Larkham was honestly my favourite player growing up in the early 2000s. He was so chill yet was always busy on the field and never afraid to take on his oppositions and run his lines.
The drop goal sinks me every time! Fun fact I read somewhere RE the drop goal, that was his first ever and he couldn't see the posts as his eyesight was/is shoddy... What a legend!
Couldn’t agree more. He was the truest example of a playmaker I’ve ever seen. Johnny Sexton is the closest this generation has in terms of how one guy is responsible for so much of a team’s identity.
From a all black fan 100% spot on. 9 and 10 still today I believe is my no1 I hated them but now you grow out of stupidity and give these players the respect they deserve.
@@isthatthebestyougot4845 Quade Cooper... It's just wrong to mention him.. showboat, stutter steps, just look at this video and see what direct running and feints can achieve without all that stutter stepping bs.. does anyone seriously think Cooper would have the intelligence and calmness to look to his left and right after an untouched line break then drop a totally controlled chip right into the path of a distant winger? No chance.
I'd still rank Mark Ella ahead of Larkham but not by much. Ella had the luxury of having John Hipwell and Nick Farr-Jones throwing bullet passes at him, while Larkham had to contend with the abysmal short pass delivery from Gregan. Plus, Gregan's dreadful habit of taking 2 sidesteps towards the fly-half every time he had to deliver from a ruck, which would drag the opposition defense towards whoever he was passing to. There's a reason why Michael Lynagh retired the moment Gregan came on the scene. Also - I never saw Mark Ella do a clean out like Larkham does at 2:21.Both Larkham and Ella had the gift to always remain cool under pressure while creating space and time for themselves.
South African fly half de beer just broke the record for most drop goals in a match...next match, Larkham replied with a long distance drop goal. What a legend.
As a Kiwi the 2000s were the absolute pinnacle Wallabies teams, Eales, Smith, Finegan, Kefu, Waugh, Harrison, Gregan, Larkham, Burke, Roff, Tune and my favourite Sterling Mortlock. Bledisloe cup games had real animosity and feeling then.
@@randyschwaggins now now, one wc cup victory no need to show off. The english side to win the 2003 final was complete but I reckon Larkham was better than Wilkinson overall, look at the 2007 wc Wilkinson was a liability and tried dropgoaling everything.
@@henkstols9326 I dont think so...the only 10 better than Jonny in his prime was Carter. Larkham was better ball in hand but a liability at times defensively and not even a goal kicker. You cant claim to be an all round 10 and not be the best goal kicker in your team.
@@VelvetThunder420 Carter was great too. Such as Percy Montgomery. I just tnink Wilkinson is the best. And I am just too impressed by Larkham foot playing.
Magnificent. Has a massive highlight reel against the best teams, but i guess the Romania/USA stuff is coz this is RWC only. His first game at flyhalf after switching from fullback in 98 was a 76-0 win against England. For those that dont remember, he did have a good placekick game when younger, but major leg injuries in mid-late 90's meant practice was painful and difficult. Plus, Wallabies had other good placekickers so absolutely no need to persist with it. Sublime to watch, especially in big games. Often mesmerizing running with it, but it was his clarity of vision and especially that amazing passing game that i most admired. If i had a choice between picking 1 of Carter or Larkham i would be a v happy man.
He had all the skills, yet his best ones were his flat long passes, still the best I've ever seen, never forward forcing the receiver to run onto the ball keeping the speed on. Did a fantastic run and pass to launch the Wallabies fight back in 2000 Bledisloe Cup in from of nearly 110000 people!
I’ve seen so many amazing things Bernie has done. This seems a bit of a random assortment of clips. Those tries against Romania? Really the best we could find?
For me the best attacking 10 of all times. Appart for kicking at goal (which other players can do at other positions), he could do anything the other great 10 (Carter, Wilko, Lynagh...) could, and was even better in some departments (passing, breaking the line). For me, he's simply the best 10 of all times, I mean you can just give the kicking duty to someone else.
Stephen larkham was a class player,I have to mention Mark Ella here and also Johnathan Davies of the eighties not the present one,these two players were Wizards,their passing and ability to attack and control the back line were the best I've ever seen, David Campese said Mark Ella was the best player that he played with and Wally Lewis said he was the best rugby player he has ever seen, I'll always remember j Davies try against England back in the mid eighties,he seen a gap and accelerated past three English forwards and while doing so he said bye bye to them in Welch,I remember watching mark Ella on the brilliant Australian team when they won the grand slam in 1984,they beat IRL, Scot, Wales,and England,it was the first time the people from this of the world seen the likes of Campo, NF Jones,m lynagh, Roger Gould etc.this was a team of youth and awesome ability,I always liked watching Australian teams from that tour on, Aussies were always a great team run the ball, them and the French team of the seventies and eighties were s joy to watch,so it's mark Ella for me and Johnathan Davies second, and that's coming from an Irish man.
@@camborocks Yeah, my enthusiasm got the better of me there. Barrett is way ahead in tries per game, but Larkham was an opportunist at creating tries out of nothing. Much like Beaudy I suppose.
Its better borrow some footage from SANZAAR. otherwise you wont be able to do justice to this video. Stephen Larkham ran wonderful lines against All Blacks in many bledisloe cup matches and those are the footage you should be uploading when you show this man's brilliance as an all time great attacking fly half.
In early 2010s it was look like O'Connor can be other Wallabies' greatest N10. He had great both long and short kick, great speed. But due to O'Connor's laziness and addictions, Larkham is definitely greatest Wallabies fly-half.
I fail to grasp why Larkham isn't talked about as one of the greatest Fly-Halves to play the game, other than his lack of goalkicking, of which there's no rule stating that's the sole job of the Fly-Half. Did Wilkinson outperform Larkham anywhere other than the boot? Larkham was deceptively strong, yet was constantly targeted off the ball and with late hits, such was the threat he was to the opposition. If convention dictates that a Fly-Half must have an elite kicking and placekicking game, then maybe Larkham was not as all-rounded as Carter, Wilkinson, Mehrtens, Lynagh etc but by god he was the most devastating offensively on the run.
Seriously there are a lot better clips! But Larkham is my fav Wallabies 10. But isn’t it so weird seeing competitive Australian rugby running again. They can actually pass the ball more than once and it’s not a knock on
I think Larkham's long passes were better, he was a more elusive runner (more likely to make a line break) and he was a better tackler. Mark Ella was better at everything else.
There are so many Larkham highlights but to claim he is Australias best flyhalf based on actions against weak and sleeping defenses (9, 5, 4, and 2 for sure) does not make a good case.
I think Larkham's long passes were better, he was a more elusive runner (more likely to make a line break) and he was a better tackler. Ella was better at everything else.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Nobody ran better lines than Larkham, only person to match him was my mom when she walked in front of tv at the absolute perfect moment
😂😂😂
😂🤣😂
Cristian Cullen could argue his case
Ahahahaha.... classic!
@@chadbrewer5560 Caucaunibuca
He was such a graceful rugby player; never looked to be in a rush or in any way flustered.
32 u78 p2pp]
5
He was Dan Carter before Dan Carter
Surely you could have found better clips than that? He was absolute class!!! Coming from a South African here.
These are only RWC highlights
This guys passes were beautiful, they just spin and float so elegantly
Indeed. What a player!
Larkham was honestly my favourite player growing up in the early 2000s. He was so chill yet was always busy on the field and never afraid to take on his oppositions and run his lines.
Me too, was always afraid when the nz or sa were crunching him. What a tough dude.
The drop goal sinks me every time! Fun fact I read somewhere RE the drop goal, that was his first ever and he couldn't see the posts as his eyesight was/is shoddy... What a legend!
Aussies have never been the same since he retired, probably the truest playmaker I have seen
Couldn’t agree more. He was the truest example of a playmaker I’ve ever seen. Johnny Sexton is the closest this generation has in terms of how one guy is responsible for so much of a team’s identity.
From a all black fan 100% spot on. 9 and 10 still today I believe is my no1 I hated them but now you grow out of stupidity and give these players the respect they deserve.
Quade Cooper wasn't bad
@@isthatthebestyougot4845 Quade Cooper definitely wasn't greatest too. But maybe he is the most stable aussies' fly half after Larkham retirement.
@@isthatthebestyougot4845 Quade Cooper... It's just wrong to mention him.. showboat, stutter steps, just look at this video and see what direct running and feints can achieve without all that stutter stepping bs.. does anyone seriously think Cooper would have the intelligence and calmness to look to his left and right after an untouched line break then drop a totally controlled chip right into the path of a distant winger? No chance.
I totally agree, in his prime he was unmatched - There was and still is no better #10 for the Wallabies 🥇
His kicking was what the Wallabies had been lacking in the Cheika years, where the coach thought they could win every game ball in hand.
@@catinthehat906
I agree, tactics and strategies employed back then weren't to the Wallabies strengths.
Mark Ella?
Such an elegant runner, as a Kiwi he was my favourite Wallaby to watch by far.
We still haven't found anyone good enough to replace him. Wallabies biggest weakness
I'd still rank Mark Ella ahead of Larkham but not by much. Ella had the luxury of having John Hipwell and Nick Farr-Jones throwing bullet passes at him, while Larkham had to contend with the abysmal short pass delivery from Gregan. Plus, Gregan's dreadful habit of taking 2 sidesteps towards the fly-half every time he had to deliver from a ruck, which would drag the opposition defense towards whoever he was passing to. There's a reason why Michael Lynagh retired the moment Gregan came on the scene. Also - I never saw Mark Ella do a clean out like Larkham does at 2:21.Both Larkham and Ella had the gift to always remain cool under pressure while creating space and time for themselves.
South African fly half de beer just broke the record for most drop goals in a match...next match, Larkham replied with a long distance drop goal.
What a legend.
"Larkham has debeered De Beer" (cit. John Taylor).
Used to love watching him and gregan punish teams with the wallabies and brumbies.
Gregan, larkham, eales , burke... we used to have a real good team...
As a Kiwi the 2000s were the absolute pinnacle Wallabies teams, Eales, Smith, Finegan, Kefu, Waugh, Harrison, Gregan, Larkham, Burke, Roff, Tune and my favourite Sterling Mortlock. Bledisloe cup games had real animosity and feeling then.
@@KingDongLe3rd yeah and England were better than both of you! 😂
@@randyschwaggins yup, good for them too
@@randyschwaggins now now, one wc cup victory no need to show off. The english side to win the 2003 final was complete but I reckon Larkham was better than Wilkinson overall, look at the 2007 wc Wilkinson was a liability and tried dropgoaling everything.
@@henkstols9326 I dont think so...the only 10 better than Jonny in his prime was Carter. Larkham was better ball in hand but a liability at times defensively and not even a goal kicker. You cant claim to be an all round 10 and not be the best goal kicker in your team.
That side let in 1 try in the whole 1999 RWC. It boggles the mind how good they were.
Zidane on football , larkham on rugby ... my 2 favorites , tall men with technique and genius
Wilkinson was the greatest N10 kicker. Larkham's passes and sidesteps are something incredible.
And Carter plays football? 😉
@@VelvetThunder420 Carter was great too. Such as Percy Montgomery. I just tnink Wilkinson is the best. And I am just too impressed by Larkham foot playing.
🤴👸💌😎🏇🕺💃
Great players in all sports always seem to have plenty of time and "Bernie" was a great player and a great person as well.
He ran through defence so gracefully like they were never there
Best Fly half I've ever seen to date 2021
1. Dan Carter
2. Stephen Larkham
3. Johnny Wilkinson
Larkham and mortlock were the bane of nz. Very underrated player
Mark Ella might have something to say about that , as good as larkham was.
Agree 100%
Lynagh would be the closest
We're delighted to have him as a coach now. SUAF Munster!
What a great Rugby player. My absolute favorite and my role model. Best #10 Eva. I still remember that drop goal vs Springboks.
Magnificent. Has a massive highlight reel against the best teams, but i guess the Romania/USA stuff is coz this is RWC only. His first game at flyhalf after switching from fullback in 98 was a 76-0 win against England. For those that dont remember, he did have a good placekick game when younger, but major leg injuries in mid-late 90's meant practice was painful and difficult. Plus, Wallabies had other good placekickers so absolutely no need to persist with it. Sublime to watch, especially in big games. Often mesmerizing running with it, but it was his clarity of vision and especially that amazing passing game that i most admired. If i had a choice between picking 1 of Carter or Larkham i would be a v happy man.
Incredible player, used to dream I could run lines like him 😊
As a bok fan seeing that drop goal sail through is still painful to watch. Superhuman effort!
One the greatest fly halfs ever.
He had all the skills, yet his best ones were his flat long passes, still the best I've ever seen, never forward forcing the receiver to run onto the ball keeping the speed on. Did a fantastic run and pass to launch the Wallabies fight back in 2000 Bledisloe Cup in from of nearly 110000 people!
Calm yet so lethal ......such a special and unique player
I liked larkham he had a lot of time on the ball looked like he was destroying teams in slowmo
In the second great moment, the commentator was so clearly shocked by his vision lol.
I’ve seen so many amazing things Bernie has done. This seems a bit of a random assortment of clips. Those tries against Romania? Really the best we could find?
The best handling 10 the Wallabies have ever had; it'd be a tough gig to call between Michael Lynagh and Larkham, both were brilliant.
I'd go with Mark Ella.
They haven't had a great one since him. Was a big reason why that team was successful
Without a doubt!!! Been a thorn in the ABs side for years.
For me the best attacking 10 of all times. Appart for kicking at goal (which other players can do at other positions), he could do anything the other great 10 (Carter, Wilko, Lynagh...) could, and was even better in some departments (passing, breaking the line). For me, he's simply the best 10 of all times, I mean you can just give the kicking duty to someone else.
His sidesteps are the best. And he developed aussies' attacks like nobody else.
Sure he was very good in attacking
I watched him as a kid. One of the GOATs
Ella and Lynagh probably have something to say but Larkham is definitely my favourite Wallaby 10
Man this was a great team and year💙Stephen Larkam🤙🏽
Larkham is actually my favourite player of all time....graceful.
Stephen larkham was a class player,I have to mention Mark Ella here and also Johnathan Davies of the eighties not the present one,these two players were Wizards,their passing and ability to attack and control the back line were the best I've ever seen, David Campese said Mark Ella was the best player that he played with and Wally Lewis said he was the best rugby player he has ever seen, I'll always remember j Davies try against England back in the mid eighties,he seen a gap and accelerated past three English forwards and while doing so he said bye bye to them in Welch,I remember watching mark Ella on the brilliant Australian team when they won the grand slam in 1984,they beat IRL, Scot, Wales,and England,it was the first time the people from this of the world seen the likes of Campo, NF Jones,m lynagh, Roger Gould etc.this was a team of youth and awesome ability,I always liked watching Australian teams from that tour on, Aussies were always a great team run the ball, them and the French team of the seventies and eighties were s joy to watch,so it's mark Ella for me and Johnathan Davies second, and that's coming from an Irish man.
Menudo drop desde el medio del campo contra Sudafrica !!!! Amaizing !!! 👏👏👏👏❤💛❤👏👏👏👏Ohhhhhhh !!!
Michael Lynagh was and is still the best 😄🤘
Yes Chris, I agree, but try telling that to ol' pencil leg's fan boys !!!!!!!!
And he only got the spot because Mark Ella retired !!
Larkham and Spencer were just better than others, great era, great players ...
Gifted runner and a great player of his generation, would have made Fiji 7s i reckon.....and as an ol fella i was in awe of Mark Ella too
Didnt score a lot of points but man he was a classy operator at 10!
He did not kick goals.
He laid on so many tries for other guys, that's what I remember. And his intelligence and vision, and he was languid. Good old Bernie!!!
I bet he scored more tries per game than any other test level #10.
@@hannotn Beauden Barrett is the exception here haha
@@camborocks Yeah, my enthusiasm got the better of me there. Barrett is way ahead in tries per game, but Larkham was an opportunist at creating tries out of nothing. Much like Beaudy I suppose.
Gets my vote as best Wallaby 10, brilliant player though my favourite aussie 10 to watch was Mark Ella.
Its better borrow some footage from SANZAAR. otherwise you wont be able to do justice to this video. Stephen Larkham ran wonderful lines against All Blacks in many bledisloe cup matches and those are the footage you should be uploading when you show this man's brilliance as an all time great attacking fly half.
The best playmaker in the world 💯💯💯💯💯💯
Great player!! We hated him and Gregan in SA
The best looking long pass in rugby history
That drop goal vs South Africa was typical Larkham
In early 2010s it was look like O'Connor can be other Wallabies' greatest N10. He had great both long and short kick, great speed. But due to O'Connor's laziness and addictions, Larkham is definitely greatest Wallabies fly-half.
The golden era of wallabies
Humble playmaker
What about Mark Ella?
When all hope is lost
Give it to Larkham
The Welshest Australian 10
These days, those huge kicks for touch would be 50-22's. Before his time?? Class act!
Dude was like a Ghost on the field.
Larkham wat a LEGEND
Australia's best Flyhalf ever!!!
Hes better than quad cooper
From an all blacks supporter this was my guy that backline will never be this great
The Larkham Run 🏃🏼
I fail to grasp why Larkham isn't talked about as one of the greatest Fly-Halves to play the game, other than his lack of goalkicking, of which there's no rule stating that's the sole job of the Fly-Half.
Did Wilkinson outperform Larkham anywhere other than the boot?
Larkham was deceptively strong, yet was constantly targeted off the ball and with late hits, such was the threat he was to the opposition.
If convention dictates that a Fly-Half must have an elite kicking and placekicking game, then maybe Larkham was not as all-rounded as Carter, Wilkinson, Mehrtens, Lynagh etc but by god he was the most devastating offensively on the run.
Steve was the Darren Lockeyer of League.
The Goat
He was the equivalent of Darren Lockyer....calm and calculating
I'd say Billy Slater, always sneaking up inside lines..
Wallabies? World!
Definately Australia's best 10 at least that I have seen, but this list is not his 10 best moments
Seriously there are a lot better clips! But Larkham is my fav Wallabies 10. But isn’t it so weird seeing competitive Australian rugby running again. They can actually pass the ball more than once and it’s not a knock on
The BEST
Hearing the English always trying to compare Wilkinson to Carter, its easy to say Larkham was at least Wilkinson's equal
4:51
Ref didn't want to check the grounding? Looked super suspect.
How? May have been before the replay to the ref days. In ye olden times, refs mad the decision and that was that.
Daniel Carter is the greatest flyhalf of all time...
That drop goal. Ball in hand, blink and you miss it. Unbelievably quick ball too boot
I think Larkham's long passes were better, he was a more elusive runner (more likely to make a line break) and he was a better tackler. Mark Ella was better at everything else.
Wallabies still havent found a good match to this guy till date, Quade and Barnes got close but messed it up.
Foley
THE ONLY REASON HE EXCISTED WAS BEACAUS OF HENRY HONIBALL
Reminds me of Henry Honiball. Although Honiball was a better defender
aye?
Larkham played fullback before switching to FH and was a great tackler too.
Mark Ella says hi
There are so many Larkham highlights but to claim he is Australias best flyhalf based on actions against weak and sleeping defenses (9, 5, 4, and 2 for sure) does not make a good case.
El Nacho Fernández del rugby
Without a doubt, his clone would bring us closer to the ABs. Quade Cooper not the answer
There are better highlights of Larkham than this. Especially during his Super 12 career with Brumbies.
If he hadn’t been a fool and held Ben Cohen down in the 2003 final he might have steered the Australians to a win.
2 highlights against Romania? Surely they could find some better material
Mark Ella
fijate q no es wilkinson
Lynagh might disagree
He’s obviously a great but highlights against Romania and USA shouldn’t count.
100%
He's better than Michael Lynagh.
Great player, but when I saw to prove his cause you selected his try against Romania, I just quit watching.
When the wallabies were good lols
Do you really think he was within a country mile of Mark Ella? Because I don't think he was even close!!!
I think Larkham's long passes were better, he was a more elusive runner (more likely to make a line break) and he was a better tackler. Ella was better at everything else.
almost as good as quade cooper or even the great james o'connor.
Similiar calibre imo
Is this a joke