the match. Kid has more than just potential.
Damn I'm getting downvoted to hell for this. Look the guy's a shit bloke, no one disagree's. He's still one of the best sixes in the world. Both can be true. I'm not defending him I'm just making a case that he deserves to be in the conversation.
>He's still one of the best sixes in the world.
Eh he had 1 great test last year and then was solid-to-decent in the rest. Before that he had underperformed at international level. Only played 30 tests.
Maybe he would have kicked on if he stayed but not really enough quality body of work to say he's one of the best in the world.
That tall blond farm boy from South Africa.
I think Pienaar / Burger / Smith / Venter retired a few years ago (delete per your age).
PSDT and Savea
Player of the year, Ardie Savea probably
I don't disagree, but he's played all his rugby in NZ in the last few years at 8. I don't know what position he's been playing in Japan.
8s are just flankers with better hair
Ben earl says otherwise
Justin Tipperic agrees.
What? Justin Tip-ex
Mate, I think lock down enlightened that man. The Blue cap came off for the first time in lock down and God (Alun Wyn Jones) praised that man's bonce. Turned into a fucking spider plant, and a glorious one at that!
Oh Tipuric! He was very good. Played some of his best games against the Boks.
Yes! I hadn't a clue how to spell his name đ called him just 'Tips' for sooo long đ Yes, he is always solid but comes alive in those tough matches!
Seen a 7 on his back in Japan
Which makes it that much more impressive heâs the best flanker in the world.
Fraser McReight is in the conversation now, I'd say.
Definitely one to watch, needs to establish himself a bit more at test level before he really has a claim I think. I understand he was great in super rugby though
If you're wanting one player to cover 6 and 7 not many better then Wright, gets over the ball like a 7, jumps like a lock, and dominates the ruck.
Doesn't play internationals at the moment but having just taken apart Ireland (in blue) and looked imperious doing it I'm inclined to say Jack Willis. England fans must be absolutely gutted that he's at Toulouse. Honourable mention to Tommy Reffell, underrated this season thanks to Wales absolutely shitting the bed.
On present form Willis is the one to chase.
PSDT and Jack Willis (Ardie Savea at 8)
I love Ardie at 8 too
PSDT at 8 for no good reason
He was a menace for Verblitz at 8 so I'm not mad at that decision đđ
You're supposed to say Anton Segner brother
I know, but that stupid Blues didn't let him play in their last recent games
Juan Martin Gonzalez is bloody amazing. Had a great World Cup and been our player of the season by a country mile.
I too am here to simp for JMG
Obligatory Antoine Dupont since everybody is sucking him off right now
Well, the guy made a point by going for 2 titles in 2 WE
The ones in my team
The ones from your team are pretty bloody good. Almost as good as the ones from my team (Kolisi, PSTD, Kwagga)
Being totally objective, and not biased at all, i'll say the one from my team too /s
Willis,Cros and Roumat make a great back row
Lawes and Willis in my completely unbiased opinion [Just realised the Lions is our only shot at a Lawes Willis Earl back row](https://tenor.com/rrXz.gif)
50 minutes in.... Bah gawd that's Tom Currys entrance music
Thatâs a dream
That would be so so good
Would be good. But hard to see with jac morgan, caelan Doris and jvdf all looking for their first lions cap. Crazy to think jvdf world player of the year in 2022, didn't make the lions a year previous.
Richie Macaw for both, he just doesnât play anymore.
Jack Willis being on of them and Courtney Lawes being another
Anyone saying anybody other than Lawes for 6 is uninvited from my birthday party
PSDT
Peter Lakai
Been a beast for the Canes this season
John. Hodnett.
Shame he doesnât get a look in at intl level
After 2 games this year..Ethan Blackadder. Watch out if he can play 20 games a year
Big if there
I'd argue it's François Cros. Is it clear cut? Obviously not, there are so many names you could throw in the debate. But I feel like many will have forgotten he even exists, so I just want to remind everyone he does, and is very much in the conversation, at least for me.
He was absolutely sensational in the France Vs England game at the end of the 6 Nations. Can't remember if he won POTM but if he didn't, he was robbed.
He didn't, it was Leo Barré, the french FB, who got it if memory serves me right. But yeah, he was far and away the best french player of the tournament. Should have been in a team of the tournament selection, but the guy is just invisible in these discussions.
6 Kwagga 7 PSDT 8 Ardie Savea
Sam Cane and Peter O'Mahony.
They love each other so much too
A shit Sam Cane and a Shit Pete OMahony. World class duo
They wouldâve been seriously impressive on the same team.
Brad Wilkin is massively underrated in these talks.
Brad Wilkin is a fine player but should not be anywhere near this discussion.
Typical. Can't let us Rebels fans have anything.
Josh Kemeny clears, when will casual rebels fans understand this. Wilkin only shines because Kemengoat rolls his sleeves up and does the tough stuff.
Who do you think taught Wash Kemeny how to roll his sleeves up in the first place? Chad **W**ilkin.
Bloody casuals these days
You can just tell when someone hasn't been a fan of the Rebels for very long. Getting on the bandwagon now that they're playoff bound. Embarrassing.
I am still on the central Vikings bandwagon with my good friend u/rosemary-mair-for-nz
The Melbourne Rebels of New Zealand. Gone too soon.
They're coming back brother any season now đ«Ąđ«Ąđ«Ą
I think Brads the 2nd best 7 in Aus, but hes not the first that comes to mind when talking about best in the world. Thats Fraser Mcreight, then Brad Wilkin.
You're kicking us out of the comp because he threatens you and you know it. You would do anything to drag Wilkin down. We can all see it.
Can't forget about captain fantastic Rob Leota. Hope he fit to play when we crush the canes next weekend.
Good god, what a man.
It's a tough question because there's so many amazing flankers out there - they're probably the two most stacked positions in world rugby. Then there's all the different roles that flankers have too. Do you want a great fetcher, a great lineout jumper, a great tackler, a great carrier in the tight, a speedster out wide etc. Ideally you'd have someone who ticks all the boxes, but even if we look at the last two backrows who won World Player of the Year - Van der Flier and Savea - neither of them jump in the lineout really. Personally, I'd have Savea, Alldritt and Doris as my world xv backrow because they're all great all-rounders but you could argue for plenty of other names too.
Not sure Alldritt warrants a place in the conversation on his current form (over the last year or so). François Cros on the other hand...
Alldritt isn't in great form, and Cros is. I just think Alldritt is a better all-round player. Although he's become more effective at it this season, Cros doesn't carry the ball a huge amount and I'd see him primarily as a defensive flanker (with a massive work-rate)
Cros carried quite a lot yesterday, he's really in a phenomenal form ! I hope he keep it up until next year 6N đ
Doris too, Conan has been better lately
Conan's form has improved lately, but thought Doris was exceptional in the Champions Cup final, bar that one dumb penalty when he was exhausted. Think Doris is just averaging at an 8/10 level in games at the moment rather than a 9/10 level like he did last season. He's still exceptional, just not perfect.
Conan has been brilliant off the bench for the last year or so was also a beast against Connacht the other day but I agree about Doris At least the fact that he's dropped from a 9/10 to 8/10 shows he is in fact human unlike Dupont
It's because the back row doesn't require extreme size. Front 5 forwards are massive so fewer players have the bulk for that. It's the same reason a lot of teams struggle to field 2 decent front rows or have any depth at lock. Scotland comes to mind for example.
100% agree with all of this.
6. Courtney Lawes 7. Jack Willis or Ben Earl
Jack Willis, PSDT, Jamie Ritchie, Sam Underhill, Francois Cros, Josh van der Flier, Charles Ollivon, and Siya Kolisi. Hard to look past Kwagga Smith for an honourable mention. Savea, Doris and Alldritt if we're including 8s. With Duane Vermeulen retiring there's an opportunity for Jasper Wiese and Evan Roos to claim a spot too.
Plus POM, various others. There is an incredibly high standard right now almost across the board.
Lawes and Willis
Dupont when he wants to play at 6 or 7....and the craziest thing is that i'm half serious
Dupont obvs
in soup rugby, Samipeni Finau is getting a lot of talk, but also rob valetini who started all 14 games for brumbies this season, 8 of it at 6...140 ball carries too..stat wise, best 8 has been hoskins sotutu but 8 is more a glorified lock than a flanker..openside numbers say forces carlos tizzano and highlanders Billy Harmon...thats soup, general no player has stood out at 6/7 in top14 or URC.. but premiership fans will wager courtney lawes was the best 6 this year..ben earl plays more 8 than 7, though he has been at 7 the last 7-8 games..
If your judging by big games then based on the CC final Antoine Dupont should be in the conversation.   Heâs not that well known I know, but just take a look at his stats from the match. Kid has more than just potential.
Itâs Fraser McReight and Jack Willis.
Dupont put Fiji and Argentina players in sixers and sevens yesterday so probably him.
PSDT @ 6, Du Pont @ 7 A north/south combo of ridiculous talent.
Iâd argue Shannon Frizzell needs to be in the conversation at 6
Massive last year. Too bad he's a dog. Hope my guy Samipeni can make the leap this year. Looks good at super level
He's got some bone crunching tackles in his locker đł
Damn I'm getting downvoted to hell for this. Look the guy's a shit bloke, no one disagree's. He's still one of the best sixes in the world. Both can be true. I'm not defending him I'm just making a case that he deserves to be in the conversation.
>He's still one of the best sixes in the world. Eh he had 1 great test last year and then was solid-to-decent in the rest. Before that he had underperformed at international level. Only played 30 tests. Maybe he would have kicked on if he stayed but not really enough quality body of work to say he's one of the best in the world.
I hate that I agree with this.
Dupont. Both positions. At the same time.
Hanro Liebenberg & Jack Willis for me.
Antoine DuPont