If you could add a player from history to your team this weekend

Chatting with an old friend I met for lunch today about the up coming fixtures this weekend and we discussed hypothetically who would we bring in to the side to improve it if we had any player from our nations history to improve our national team.

Who would you introduce from your nations players of years gone by to make a difference and why?

I am not comfortable with Daly under the high ball, but with that area of the game having changed so much since the law changes designed to protect jumpers at the lineout encouraged jumping for the ball in loose play.

Thus I choose the one player we have failed to replace since the 2003 team, and that is Will Greenwood.

For Wales I would like to bring in Barry John at flyhalf. He was a master of moving the opposition around and would tire out the French forwards very quickly, then set our backs loose to run in a score...

Though with the expected forecast maybe looking cold wet and miserable tomorrow evening, maybe Neil Jenkins would be better.

Was hoping for a try fest but I think it could be a score divisible by three.

Gavin Henson. The answer is always a fit and firing Gavin Henson.

miaow wrote:Gavin Henson. The answer is always a fit and firing Gavin Henson.

Ha ha ha brilliant...

Mentioned this a few days ago here - I am with LT on this - Will Greenwood.

Scott Quinell - I think Wales could do with a barnstorming no.8 who would get us over the gain line every time and give us the go forward we need. Faletau has been immense and I’m not knocking what he brings. But I just think the way Quinnell used to play would be an excellent addition to the side, and his barnstorming runs and passion and enthusiasm would lift the team - I think we could do with a real talisman like that, although AWJ does give us that at times too.

(The game has moved on a bit since then though, so I’m not sure if there might be a reason why SQ wouldn’t work in the modern game?).

The obvious one would be O'Driscoll...but David Wallace popped into my head instantly. Always was a player with a lot of power but perhaps one of the few Irish players automatically and naturally in the Schmidt mould - in that he never seemed to be overly emotionally involved, just methodical in his work - cool customer but tough. Always liked Wallace and pity that an injury shortened his career.

Doddie Weir.

There may have been a few better players to wear the dark blue, but if he could pull on the jersey one more time he could surf back to the borders on the tidal wave of our tears of joy and gratitude.


as Dylan Thomas said,

"Do not go gently into that good night,
rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Nice. Spot on jim.

Well said that man

Is there anything planned for Doddie / foundation in the 6N games?

John Jeffries.

As far as I know the Doddie Weir cup is for Wales and Scotland like the Calcutta cup is for England and Scotland and will be attributed to every encounter

LondonTiger wrote:I am not comfortable with Daly under the high ball, but with that area of the game having changed so much since the law changes designed to protect jumpers at the lineout encouraged jumping for the ball in loose play.

Thus I choose the one player we have failed to replace since the 2003 team, and that is Will Greenwood.

As soon as I read the title of this thread I thought Greenwood.

Should have known some one would beat me to it!

As to your comments on Daly, Lewsey wouldnt do badly at 15 in this team now.

Yeah Lewsey for Daly was one of my thoughts. Matt Perry would also have done well in the current setup. Pondering FB did have me thinking about England's choices over the years and realising it has rarely been a position of strength for us.

We've had some bloody good ones in the recent past. I'd love a younger Brown an on form pre injury Foden or armitage

No 7&1/2 wrote:We've had some bloody good ones in the recent past. I'd love a younger Brown an on form pre injury Foden or armitage

Foden and Delon both only hit top form for a short while. Delon had the most potential of the 3 you mention but in the end was, imo, an unfulfilled talent. Harnessing Browns attitude and work ethic to Delon's talent and we would have had a truly world class FB.

True enough.

Jonathan Davies. The original one.

SecretFly wrote:The obvious one would be O'Driscoll...but David Wallace popped into my head instantly.  Always was a player with a lot of power but perhaps one of the few Irish players automatically and naturally in the Schmidt mould - in that he never seemed to be overly emotionally involved, just methodical in his work - cool customer but tough.  Always liked Wallace and pity that an injury shortened his career.

I tell you what from an Irish perspective I'm not sure anyone in our history would enhance the current squad much.

I'd probably stick O'Connell on the bench ahead of Quinn Roux but only because Hendo and Beirne are injured.

Delon Armitage was one of the few England players to have a decent 2011 World Cup. Really wish he'd stuck around.

I wouldn't mind having a top scrum half from the past but not really Matt Dawson, or Dewi Morris. Probably someone like Dickie Jeeps but he's before my time, so can't be certain how he played.

Rugby Fan wrote:I wouldn't mind having a top scrum half from the past but not really Matt Dawson, or Dewi Morris. Probably someone like Dickie Jeeps but he's before my time, so can't be certain how he played.

Dawson was probably the best all round SH I have seen for us looking at purely retired players. Not sure he was actually better at the core skills than Youngs is with my main issue with Lenny is that (mainly due to instruction) he has stopped sniping.

Bracken's passing was seriously over-rated - he had a good pass, once he was ready to deliver it but had a strange juggle with the ball to set it in his hands and then a jump back and step.

Melville was the best passer I have seen in an England SH, but blighted by injury. It should be noted though that the ball in those days was presented much cleaner than it is now, making the SHs job much easier. So much time is spent these days just trying to dig the ball out of the mess of arms and legs.

jimbopip wrote:Doddie Weir.

There may have been a few better players to wear the dark blue, but if he could pull on the jersey one more time he could surf back to the borders on the tidal wave of our tears of joy and gratitude.


as Dylan Thomas said,

"Do not go gently into that good night,
 rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Well I was going to suggest someone else, but Doddie is a far better option and reasoning than anything I could come up with. Well played Jim

EWT Spoons wrote:

jimbopip wrote:Doddie Weir.

There may have been a few better players to wear the dark blue, but if he could pull on the jersey one more time he could surf back to the borders on the tidal wave of our tears of joy and gratitude.


as Dylan Thomas said,

"Do not go gently into that good night,
 rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Well I was going to suggest someone else, but Doddie is a far better option and reasoning than anything I could come up with.  Well played Jim

Doddie is the emotional pick (but he was also a great player)

What we need is a previous great at 8. The only player i can think of is Simon Taylor (a fit simon taylor)

tigertattie wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:

jimbopip wrote:Doddie Weir.

There may have been a few better players to wear the dark blue, but if he could pull on the jersey one more time he could surf back to the borders on the tidal wave of our tears of joy and gratitude.


as Dylan Thomas said,

"Do not go gently into that good night,
 rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Well I was going to suggest someone else, but Doddie is a far better option and reasoning than anything I could come up with.  Well played Jim

Doddie is the emotional pick (but he was also a great player)

What we need is a previous great at 8. The only player i can think of is Simon Taylor (a fit simon taylor)

See I was going to go with Jason White for that reason. Sure he primarily played flanker, but did play 8 as well and he was massive and used to carry pretty well. Plus some of the hits he put in were just pure rugby porn.

SecretFly wrote:The obvious one would be O'Driscoll...but David Wallace popped into my head instantly.  Always was a player with a lot of power but perhaps one of the few Irish players automatically and naturally in the Schmidt mould - in that he never seemed to be overly emotionally involved, just methodical in his work - cool customer but tough.  Always liked Wallace and pity that an injury shortened his career.

I'd put a fit Simon Geoghegan into the team. He was a class player when he played in not so great a team, imagine what he could do if he was given regular quality ball.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:

SecretFly wrote:The obvious one would be O'Driscoll...but David Wallace popped into my head instantly.  Always was a player with a lot of power but perhaps one of the few Irish players automatically and naturally in the Schmidt mould - in that he never seemed to be overly emotionally involved, just methodical in his work - cool customer but tough.  Always liked Wallace and pity that an injury shortened his career.

I'd put a fit Simon Geoghegan into the team.  He was a class player when he played in not so great a team, imagine what he could do if he was given regular quality ball.

Yes, he was a steamer with ball in hand. That was the madness of Ireland coaching back then. So rarely did he get the ball as the coach ensured it stayed in the 'real man's' channel up the middle with the forwards.

Any one od Hill, Back or Dayglo would improve this England team as its weakness is the back row. If I has to pick one of that illustrious trio, Hill would be my pick, but I'd love to see Dayglo getting a run too.

The Oracle wrote:Scott Quinell - I think Wales could do with a barnstorming no.8 who would get us over the gain line every time and give us the go forward we need. Faletau has been immense and I’m not knocking what he brings. But I just think the way Quinnell used to play would be an excellent addition to the side, and his barnstorming runs and passion and enthusiasm would lift the team - I think we could do with a real talisman like that, although AWJ does give us that at times too.

(The game has moved on a bit since then though, so I’m not sure if there might be a reason why SQ wouldn’t work in the modern game?).

In hindsight Scott Quinnell might well have been the form choice. Picamoles solo effort in the first half was very reminiscent of Scott’s glory days..!