A World Cup 15

With the World Cup just around the corner most of the squads involved have been named. If there was a potential World Cup 15, what would it look like? In my view, a bit like this;


15. Kurtley Beale (Australia)


Beale has all the essential elements of a world-class full-back, plus a little bit of something special about him. Comfortable with all the regular full-back duties of high-balls, kicking , positioning, Beale is also a huge threat in attack and has great footballing ability and vision.

14. Chris Ashton (England)

Ashton  gets my vote simply for his ability to score tries. He is a poacher, and if a break is made Ashton is on the end of it. He is constantly in the right place at the right time, and being strong, quick and evasive he can score tries from 5 metres or from 90 metres. Although not the largest player his defence is strong and reliable and his positional play has come a long way.


13. Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland)


A natural leader, O'Driscoll is one of the best rugby players in the world. His angles of running, pace and strength on the ball match his ferocious defence, and the openings he creates allow for opportunities for player around him. My choice for captain also



12. Sonny-Bill Williams (New Zealand)


Williams is still relatively new to rugby union, and is still learning, but even at this stage he possesses freakish skills and has the ability to do things no one in the world can do. A monster in stature, Williams is quick with it, and his passing game is getting better. His defence is scary, and more often than not when he goes into contact he will manage to offload the ball allowing the team to keep moving forward.


11. James O'Conner (Australia)


Like Australian full-back Beale, O'Conner is a player with great vision and skills. He has footballing ability to match his devastating pace, which means he reads plays and creates scoring opportunities not only for himself but for others also. Given an inch, he will score tries.


10. Dan Carter (New Zealand)


Dan Carter will control a game and make the right decisions in attack. He has the full skill-set of a stand-off, and the experience to know what to do and when to do it. Things happen in a back-line when Carter is in charge and he is brave in defence. If the opposition pay too much attention to the openings Carter is creating, he has the pace and evasiveness to finish also.


9. Will Genia (Australia)


Genia is a strong, compact and solid scrum-half. He reads the games very well, particularly in defence and communicates well between the backs and forwards. His passing, especially wide, is spot on and he will always find his first receiver. In the loose he is evasive and strong for his size.



8. Sergio Parisse (Italy)


A great ball carrier, and very strong from the back of the scrum, Parisse will always break the gain line. He is very skilful for a number 8, and has a good offload game with the ability to control the ball in one hand. He is a nuisance at the breakdown and very aggressive in defence.


7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)


Another contender for the best player in the World, McCaw has the ability to stop an opposing side playing rugby. Whether or not he always does so legally doesn't matter, as he is so well experienced and educated he knows how to get away with it. He won't miss tackles, and when the going gets tough, McCaw gets tougher. In attack he links well and gets the balance of ball-carrying and passing right.


6. Heinrich Brüssow (South Africa)


Although perhaps a natural 7, Brussow is extremely effective as a blindside flanker. Brussow, as well as being quick is quick he gets through an enormous amount of work during a game and can snap up crucial turnovers, make brutal tackles and carries the ball well. He never stops and is a ball of energy which often infuriates the opposition.




5. Victor Matfield (South Africa)


Matfield is a South African Rugby Player of the Year nominee in 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2009, and has been one of the best locks in the world for years. A huge man, he does his essentials well, and is a force in the scrum as well as being a skilled line-out jumper. His presence around rucks and mauls is extremely effective, and he is ultra aggressive never taking a backwards step.


4. Richie Gray (Scotland)


Gray is another huge lock who imposes a presence on the pitch. Often devastating in the loose, Gray carries the ball strongly, and his size make him very hard to tackle. Extremely tough, Gray seems to revel in the rough stuff and seems to have all the vital elements and skills of a world-class lock forward. He is young too, and can only get better.


3. Adam Jones (Wales)


Now fitter and slimmer, Adam Jones is a dangerous man to have at prop. Jones is extremely powerful, and a solid scrummager able to perform a solid platform. His strength and power make him a handful in the loose also, and for such a big man he has a good slight of hand. 


2. Kevin Mealamu (New Zealand)


Kevin Mealamu is a superb rugby player who seems to just get better with age. Tough and abrasive he has been managed through the years so he has not burned out, and he keeps churning the performances out. A reliable thrower in the line-out and tough nosed scrummager he has developed consistent world-class skills for his position. He is a strong runner, hard to stop due to his low centre of gravity, and he causes problems at the breakdown often snatching loose ball. 

1. Fabien Barcella (France)


Another strong scrummager Barcella is relatively new to the International rugby scene. Barcella is renowned for his ability to destroy the opposition in the scrum and is ultra aggressive. He is extremely hard to handle due to his aggressive nature, and creates problems for teams all over the pitch. He is a  man you would not want to play against.