Following on from articles based upon a WWE and NJPW rugby XV, today we are going to be looking at the best BritWres starting XV we can make with the best of that British Wrestling can offer.
With the help of the Babyface App, we will look at who fits the bill to take us all the way to World Cup Glory. A couple of rules before we start though:
- All wrestlers cannot be signed with any major company. That means you won’t be seeing any Coffeys in the front row or Ospreay showing his tricks in the back row.
- A wrestler that has been active of these shores over the last 12 months are eligible with a minimum of five matches, which leads us to;
- They do NOT have to be British. We have a wealth of talent from all around the world here, and it would be silly to just ignore them.
1. Los Federales Santos Jr.
To make a great prop, you need to have a strong neck, shoulders, upper body and legs, plus they should relish head-to-head competition. Prop was one of the harder positions to place as they are numerous wrestlers that could be put here, yet due to contract situations, most of them had to be checked out.
In the end though, I settled on Los Federales Santos Jr for our loose head prop. With his size and stamina, plus with his natural ability to break anyone’s concentration with his wit, he fits the bill here. Being the spearhead for any scrummaging, it will be hard to move his monster of a man.
2. David Starr
For our hooker, we need someone who can organise a line-out and throw the ball in with pin-point accuracy. Usually the smallest of the front-row, he needs to be able to hooker the ball from between the legs of the props, so technical ability is key.
For that reason, I’ve gone for David Starr. The 104-minute man is no stranger to organising (see his rallies for unionisation) and doesn’t like to do anything in the ring that isn’t near perfection. He would also be able to add a bit of trash-talk to that front row to off-put the opposition. He would also have the stamina to last all match.
3. Big Grizzly
For my tight-head prop, I’m keeping it simple. Having a big, Welsh monster in the front row never hurts, but when there’s a wrestler that naturally plays in that position, then you can’t leave him out. Just like the Welsh National Team, this hard-hitting mountain of a man loves competition, and is built perfectly for the game. There’s not much else to add here, the man is a natural fit.
4. Chris Brookes
Now onto our second rows (or locks). Generally, the tallest members of the team, they are the engine room and the target man in the scrum. In British Wrestling, we are very lucky to have some great tall men, but there are two that pop into my mind straight away, and with their existing partnership in a certain stable, I can’t help but put them in.
First of all, we have Chris Brookes. In many ways,he is the engine room of BritWres right now. With being the linchpin in many different tag teams over the last years, to helping run various promotions, this is a man who runs deep through the veins of the business here. With his natural height and slim frame, he would be easy to get up high in the line-out and steal the ball at any given opportunity.
5. Kyle Fletcher
Another of BritWres’ tall boys, Kyle Fletcher is an easy fit of the lock position with his height. The strength he has gained over the last few years is nothing short of impressive as well, and this will certainly help in our scrummage. His ability to tackle will be important as well, helping keep the attacker up to help create a driving maul.
6. TK Cooper
We move onto our two flankers. These are the guys who can be considered to be excellent all-rounders on the field. They need to have speed, strength, fitness, tackling and handling skills, along with having boundless amounts of energy.
TK Cooper for me fits in here. He possesses a lot of these traits and has been showing many of these at a vastly improving rate over the last few months. His Pacific roots make him a natural fit for the rugby field; his hard-hitting style in the ring will translate perfectly onto the pitch. Having this man charging at you with ball-in-hand will put fear into the hearts of anyone defending.
7. Simon Miller
A bit of left field choice here, considering his inexperience in the ring, but something strikes me about Miller’s natural strength and ability he has shown in the ring that would make him a great flanker. Why? HERE’S WHY!
Very much like Rhys Thomas’ choice of Cesaro for the same position, Miller comes across as a physical specimen that will show the speed and strength he challenges at the tackle, ruck and maul.
8. Mark Davis
This was the first name on my team sheet.
The number 8 needs to show great support play, tackling and ball-carrying skills. He also needs to be an explosive, dynamic runner that can pick a hole in any defence. He’s there to bind the back of the scrum. He can pick up to ball at the back of the scrum which can help to provide vital yards when scrummaging.
Mark Davis possesses the power and speed to be able to provide a solid bind at the back of the scrum and power through the defence with unpredictable runs. He’s tough to knock off his feet and therefore proves an imposing figure on any team.
9. Paul Robinson
Moving onto scrum-halves, these guys tend to be one of the smallest members of the team. Don’t let this fool you, though. The scrum-half needs to be available in all situations. They will link between the forwards and back and is a key player when leading an attack. They also need to be loud and brash, organising attackers at any moment.
Paul Robinson would be key here. Not afraid of being overly cocky towards his opponents (and team-mates alike), he would be the perfect cog in the system. His vision and speed are great to start off any attack, or spring a surprise run through a gap in defence after faking a pass.
10. Chris Ridgeway
This could be my most controversial choice. The fly-half can be considered to be one of the most influential players on a team, with most attacks going through them, deciding when to pass or kick down field for position. They need to react to gaps in the oppositions defence and must be strong in the tackle.
Chris Ridgeway offers skill both in hand and he has expert kicking ability to act as the team’s goal kicker. His precision will help to pin-point any gaps, let it be an up and over, a punt or a placement kick into touch. Need that drop goal at the end of a game à la Wilkinson in the 2003 World Cup Final? There may not be a better man than Ridgeway.
11. Cara Noir
Onto the wingers, who can be considered a team’s finishers in attack. Their pace is their main source of attack, and usually have amazing footwork to boot. The footwork and artistry that Cara Noir shows on a constant basis makes him an easy fit for the winger. Couple that with the fact that Cara is a former player himself in the same position will mean he can pull on that experience. Apart from showing amazing creativity in the ring, the Black Swan has shown amazing balance that would easily keep him in touch during the tightest of spots.
12. Dan Moloney
Onto the centres. They tend to be strong, dynamic wrestlers with a great eye for exposing gaps. They tend to take direct lines, therefore need to be strong and powerful. Recently we have been blessed with some great inside-centre types in BritWres.
First of all, I’m going to pick Drilla himself, Dan Moloney. The man is strong, powerful and all action. Along with making impactful runs and creating pace for others, this is someone you would NOT want to run into a tackle from. I can imagine many players bouncing off him in the field of play.
13.Rampage Brown
Drilla’s inside-centre partner should be someone show shares the same type of skillset, except this time I’ve gone with someone with a fair share more experience in Rampage.
I can see his style of play being the along the same lines as Jamie Roberts. That of a battering ram, punishing the opposition with blistering, direct runs that can blow apart any line of defence. His defence would be deadly as well, with his wealth of experience allowing him to come up with creative ways onto which to drive opponents back when needed.
14. The OJMO
NOW WE PLAY!
The sheer speed and standing acceleration that the OJMO has shown during the last year has been simply incredible. Being a standout performer on most shows means the creativity he will bring to the role is unparalleled. He has shown himself to be fearless against all manner of opponents.
The speed he has shown will allow him to simply glide past his opposite number, at which point no other player would be able to catch him. He has also shown so amazing levels of strength for a man of his size, which means that that when you have him as the last line of defence, there’s a great chance he will stop the man.
15. Warren Banks
Finally, we come to the full-back role. Behind the whole back line, this is the sweeper that picks out most kicks from the opposition, so they need to be comfortable catching things out of the air and launching attacks from there. They need to be able to combine tackling, kicking, catching and running, whilst keeping a cool head in high pressure situations.
Warren Banks could be the most imposing figure to stick in here. I’m not afraid to say the only time I’ve seen him live was at Attack in Cardiff against Joe Nelson. It was as if watching a full-back pick a ball out of the air. There was also great at counter attacking when needed.
Manager – Kid Lykos
With a number of his own personal stable on the team, it would make sense for one of the loudest out of ring personalities in the country to manage the team. With much experience of managing managers and promotions, he wouldn’t be afraid to give players a piece of his mind when needed.
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