Is this the best team money can buy?

Numbers are a bit bloated from Japanese clubs, but don't think Read has it anymore or another failed all black in Steven Latua

Highest paid XV

15 – Beauden Barrett (R15.6m, Suntory Sungoliath)
14 – Charles Piutau (R20m, Bristol Bears)
13 – Virimi Vakatawa (R15.6m, Racing 92)
12 – Owen Farrell (R15m, Saracens)
11 – Stuart Hogg (R11m, Exeter Chiefs)
10 – Handre Pollard (R20m, Montpellier)
9 – Faf de Klerk (R12m, Sale Sharks)
8 – Kieran Read (R16m, Toyota Verblitz)
7 –  Steven Luatua (R13m, Bristol Bears)
6 – Michael Hooper (R15m, Toyota Verblitz)
5 – Maro Itoje (R16.5m, Saracens)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (R18m, Toulon)
3 – Tadhg Furlong (R9.6m, Leinster)
2 – Guilhem Guirado (R10m, Montpellier)
1 – Mako Vunipola (R9m, Saracens)

Don't know what De Allende is being paid by Munster - but he is a better center than Farrell.  Luatua is a good player, but there are better loosies around.   Mako Vunipola is seriously overpaid.       

No. Esterhuizen is the best 12, Faf is a competitor but has poor fundamentals. Thor over Read amongst other alterations. 

Ag kak - Esterhuizen is not even in the top twenty inside centers on test  level in the world.   Erasmus tried him out in a  number of tests and he was a failure - hence his decision  not to include Esterhuien in the 2019 WC squad.  

In the way that Korn  meant it ,"what money can buy" was these players have monetary value as I understand the context...they were proven to valuable as they had earned it by doing the hard yards (unless I misunderstood it) but in another way not necessary the best selection as we know experience is a must in a good team but there a lot of talented younger currently performing players that can be mixed with them. to get the right balance.

But yes, it's a very good team in this context.

If the players are hopeless, they are not worth whatever monetary value may be attached to them. Someone like Bill Belichick understands this very well. 

I picked this up from SARugbymag, thought it might be worth a discussion, but I don't think it is accurate. 

But I know there are a couple of South Sea / All blacks that have opted for money instead of playing for the All black. Fekitoau rings a bell, but devastating 13.

That said, think of Real Madrid  of how the paid for the  the best players. But I don't think some of these players would be good deals if the aim was to have the best player. 

Player like Read is not there on form but reputation. I would not pay all that money for a player that can't contribute, unless you ManU and just want  to sell rugby jumpers with Reads name on it

Yes Korn indeed , an example of this is I would go with a couple of young French players like Dupont and maybe o ne or 2 others on present performance (as much I like Faf and rate him very highly)

So I wonder what are the true  market value of players given that some countries like England, New Zealand and Australia actually limit or prohibit players from playing abroad if they want to represent their country. 

So  players like Itoje  may get a lot more money in France. 

Not sure how Saracens manage to hold onto all of their players given the salary caps, but I know that the english teams can sign Marguee players. 

So  for example, who is the best 15 right now and what would people be willing to pay for them. Jordy Barret is not doing to badly at the moment, but his is stuck with a NZ contract 

Yes those are three of the four most valuable players in Bok rugby....the other being Vermeulen, but his career is winding down now. As usual the money is right.

Yes...the money is right for the takers...some players refuse to be lured abroad by the money....in the old days, players left South Africa at the end of their careers...to cash in on some pension money, but in recent years, some go younger and come and play in South Africa fior a few seasons before retiring. 

Yes of course.......................

Well, the question we have to ask if all players today were free agents. Would they be the best in their  position. We don't have any buying or transfers in Rugby which makes it hard. But I do kind of like the IPL format where players get auctioned off. Although, if I understand it properly, that is how much the players get paid. Each team have a set amount of budget etc. 

So to me Vermeulen is probably the best 8 in the world and could be earning more. Probably has another 2 years left in him.  

Jerome Kaino as well as Brad Thorn were playing top notch rugby well into their 30s

I think Read is a fantastic player and watched him a while back at Ellis park, His work rate off the ball is insane. 

That said, his form has dipped a lot over the last couple of years and bombed for the All Blacks in the world cup. 

I agree Du Pont is probably the best 9 right now, Kolbe the best winger or player. 

Damien Mckenzie is also right up there along with Kolbe, just brings so much to the team.