Leon Schuster’s Dream XV
23 Mar 2006
In the last issue of SA Rugby magazine, our king of comedy picked his ultimate rugby team.
15 JPR Williams
He knew exactly when to join his famed backline, and he did so effortlessly. His skills were impeccable and he was superb under the high ball.
14 Jonah Lomu
Although he played on the left throughout his professional career, you just cannot leave Jonah out. He was both a trendsetter and a revolutionary, where he built the concept of a powerful wing able not only to run around but also run over his opposite number, as Mike Catt knows all to well.
13 Jeff Butterfield
I could not have chosen this superb centre without picking his fellow Lions around him. It was difficult to leave out my good friend and hero Danie Gerber, but once Butterfield received the ball, he could easily beat his man on the outside or make a gap appear for an inside runner from nothing. The Lions three-quarter backs of 1955 were a team within a team, and in combination with Cliffie Morgan and Tony O’Reilly, Butterfield exemplified the term lethal.
12 Mannetjies Roux
Though I played in the forwards my whole life, Mannetjies served as an inspiration because of his sheer guts and determination. He was a small man and probably would not have played international rugby today, but he always drove men twice his size back in the tackle. I watched almost all of his performances against the All Blacks, British Lions and France live. Let’s not forget, he was unbelievably fast, with plenty of flair.
11 David Campese.
How windgat can a rugby player be to invent his own ‘goose step’? Campese was arrogant, but supremely skilful. He was the complete wing and I will never forget his darting runs throughout the 1991 World Cup. He did have a defensive weakness and always needed a good klap to sort him out!
10 Cliff Morgan
Like Phil Bennett, his Lions successor, Morgan could send his line away before any of his flyhalf contemporaries. He had a ruthless sidestep and pure speed. I don’t like kicking flyhalves, especially those from Blue Bull country, and Morgan was the perfect running general.
9 Gareth Edwards
You go ask any top scrumhalf who was the most complete scrumhalf of all time, and 99% of the time your answer will be Gareth Edwards. He had the longest pass of all time, and could find Bennett even when he was 30 yards away. Greatest of all his traits, Edwards could snipe through any gap around the fringes and was able to create massive space for his outside backs.
8 Morné du Plessis (c)
The undisputed king of his era! This Vrystaat boytjie had all the talent to play any position on the field, but his crucial characteristic was leadership. My boet played under him at Stellenbosch University and said there was no better person in the world to lead the Springboks. Having Doc Craven mentor you through varsity speaks volumes about the respect Morné commanded. He was, and still is, the perfect gentleman. Oh ja, that tackle on Naas was legal (and beautiful).
7 Jerry Collins
Brute strength, power and class. He is a ball-chaser with quality that supersedes Schalk Burger. I remember one Test, Schalk went in for the tackle and simply bounced off Collins. Such is the man’s strength. He is unstoppable defensively and will win you the ball in any situation.
6 Martin Pelser
During one conversation I had with the legendary Frik du Preez, Pelser was described as the single player Frik would least like to go up against if the going got tough. He may not have had the modern touch of a Bob Skinstad, but Pelser could send you out of a game with a single, deadly tackle.
5 Frik du Preez
Frik was my gunstelling vaste voorspeler and he could run like a centre, kick and knock back any man.
4 Colin Meads
‘The Pinetree’ was an immovable force – a true legend of the amateur era.
3 ‘Mighty Mouse’ Mclauchlan
He was the famous Lions prop who scrummed the hell out of the Boks in ’74, when I watched every Test live. Strong as an ox, ‘Mighty Mouse’ drilled Hannes Marais and anyone else who forced a confrontation in the tight exchanges.
2 Gys Pitzer
As a hooker myself [Schuster represented Shimlas and the Free State Cheetahs], this position means a little more in terms of my selection. I regarded Pitzer as the king of the tight forwards. He epitomised the strong Blue Bull and was skilled. He, like the later champion Uli Schmidt, revolutionised the concept of a hooker as a fourth loose forward.
1 Chris Koch
He had a keen ball sense for a prop, which we seldom see even in today’s professional era. Koch was fast and powerful, and opposition players were full of fear and trepidation when running in his direction. He commanded respect not only for his try-scoring ability but also his supreme work rate.
- SA swimming star Ryk Neethling picks his Dream XV in the April issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale Monday, 27 March.
36 Comments
23 Mar 2006, 11:42 am
what about the editorial policy of having the dragon himself at no. 2?
23 Mar 2006, 11:43 am
Dankie vader jy is nie n keurder nie….
23 Mar 2006, 11:54 am
Interestingly enough……
not a Saffer from the “modern” era.
23 Mar 2006, 12:06 pm
Jerry Collins at 7, wow interesting call mr. schuster!!!
23 Mar 2006, 12:19 pm
Here is my all time dream XV:
15.Christian Cullen
14.John Kirwan
13.Danie Gerber
12.Tim Horan
11.Jonah Lomu
10.Andrew Mehrtens
9.Gareth Edwards
8.Zinzan Brooke
7.Michael Jones
6.Willie ‘O’
5.Willie John McBride
4.Collin Meads
3.Olo Brown
2.Wilson Whineray
1.Chris Koch
23 Mar 2006, 12:27 pm
St.P – that’s because leon is about 60!
lol!
23 Mar 2006, 12:33 pm
What a KUK article Simon. Who gives a ****??
23 Mar 2006, 12:41 pm
Hello bigg!
23 Mar 2006, 12:50 pm
Hey you’re in BIGG trouble bro, I’d watch out if I were you
23 Mar 2006, 12:52 pm
coffeeshop why??
hello shark girl I will check my mail just now
23 Mar 2006, 12:58 pm
Good old Schuster, now this really is comedy genius SA style, i’m surprised Naas is not his no 10 tho, especially with the amount of **** he gave him. Used to piss Naas off big time, when he did that thing with his teeth and car with the rugby boot indicators. Classic stuff.
Not a bad team actually, the old okes know their rugby and include the international lads too.
23 Mar 2006, 13:00 pm
didn’t realise schuster represented FS at hooker?
23 Mar 2006, 13:00 pm
simon,
you refer to leon schuster as our “king of comedy”. that statement is factually incorrect.
making farting noises and falling around on film is not comedy. that is known as slapstick.
23 Mar 2006, 13:04 pm
ha ha, like his chirp about morne du plessis about the tackle on naas, i guess he cant help himself, wonder if they’re buddies these days or is Naas is still so serious?
23 Mar 2006, 13:25 pm
How can a Saffer not pick Gerber @ 13? When we got back into international rugby in 1992 Gerber was still a try scoring genius
Gert Small would have sorted out Collins in his playing days, like he did with the NZ Cavaliers tighthead.
23 Mar 2006, 13:44 pm
My dream backline
15. Werner Greef
14. Gus Theron
13. Jorrie Muller
12. Jorrie Muller
11. Gus Theron
10. Tiaan Snyman
09. (Why need a scrum half when you got a backline like that?)
23 Mar 2006, 13:54 pm
Coffee what did you mean when you said bigg should watch out?
23 Mar 2006, 14:14 pm
SG – He means Simon with a smiley. I told Simon it was a kuk article
23 Mar 2006, 14:20 pm
o ok, blonde moment. One of many this week!
23 Mar 2006, 14:40 pm
shred, you have to find place for,
Kleintjips
Slappes
Norman Jordaan
23 Mar 2006, 15:03 pm
Stan, fine. I will kick out Theron and Muller’s twin brothers and put Kleintjips and Slappies. But only if they are on form. I am thinking about putting Ollie Le Roux at 9. What do you think?
23 Mar 2006, 16:15 pm
How the hell does Jerry Collins even get into the top 1500 players ever. He is a dirty piece of ****. He can’t even keep his place in the Sheepshagger squad.
23 Mar 2006, 16:35 pm
15 JPR Williams
14 David Campese
13 Danie Gerber
12 Mannetijies Roux
11 Jonah Lomu
10 Bennie Osler
9 Garreth Edwards
8 Morne Du Plessis
7 Michael Jones
6 Ian Kirkpatrick (Capt)
5 Frik Du Preez
4 Colin Meads
3 Hannes Marais
2 No-one stands out
1 OS Du Randt
23 Mar 2006, 16:49 pm
YoMama, Bennie Osler was good but from what I hear (as I wasn’t there), he was our first kicking-flyhalf. I’d rather have Dan Carter in there.
And who could forget Sean Fitzpatrick at HOOKER! For all his ****, he was great!
23 Mar 2006, 20:30 pm
There has never been (and never will be) a better fullback than Serge Blanco.
23 Mar 2006, 22:22 pm
I thought HOD, Johan Huenis and Jubert would have hold their ground against any fullback from JRP to Serge Blanco, Huenis in particular who belongs to the lost generation of the 1980′s, I’ll go with Boks’ coach Dr. Ceccil Moss who called him “the complete footballer”
Carl du Plesisss is also losing out because of the few tests he played, btw, physically he wasn’t much smaller than Lomu.
If you saw Dannie Gerber scoring 3 tries against the ABs at Ellis Park in 1992 at the tender age of 34 with Walter Little and Frank Bunce trying to stop him, it’s a wonder how could you leave him out?
Uli Shmidt and Louis Moolman wrestled there with the best of them and came on top, especially Uli: acombination of power, speed, athletism and rugby brain that I haven’t seen before and after.
23 Mar 2006, 22:48 pm
Surfbok
Bennie Osler was a frikken genius. Dan Carter is a very well trained professional. I don’t even rate Carter as the best in the world right now let alone ever. ie: Wilko whom he imitates.
To be honest the only guy that I might concede as the best #10 ever was Grant Fox. God I hated that guy for all the right reasons.
Bokster & Onlooker. I agree that Blanco might surpass JPR but I didn’t want to say so because I never got to see JPR but everyone puts him in the same category as Edwards. Blanco and Joubert are my two favourite 15′s that I have ever seen.
Fitzpatrick? Perhaps on a snowy day in the Namib.
24 Mar 2006, 01:45 am
True YoMama…..Carter is not Naturaly brilliant…he is Trained good.
24 Mar 2006, 07:35 am
Hooker? Not Shaun Fitzpatrick?
Now there’s a legend after my own heart!
(Mind you, I’d easily pick Piston van Wyk ahead of Gys Pitzer.)
And where’s the peerless Jan Ellis? That was one helluva meneer!
24 Mar 2006, 07:37 am
NO number 15 has ever come remotely close to JPR Williams and I don’t think anyone ever will. He was worth FIVE of the opposition backs all by himself on attack and his defence and positional play was just flawless.
24 Mar 2006, 10:27 am
Tackles you are giving your age away.
24 Mar 2006, 16:35 pm
15. JPR Williams
14. David Campese
13. Danie Gerber/O’Driscoll/Butterfield (that order)
12. Tim Horan/M. Roux/Sella/O’Driscoll (that order)
11. Lomu
10. Barry John/ Jackie Kyle
9. Gareth Edwards
8. Benoit Dauga/Brian Lachore/Hennie Muller/Zinzan Brooke (that order – Morne not close)
7. Michael Jones/Bennazzi (for line out height)
6. Jan Ellis/Waka Nathan/Ian Kirkpatrick
5. Frik Du Preez
4. Colin Meades
3. Ken Gray
2. Sean Fitzpatrick/Uli Schmidt
1. Os du Randt (pre-knee version)
John Cowper – Detroit
25 Mar 2006, 02:52 am
Hey, Piet Pompies, if I give my age away I simultaneously display the wisdom that comes with age. I’m proud to be a madala, and not an umfaan or a madoda.
25 Mar 2006, 03:48 am
JB Cowper of Detroit has a killer selection. But a few other ideas to lob into the mix…
* Gert Muller instead of Jonah Lomu
* Piet Spiere Du Toit instead of Ken Gray
* Danie Craven instead of Gareth Edwards.
* At #8 I’d go for Hennie Windhond Muller because Benoit Dauga was always a natural lock, along with Walter Spanghero, and never a real #8 !
* Bennie Osler instead of Phil Bennett… the triumphant 1937 Bok tour to New Zealand?
25 Mar 2006, 07:19 am
15.George Nepia
14.Campese
13.Gerber
12.Horan
11.Lomu
10.Mehrtens
9.Edwards
8.Lochore
7.Michael Jones
6.Kirkpatrick
5.McBride
4.Meads
3.Olo Brown
2.Whineray
1.Richard Loe
31 May 2006, 16:24 pm
Dream backline
15.)Gaffie Du Tiot
14.)Gus Theron
13.)MJ
12.)DVB
11.)Jongi Nokwe
10.)Chris Rossouw
9.)Any Suggestions?
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