Scots draw short straw
In compiling your ‘100 best players in
the world’ (August issue), you’ve also
selected a Lions team – by choosing the
highest-rated British and Irish players
in each position. The Lions team is:
L Williams (ranked 5); J Adams (32), G
Ringrose (44), J Davies (19), J May (29);
O Farrell (6), C Murray (65); M Vunipola
(3), J George (18), T Furlong (10), AW
Jones (1), J Ryan (20), J Navidi (37),
T Curry (36), B Vunipola (12). So sixEnglish, fi ve Welsh and four Irish
players and not a single Scot!
Gregg Butler, Freckleton, Lancashire
RW says: Not so, Gregg! We ranked
Hamish Watson at 23 so he would
make this ‘Lions’ XV instead of Curry.Best of the Barretts
I always enjoy your ‘100 Best Players’
selection but why do Beauden Barrettand Jordie Barrett routinely make such
lists while Scott Barrett dips out?
Scott was head and shoulders above
his brothers in this year’s Super Rugby!
In the Crusaders’ semi-fi nal against the
Hurricanes, he even chased down a
back, made a brilliant tackle, and sprang
up to win the turnover. Is it
because he’s a tight forward
so he gets less opportunity
to do the fl ash stuff?
Don Beynon, EdinburghTalent is too
concentrated
You write that there are nine
Saracens players, seven
from Crusaders, and six each
from Hurricanes and Leinster
in your list. You ask if it’s
good for rugby that so many
of the world’s top players are
shared among so few clubs.
Apart from Saracens, the
other three are not strictlyclub sides; they represent a wide variety
of clubs within their areas. Saracens
represent nobody but themselves and
compete in the same league pyramid
as every other club in England.
A more pertinent question might be: is
it good for English rugby that so many of
the country’s best players are at so few
clubs? Saracens have two of England’s
top three or four scrum-halves, whilst
Exeter have three England props, plus a
Welsh international playing in the same
position. That is absurd in a nation with
so many clubs and is a major reason for
the inconsistency of the national side.
Jeff Gage, Bethersden, KentHe’s Finn-tastic
All the naysayers have got
it wrong. Finn Russell has
improved since going to
Racing and some of the
rougher edges have gone.
People who say he’s too
unpredictable just don’t
get it and would rather see
their No 10 metronomically
kicking ‘contestable’ balls.
I’d rather see a ten taking
the ball to the line and
releasing players. Give
me Russell, Danny Cipriani
or Quade Cooper over
Farrell or Ford any day.
Stuart Grady, via FacebookEmail your letters to [email protected] or write to our editorial addressThe Star Letter winner
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rugbystore.co.ukSTAR LETTER
INTOUCH
“Oh look, the World Cup teams are
releasing new kits for us to spend
fortunes on.” Who falls for this stuff?
If you listen to every team, their new
clobber is lighter and more breathable
than ever before, it wicks away sweat
better – when else does anything ever
get ‘wicked’ away? – and it’s more
stylish than the best gear in Milan.
Never is it more obvious that we are
herds of cash cows instead of fans
than when a major tournament comes
around. For example, the French havehad a redesign of their kit (it’s blue but
the emblem is red, ooooh). The cost for
a kids’ shirt for this new le Coq Sportif
masterpiece? It’s €75 (£67.30). The
Wallabies’ new indigenous away jersey
will cost a child the equivalent of £72.20.
We don’t have to buy this replica kit
but think of parents who are asked to
fork out again and again. It’s robbery!
Colin Davis, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
RW says: A special kit for the World
Cup is understandable but we think
there are too many ‘new’ regular shirts.Shirt pull
Sonny Bill models
NZ’s World Cup jerseyOverlooked
Scott BarrettFirelighter Our feature sparked a lot of debateWIN
SOME
GEAR!World Cup kits exploit the fans
THE RW POLL
Who will win this year’s
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Africa 8%New
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77%Argentina
12%