Sam’s the man in round one

Sam’s the man in round one

13 Sep 2011

MARK KEOHANE selects his all-star XV and match 22 after the first round of the World Cup and says none was better than Wales captain Sam Warburton. Only two Boks and one All Black make his team.

Keo’s RWC Form XV
15. Israel Dagg (NZ)
14. Vereniki Goneva (Fij)
13. Jaque Fourie (SA)
12. Jamie Roberts (Wal)
11. Digby Ioane (Aus)
10. Quade Cooper (Aus)
9. Ben Youngs (Eng)
8. Sergio Parisse (Ita)
7. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Arg)
6. Sam Warburton (Wal)
5. Paul O’Connell (Ire)
4. James Horwill (Aus)
3. Ben Alexander (Aus)
2. Bismarck du Plessis (SA)
1. Andy Sheridan (Eng)

Substitutes
16 Marius Tincu (Rom)
17 Martin Castrogiovanni (Ita)
18 Brad Thorn (NZ)
19 Schalk Burger (SA)
20 Will Genia (Aus)
21 Sonny Bill Williams (NZ)
22 Richard Kahui (NZ)

The positions in which there was most competition definitely in the centres and at loose-forward. Wales’ Toby Faletau had a huge game against the Boks, but Sergio Parisse is the most complete No 8 at this tournament. It was hard to leave Schalk Burger out of the Form XV but Lobbe was immense against England. Jerome Kaino, David Pockock, Heinrich Brussouw and Radike Samo also had huge games in round 1.

Sonny Bill Williams was also very good, but Jamie Roberts get the nod because of the quality of the opposition and the intensity of the match.

A selection that may surprise many is Ben Alexander at tighthead. I was at that game and those first 40 minutes were brutal. He stood up to the Italian pack who couldn’t get parity in those first 40 minutes. There was one magnificent shove that should have resulted in a pushover try, but all-round I think Alexander will end this tournament as the most talked about tighthead.

Fill up the thread with your picks of round one.


293 Comments

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  • 1.Staal: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:32 am

    Sam’s the Dragon!

  • 2.BuckT: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:32 am

    hope you are not referring to Sam Stosur, although some might have made the same mistake, the dragon slayer!

  • 3.ufo: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:33 am

    Yes… the young man really had a blinder… seems he’s come from nowhere… and wonder if he will sustain this high level of play…

    All the best to him… awesome when great talent makes an appearance.

  • 4.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:40 am

    would be wonderful if he could lead his team to victory over the ABs in the QFs. Their performance on Sunday alone deserved a shock result, and I wont mind if it just happens to come later :)

    Any chance we could get Gatland to coach the boks next year? Would he be happy as assistant to Allister to ordained?

  • 5.Bouts: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:40 am

    i doubt it. Like I said before the game, this was Wales’ World Cup. They prepared for South Africa and South Africa alone for months on end. We’ve seen this weekend play themselves out of their skins. Sam himself looked like he injured his neck, but refused to leave the field.

    But hey, we need great players on the international stage, so we hope for the best.

  • 6.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:42 am

    SBW cost the All Blacks 2 tries through stupidity. He was a mixed bag.

    The 3 big changes I’d make…
    1. No room for Toby Faletau? He was by far the best nr. 8 in the first round. Parisse played well, but Faletau was almost as good as Warburton.
    2. Rory Best (Ireland) has to be in the 22 if he’s not the starting hooker. He had a great game for Ireland, even if they struggled a little.
    3. Richard Kahui has to start over Goneva. He created his tries himself and also was brilliant link. Goneva didn’t have to do quite as much for his 4 tries.

  • 7.HoofseunEd: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:42 am

    Who would be your coach….?

  • 8.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:46 am

    Serious s h I t hot eye candy as well

  • 9.bryce_in_oz: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:46 am

    JF is one of my favourite Boks… however this is the second test in a row he’s missed 50% of his tackles (4 from 8), had average m/run ratio and minimal line-breaks (albeit he is playing under to Snor’s game-plan)… Rougerie would have been my pick from this round.

  • 10.Staal: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:49 am

    John Smit needs to be there as the best captain.

  • 11.sparticus: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:49 am

    Cannot believe Jaque Fourie is there , favorite on mine but he had a mixed day. Would go with Nonu

  • 12.WP_: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:53 am

    Yeah, Warburton was great….

    Apart from the fact that he didnt release the tackled player for any of his steals, therefore with a ref who applied the rules correctly, the Boks would have had about 5 penalties…

    Also Theuns Kotze should have been the reserve 10 in this “All-star team” – had an awesome game for the Namibians… Wouldnt be surprised if an SA frnachise picked him up (Playing for UJ at the moment)

  • 13.BillTong: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:56 am

    Funny that keo is picking Sheridan at 1. Some of the UK press I saw suggested he had a very poor game, and did not make the impact he should have.

  • 14.BillTong: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:57 am

    And is this a bit previous anyway? Is “Round 1″ actually finished yet? There’s still 3 teams to play their 1st game tomorrow…

  • 15.BillTong: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 08:59 am

    Actually – looking at the other early comments, did Keo actually write this article while still on the plane on the way out to NZ??? :-) . There’s lot’s of wrong selections in there think.

  • 16.McSchalkBurger: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:00 am

    Brussow on bench above schalk. Schalk is my idol and still works really hard but Brussow is more efficient.

  • 17.sparticus: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:01 am

    @Staal(Staal)-10: Sure he does.

  • 18.sparticus: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:02 am

    @BillTong(BillTong)-14: LOL epic fail !

  • 19.ufo: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:07 am

    @McSchalkBurger(McSchalkBurger)-16:

    Schalk is perhaps even more valuable to the Boks now than he was before. Withouth Juan Smith and Bakkies… we have to have a man of steel in the mix and no one is harder than Schalk.

    Plus he has an excellent game… to drop him now makes very little sense at all.

  • 20.Taahirah: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:07 am

    Brad Thorn?
    Really?
    Could you not come up with any other name?

  • 21.Staal: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:15 am

    @ufo(ufo)-19: look ufo.. i don’t want to harp on about what has previously been posted here but honestly we are messuring our players with “substandard instruments” cause they (Bissie & Vic and maybe Guthro excl.) are not even close to the best at their position in the world … at this moment. imo.

    i have always been a Schalla supporter and have got huge respect for him but he is honestly not even close to what he was…..imo.

    Let’s hope he gets better cause there is no-one else…. they are all crocked! :lol:

  • 22.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:15 am

    @McSchalkBurger(McSchalkBurger)-16:

    It’s a team of the week. Schalk was very very good.

  • 23.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:18 am

    @munkiboi(munkiboi)-4:

    i meant wallabies.

  • 24.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:24 am

    @Staal(Staal)-10: bwahahahah the “aura”

  • 25.mpundulu: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:25 am

    Jacque Fourie did not play well, brad Thorne struggled to make an impact. I thought SBW was very influential in the AB game, and kahui had a sublime game. Where’s the Aura he had about 50-60 mins of game time?

  • 26.Helen: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:25 am

    J Fourie didn’t do enough to get into this team. Schalk on the other hand worked like a divorced diamond miner

  • 27.mpundulu: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:28 am

    Keo: where’s jerome kaino? He was huge in defense and carries!!!!! McCaw had no impact, he just seems at all sorts but I’m sure that’ll change. Read needs to comeback quickly, Vito is not the answer at 8.

  • 28.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:29 am

    @Dawn(Dawn)-8:

    not as good as watching the us open final. was that djokovic’s girlfriend?

  • 29.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:33 am

    @munkiboi(munkiboi)-28: yes, physi/girlfriend he is guaranteed massages with happy endings…

  • 30.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:33 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-29: physio

  • 31.mpundulu: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:37 am

    Keo: the Japanese back up no.8 was also very good. Huge workrate.

  • 32.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:37 am

    Didn’t see the final.

    Novak has killer eyes.

    Guaranteed fall down weak knee stuff

  • 33.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:39 am

    Trans :lol:

  • 34.Black Panther: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:39 am

    Jackie ?!?

    *chortle*

    1 good run vs Wales aside, he was awful, missed tackles everywhere.

    Krusty should move him to 12.

    If Keo wanted so desperately to throw a sardine off the Bokke-boat, then surely Frankie goes to Hollywood, who is always no less than v.good and vs Wales he was excellent.

  • 35.J.B. Cowper: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:47 am

    Frans Steyn for Dagg by a long way … what are you smoking Keo?

  • 36.sean: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:49 am

    Parisse may be a top player but he was disappointingly quiet on Sunday – 1 good pass and an interception which led to nothing. Poor call there. Faletau was far superior. Horwill and O’Connell (despite the commentators ridiculous praise for the latter) were no better than average. Vickerman actually impressed – he was all over the place.

  • 37.mpundulu: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 09:57 am

    JB Cowper: he’s smoking the pipe that makes you quickly realize that unlike frans Steyn, Dagg is not a one trick pony and he’ll cut you up into pieces at will.

  • 38.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:03 am

    anyone punting francois steyn over dagg is smoking crack :D

  • 39.Bill Reyts: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:04 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-38:

    for sure.

  • 40.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:06 am

    Ben Youngs??? The guy was one for about 25 mins,scored a great try but didnt do much else really.

    Lobbe??? Kaino was massive for NZ-took physicality to Tongans and carried all day

    Alexander??? Castrogiovani was give OZ a nightmare in scrums,his work in tight was phenomenal.A true tighthead

    Goneva?? Kahui was ridiculous,practically played with Tonga on his own out wide

    Biggest ripper of them all is Sheridan…The guy is over the hill,very very average.No longer the powehouse in set piece and mobility is suspect.Even British werent satisfied with his performance vs Pumas.Roncero,Romanian LH was decent vs Scots etc

    And the love affair with with Parisse continues…Toby Faletau was huge vs SA.

    And even though O’Connell wears 5 he really is a tight lock,more of a 4.O’Callagahan is more the 5.

  • 41.wooden spoon: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:09 am

    KIWI TROLL ALERT!

  • 42.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:11 am

    @Black Panther(Black Panther)-34:

    when the ABs change their fullback going into a world cup it usually ends in tears. pick daggy boy I say. in a world cup you dont need the solid experienced players who know exactly what to do when and how. go with the flashy youngsters.

  • 43.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:14 am

    @mpundulu(mpundulu)-37: @Transformation(Transformation)-38:

    Lol

    Is it me or has Dagg lost half a yard??? He is still brilliant with ball in hand but his speed doesnt seem to be what it was.(He wasnt an out and out speedster i know) and NO in not saying he is slow.Just has to do more “dancing” now that before

    People must relax with the comparisons to Cullen….Who was the best attacking player of HIS GENERATION.And had speed to burn.

  • 44.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:14 am

    @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-40: ben youngs swung the game for the poms, that wigglesworth bloke was average. youngs kept the opposition on their toes, sniping and providing crisp service.

  • 45.conan wishes he was a springbok #4 locks girlfriend...: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:14 am

    jetlag’s really bad in week two…i think its showing on keo…

  • 46.Porra the Fat and Clever Speedster: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:14 am

    that fullback
    jew
    is not bad
    at all

  • 47.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:18 am

    @mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-43: nah he hasn’t he’s never had out and out pace. he’s decent and has that deceptive shimmy/stutter step that saw him waltz past spies last year. he is no slouch though.

  • 48.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:20 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-44:

    Beg to differ on crispness of pass.Youngs has an average pass,he is however brilliant around the fringes-A bit like Sarel Pretorius.His pace is what swung the game.Game was otherwise pendantic as usual.But ya Wigglesworth is rubbish.But Youngs is all over the place-great with ball in hand but otherwise AVERAGE.Genia performance was better than Youngs cameo

  • 49.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:21 am

    @BillTong(BillTong)-14: @sparticus(sparticus)-18: Yes round 1 is finished. Round 2 starts on Wednesday.

  • 50.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    13 Sep 2011, 10:22 am

    @Transformation(Transformation)-47:

    Anyone can waltz through/past Spies sbali….ANYONE

    Rob Carney would have scored that try through Spies.

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