The Best Rugby XV of the Decade: 2000s

In this video we take a look back at the best players from the years 2000-2009 and pick the best 15 for the team of the decade.

[@Josh-lo6ws]

Great to see Rupeni Caucaunibuca get a lil shoutout

[@epicchess2021]

Awesome work man you are great at ideas and editing thanks a lot

[@jacqloock]

The lengths you went to not to pick Bakkies means to you have two #5 locks. Botha won Vodacom Cups, Currie Cups, S12s, Trinations, Heineken Cups, a Lions series, and a RWC. Perhaps the most decorated player in history.

[@derekmahony3227]

Some great pics like the Carter and Wilkinson idea, Paul OC unlucky miss out.

[@Youre]

Good picks bro, nothing out of order here and I really like what you did with Wilkinson and Carter. My biggest disagreement would be the number 8 pick - Parisse was a special player...... his all round game and the way he single-handedly carried Italy definitely put him above Harinordoquy for me. I also think Hayman was a better prop than Sheridan and I think Muliaina was a better player than Latham on the whole for the 2000s..... but that's just me. Nice vid, look forward to the 90s......... and have you done the 2010s? If not you definitely should.

[@andremaube5069]

Number 8 is hard to rank, lawrence dallaglio was also a big candidate But Damn, prime Harinordoquy was very solid tbh. But for his incredible career maybe Parisse deserve to be in

[@jonnybaynham1689]

Os Du Randt to me was the loose head of the decade Williams is a no for that decade. Martin Johnson was key for the dominant England team in 2000-03. Really like the flankers choice. My preference is Hill at 6 but good with Smith. I like the choice of Wilko at 10. Carter is more decorated over his career and probably more talented, but Wilko was incredible 2000-03, then when he came back in 07 he led a shoddy England team to a world cup final. Just for the 2000s, I'd pick Wilko. I do love Carter though and what a Lions tour he had

[@strawberrykicker2]

Wilkinson wasn't a quarter of the player that Carter was though

[@jonnybaynham1689]

​​@@strawberrykicker2born in 2010 were you? Carter never played in a team without a dominant pack. Carter is still the best fly half to me, but Wilkinson could pull bad teams together. Tell me which team Carter has had that wasn't filled with world class all around him

[@niallquinn6683]

Very solid effort this and difficult to argue with majority of choices. Particularly love the effort of managing to get both Carter and Wilkinson into the team. As with picking any best XV's it's important to eliminate any weaknesses - I see no obvious ones here. Definitely a few toss of a coin choices among them but choosing either/or isn't going to decrease the strength of the team. That's why it's also probably worth doing a bench for these kinds of videos as well as a starting XV IMO.

[@andremaube5069]

Man it's just impossible to make a perfect XV for this decade. Too much legends and talented players at this period. For me, Augustin Napoleon Pichot from Argentina was my favorite Scrum Half, maybe the best duo with Juan Martin Hernandez. Prime Imanol Harinordoquy was solid but maybe Parisse or Dalaglio was more consistant ? I am not sure Dusautoir was the best defensive flanker in my opinion. Greatest tackle success rate ever, still today! for the centers Yannick Jauzion was way better at 12 than Carter. But I understand that it's impossible to let Dan out of this list. Also it's a very personnal choice, but Vincent Clerc is my best 14. This dude was so complete, efficient and pure CLASS. Paul o'connell also derserve to be include, he was a monster and a leader (at the same time lol)

[@AlexBrown-xp7mt]

FDP is the only choice at 9. Also think Robinson has to feature in the back 3, maybe at FB.

[@masterr79]

Solid team, the backrow is stacked You could put out a few different combinations that could be just as good

[@fionnmcloughlin4349]

Paul O'Connell at 4, Victor Matfield at 5, schalk burger at 6, Sergio Parisse at 8, Jean De Villiers at 12 is what I would change

[@ryanwaugh1]

Greegan over Fourie? Not a chance

[@crucesignatidlr]

Do you also have that sprinting channel?

[@RelentlessRugby]

Yes

[@daniedanie7332]

Imagine thinking Ali Williams is beter than Bakkies, insane

[@jacqloock]

No coach in the history of rugby would pick Gregan over du Preez.

[@jacopomentzel3744]

Number 8 parisse

[@ballinlough12345]

Phil vickery ffs 😂

[@khayasontsele8984]

Cullen’s performances in 2000 alone were better all of Latham’s in his whole career. Just sayin’

[@mcooper3501]

Fancy having Percy Montgomery in same sentence as Cullen 😂😂😂

[@RobWrinkle]

Bakkies botha and victor matfield better than ali williams. Cullen best fullback.

[@MeanAzz_13]

Cullen was done by 2003

[@daniedanie7332]

Du Randt Wood Hayman Botha Matfield Burger Mcaw Parisse Du Preez Carter Habana Jauzion Fourie Williams Latham

[@ballinlough12345]

Lol you changed your view on larkham from the last video where you got destroyed 😂 why didn’t you put o gara in there this time🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@RelentlessRugby]

I've seen the light 😂

[@ballinlough12345]

@@RelentlessRugby hahah fair play bro

[@ryanwaugh1]

Carter at 12….oh no 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@thomas_corbet]

For a moment here I was worried Chabal actually made the list. Doesn't deserve to be in the conversation in my opinion.

[@rosihantu1]

Yup, one of the most overrated player of all time.

[@thegulagarchipelago5921]

You Sir Need to get of the gear!!!

[@theooberholzer3734]

De Villiers was a much better centre than Carter, whereas Carter was probably the best flyhalf in history so that is where I disagree with your picks as well as at no. 8 where Parisse was the best of the decade. The loose forward pick is tough ... there are so many amazing players in that position through the decade.

[@jacqloock]

Phil Vickery lost the Lions series 2009 for being unable to stay earth-bound.

[@patrickchilds2987]

How did Vickery lose the Lions tour 2009 😂😂😂 Took a beating in the First Test had a good game in the 3rd test which Lions won. Didn’t play in the 2nd . Genius

[@jacqloock]

@@patrickchilds2987 The third test was a dead rubber. As you you say: genius. Who gives a rat’s arse. Nobody then or now. That series was won and lost in the first half of the first test, primarily through utter obliteration of the Lions scrum, each ending in a gruesome scattering of red-shirted men the likes of which were last scene on these shores at Spioenkop. It is an ancient saying (Confucius or Craven, can’t recall) that the first name on a team sheet is TH prop and the second name is reserve TH. Because TH defends (being 2 on 1, really) and LH attacks. Thus the Lions ‘09 in the decisive first test lost comfortably while anchored by a shopping trolley and won comfortably when Adam Jones anchored the scrum like… like… an anchor. “Genius”

[@troy45ish]

Give yourself an uppercut, dawg, how could you leave Nonu, Lomu, and Cullen out. What planet are you on dawg, bro you have no idea and I've been watching union for 50yrears 😅

[@Keizer_Soze]

"The *Best* Rugby XV of the Decade: 2000 - 2009"? 🤣

[@alanrossiter6626]

Well the seventies didn't start in 1971...'

[@strawberrykicker2]

Just......no Why would you move the best 10 ever to 12 to accommodate an incredibly overrated player in Wilkinson?

[@andremaube5069]

ahahah Wilkinson is maybe the least overrated player in rugby history what are you talking about ?