British writer
Controversial British rugby critic Stephen Jones has copped a jibe from a colleague for ‘‘once again’’ over-estimating northern hemisphere talent ‘‘at the expense of the clearly superior south’’.
Former England and British and Irish Lions first-five Stuart Barnes gently chided Jones after the pair picked their top 10 midfielders of all-time in The Times.
Barnes had ex-all Blacks Ma’a Nonu (3), Frank Bunce (7) and Conrad Smith (9), but Jones found room for just one Kiwi – Bunce (No 3) and a Fijian, Seru Rabeni (8).
Two-time Wallabies World Cup winner Tim Horan led Barnes’ list, while Jones pumped for England’s Jeremy Guscott. Both men had former Ireland and Lions captain Brian O’driscoll in the No 2 slot.
Barnes felt Guscott would be surprised to see ‘‘Steve has elevated him above a couple of Antipodeans who do not even make the ‘bubbling under’ list’’.
Jones raised an eyebrow at Barnes relegating his Bath teammate Guscott to fifth.
Nonu, according to Barnes, ‘‘made the journey from crashball carrying centre to the best No 12 in the world. Dan Carter has never hidden his praise for his mate’s communication skills, the freedom to offload under pressure, knowing he had a chip, a step or a leading arm to keep the attack moving.
‘‘Carter took the kudos in 2015, but Nonu was magnificent all season, as a Hurricane and World Cup winner.’’
Barnes said 1990’s great Bunce was ‘‘a far greater union performer’’ than his fellow boxer, Sonny Bill Williams.
‘‘They were a Music Hall double act, Bunce and Walter Little; brilliant together but Bunce, with that aggressive element, the thunderous outside break . . . and his unforgiving defence merits a mention in his own right.’’
Barnes asked: ‘‘Has there ever been a more organised outside centre?’’ than Smith. ‘‘Always at the right place at the right time. Nobody knew what they were doing quite like the crafty, sometime cynical Smith.’’
Jones ranked Bunce at No 3, citing his form for Western Samoa in the 1991 World Cup win over Wales, his combination with Little at the 1995 World Cup, and the historic first series win in