Jim Hamilton's Premiership Team of the Decade
Big Jim Hamilton’s Premiership Team of the Decade.
I’ve had a scratch of the head as to who I think would make up my Premiership Team of the Decade.
Naturally, Saracens dominate the team.
And before you ask, yes, maybe I’m a little biased, but Sarries have won five of the ten titles on offer this decade – so not that biased.
Marcus Ayerza
As destructive, consistent and durable a loosehead as ever walked a rugby field. He retired in 2017 with 66 Puma caps to his name and the respect of every Premiership tighthead he ever packed down against. Was a rock during his 246 Leicester appearances and many opposition front rows will have been happy to see the back of him.
Schalk Britz
If anyone ever asks me who is the best rugby player I have played with was, it would be Schalk Britz. A gem of human being and one hell of a rugby player too. He’s retired two or three times at this stage so who’s to say he won’t yet back a comeback. Genuinely one of the nicest blokes you’ll ever meet.
Schalk Brits and Akker van der Merwe were both given red cards today for fighting in the Super Rugby clash today ?
Here they are sharing a drink straight after the game. #SpiritOfRugby pic.twitter.com/p1tatFlkoE
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) March 30, 2019
Petrus du Plessis
A real unsung hero – albeit a slightly strange one with his alter ego named ‘Borislav’. Another durable and consistent player. Was the cornerstone of the scrum at Saracens during my time and worth his weight in gold. The tighthead is doing great things at Glasgow Warrior now as a coach.
Courtney Lawes
Having resisted the temptation to select myself here, I’ve gone for one of the scariest defenders in the Premiership. His rebooted England career under Eddie Jones has shown that he’s also big enough to develop his skillset as a player, and is now reaping the rewards.
George Kruis
I went for my old engine room partner, George Kruis, at five. And that’s not to say he hasn’t earned it. Apart from never playing or training around Christmas. when it came to May (the finals) he always rocked up and delivered. A young man whose head finally grew up to a size that made his nose look just large instead of extremely large, he was picking up man of the matches for fun. His lineout prowess is well known, but what people don’t realise is his how good a scrummager he is.
Jaques Burger
The Namibian was a ferocious defender and his face has the scars to prove it. The type of guy you want in the trenches with you and a man who has shaken off more injuries than Wolverine. The hardest man walking the Kalahari Desert which effectively means the hardest bloke on earth. A must for my Premiership Team of the Decade.
Don Armand
Has failed to impress Eddie Jones but regularly is picked by his peers as the competition’s outstanding blindside. Exemplifies all that’s good about Exeter. Hard-working, skillful and hard as nails; and owner of a horrendous lid that he calls ‘The Fin’.
Billy Vunipola
A mammoth from No.8. Has set the standard for the position in England since he moved to Sarries from Wasps in 2013. My pick at No.8 for my Premiership Team of the Decade and probably the next decade as well.
Richard Wigglesworth
You don’t make over 300 Premiership appearances without being a serious operator. The epitome of a safe pair of hands. Revolutionised the game with his pinpoint accurate box kicking. Everyone said it was boring – now everyone is doing it.
Owen Farrell
Who else? Faz has been instrumental do Saracens’ domination of the Premiership and I was privileged enough to have a front row seat for a bit of it. Even though he didn’t like me because he thought I was sh**e and I didn’t like him because he thought I was sh**e, I have the upmost respect for how hard he works and his desire to win.
Brad Barritt
Skips will run through a wall and next doors wall as well. The way he puts his body on the line is there for all to see in the scars and the metal plates. his leadership and the way players follow him shows the real measure of the man. Tiki Tonga.
Manu Tuilagi
I used to be in the Tuilagis’ house with his brothers when Manu was in a nappy. When I played against him, he hit me so hard I had to wear a nappy for days. When he’s fit and in form he’s practically unplayable. We saw what he could do at the World Cup when back to himself. Fingers crossed he stays in the Premiership and stays fit.
Chris Ashton
Misunderstood by some, (not by me: he is a nob and his teeth are fake) his try-scoring exploits will tell you all you need to know about his finishing ability. With the worst book I have ever seen (not read), ‘Ash Splash’ has a heart of gold to be fair. A lovable rogue.
Vereniki Goneva
One of the Premiership’s greatest ever wingers. amazing for Leicester and arguably better for Newcastle. They made top four the season before last and he was a big reason why.
Alex Goode
The bum bag man, full kit wanker – whatever you call him! What more is there left to say about Alex Goode? Many are perplexed at his ongoing England exclusion and I’m one of them. His stats back up what has been an unbelievable decade for Alex and at 31, there’s still more to come. One of those players that makes rugby look easy.
Comments on RugbyPass
What was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
27 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
27 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
27 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to comments