Which general should wear No.9?
The final backline position is one of the most crucial ones, as every great teams need a world-class scrumhalf to run the show and now is your chance to vote for the best in the business from 2011.
The scrumhalf provides the link between the forwards and the backs and his decision making is always vitally important to the success of any side, so consider your vote carefully.
There are three candidates who stood out during the various competitions in 2011, so cast your vote and analysis at the bottom of the page to ensure that whoever cracks the nod for the readers’ XV is able to match up to the official rugby365.com Team of the Year when it is eventually revealed.
From the northern hemisphere’s Six Nations the French maestro Morgan Parra was the star performer, while he was bizarrely shifted to flyhalf during the World Cup.
Parra is the future of the French side as one of the youngsters in the team with genuine skill, and is a clever players able to judge when best to kick or pass and weighs up his options with a cool head.
His goal-kicking ability is a bonus, while he also has the truly French ability to create a moment of magic from nowhere.
The southern hemisphere representative is none other than Wallaby ace Will Genia, who was in both rugby365.com‘s Super Rugby and Tri-Nations teams.
Genia is a wonderful general and keeps the more erratic Quade Cooper in check for both the Reds and Australia and is the brains that allow Cooper to play his instinctive game.
Genia’s unbelievable try to secure the Super Rugby title for the Reds is one of the highlights of the season and was simply a moment of individual brilliance.
The final scrumhalf on our roll for the vote is Wales’ Mike Phillips, who was the No.9 in our World Cup selection.
Phillips was one of the catalysts for Wales’ strong showing at the tournament and is a powerful player who can break on his own or send the ball out to the backs just as effectively.
He has an eye for the gap and scored some vitally important tries, while his defence was also impeccable throughout the season.
So who has done enough to have the honor of your vote?
There is still time to cast your vote for the best:
15: Fullback – (Israel Dagg, Kurtley Beale, Andrea Masi)
14: Right wing – (James O’Connor, Chris Ashton, Rod Davies)
13: Outside centre – (Brian O’Driscoll, Jaque Fourie, Conrad Smith)
12: Inside centre – (Sonny Bill Williams, Ma’a Nonu, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies)
11: Left wing – (Digby Ioane, Shane Williams)
10: Flyhalf – (Dan Carter, Quade Cooper, Rhys Priestland, Toby Flood)
