Francois Louw's dream team, pretty decent

Interesting selection. 

Habana is a left wing so I'd select him there.  

Jean is an inside center so if we're going to put him up for selection then let it be for the 12 jersey.  My 13 would be Sterling Mortlock.

My right wing would be a choice of Doug Howlett or Siteveni Sivivatu. Yes I know he also played on the left.

I regard Dan Carter as the best 10 in rugby.

My scrummie would be Joosts vd Westhuizen.

I like Ruben Kruger on the openside and Andre Venter on the blindside.

Billy Vunipola would be my 8th man.

This is the type of thing that really is futile.   I would say he best \mo 13 center was O'Driscoll.  Agree about Carter though.  My idea about a lock is different from being a stand-in center and Matfield is a very funny selection - since real locks and do  not regrd him as one.   I would rather go further back to Frik du Preez or Pinetree as locks. 

However Chabal is by some distance the best loosie I have ever seen play.   As an opensider - I would say Rob Louw.      

This is the type of thing that really is futile.   I would say he best \no 13 center was O'Driscoll.  Agree about Carter though.  My idea about a lock is different from being a stand-in center and Matfield is a very funny selection - since real locks and do  not regrd him as one.   I would rather go further back to Frik du Preez or Pinetree as locks. 

However, Chabal is by some distance the best loosie I have ever seen play.   As an opensider - I would say Rob Louw.      

Common, Mike ... don't be such a sourpuss.

CC

You surely do not refer to my reference to O'Driscoll?  

I do not know whether you ever saw Rob Louw playing?  Naas Botha was terrified of him and would not even catch a ball if he saw him coming for him.

As to Matfield - he was pathetic after his return from retirement in 2011 and that  influenced me in my comments.      .     

How the hell did that advert gets into my comments,   

Ummm ... no, Mike.

It's your comment "This is the type of thing that really is futile".

All it is, is a little fun.

Everything on this board is futile, Mike. We squabble among ourselves and to what end? You think you're clever ... and I think I'm clever ... and in the end ... it turns out that we're all idiots.

We shouldn't stress about the little things so much.

That's all I'm saying.

Yes ... of course I watched Rob Louw.

I always thought he was a better 8th man. Hard as nails ... with a hard-on for Naas.

Naas got caught once. Never again ... lol ... scared him shitless.

Mike ... Matfield's brilliance in the lineout set piece cannot be ignored. That was his primary function.

Many a try was scored as a direct result of his ability to steal opposition ball. It is a weapon ... and if that's his only function, I would welcome him with hesitation.

Why are you still referring to him after 2011? He was untouchable in his prime. 

What's with the ads, Ed??

What ads?

CC

I always think that the kind of personl choices is often biased.   However - lets get back to Naas and Louw.   Louw's  family were personal friends of my parents and I knew him since his school days when they were always camping in Still Bay next to the site where my parents were camping..   

There was in the late 70's a club competition held annually over the Easter Weekend.   My mother asked me to go and see Rob at the team hotel the morning before the final.  A friend of mine went with me - but there was none of the Stellenbosch University in sight - so he and I  started a conversation with Chris Faure - at the time  his daughter's boy friend.  

Eventually Jan Boland and Dr Craven appeared.   Louw followed a bit later - he was literally shaking after a team talk where Dr Craven spoke to each player individually for five minutes.   However, Dr Craven came over and said to Chris Faure - "Chris you will have an easy game today - I do not have a full team and had to bring in some hostel players."

Anyway I spoke a few minutes with Rob and he gave me tickets for the game made available for family members..   That afternoon the Maties beat the Tukkies 27-6.   One of the tries was scored by Rob Louw.   What happened was that Naas was standing in the in-goal area and he was passed the ball and when he saw Rob coming, he knocked the ball on - too funny but it really happened.    He was always shit scared of Rob and when I saw him afterwards we had a good laugh about it.

By the way I believe that some players play way pass their sell-by date and ruin their reputation as a result - Matfield was on of those.  

Naas always struck me as a bit of coward. A mommy's boy. I can't ever remember him coming off the pitch with dirty shorts and with not a hair out of place. 

Such a pity that that level of talent wasn't given to one such as Henry Honibal.

Rob Louw reminds me of an uncle on my mother's side ... a long haired hooligan who was always up for a good fist fight.

Yes ... Matfield ruined his reputation by coming back from retirement ... but who can forget his superb skill in the air. He was feared by many for a reason. That's how I prefer to remember the man.    

It's his team and the inclusion of Spencer gives it a Barbarian feel. Good team but not the best...and I don't think it was intended to be the best.