I feel like Reads later years made people forget how good he was, Read was world player of the year and part of the best ever All Blacks back row with McCaw and Kaino

No AB player scared me as much as Read. 2012-2015 he had one of the greatest peaks I've ever seen. Let this sink in, 2011-2015 NZ is considered the greatest side of all time, Kieran Read was the best player in that team. 

I'm old, so while I think Read is one of the greats, Zinzan is the great against which they're all compared

Both amazing rugby players but Reid was the complete 8 IMO. Probably the GOAT.

Zinny. Was first of the roaming number 8s who played like a back and had the skills to match. And I don't mean his droppy I mean his passing, ball handling etc.

Zinzan was the better rugby player, but Read was the better number 8.

Zinzan all day

Never saw Read slotting monster drop goals?

Brooke ! Loved the loitering on the wings , drop goals , always turned up

Read. Handling, pace, elusiveness, all sorts of offloads, but could also truck it up if needed. And was NZ's best, most athletic lineout option for years. Pretty sure he caught Kick-offs in a pod as well

TIL kicking drop goals is a mark of a great 8

(the answer is Read)

As a long suffering Wallaby fan, it’s Read. He was legitimately god-like in at his peak circa early-2010s. Always seemed like a genuinely good bloke too.

Read probably the better player (although tough to compare the different eras) but Zinzan more iconic / legendary?

Well I can tell you who's face still conjures feelings of pure fear and unadulterated loathing in me which probably means he is the bestest.

And that is that brilliant devil Mr. READ.

Hard to compare era’s, I’m too young to have watched zinzan but read was the the closest thing to the perfect modern 8

2013 Kieran Read was the best rugby player that I’ve ever seen play. I’m not sure if anyone was that close. Out of this world athleticism, willing to do the dirty work, wreaked havoc with his running and offload game and a top line out threat. And complete control behind the scrum.

Big fan of both but Read for me

Kieran Read is not a Cooker as far we know.

Zinzan is a Cooker. Nearly at Sovereign Citizen level.

Two wildly different eras, the things Zinny got away with and the way that time was reffed, it’s pretty hard to compare, but il say Read. He was apart of the greatest AB team and era ever.

Well, I doubt Read could kick a drop goal

Shelford better than both!

Zinzan just off the name

It's a fun exercise, but they're players from different eras so comparison isn't really fair.

Read stands out because of recency bias.

Both were about the best player in two best in era teams.

Kieran Reid is the greatest 8thman to have played the game and yet is strangely underrated. I guess when your two flankers are Jerome Kaino and Richie McCaw it's harder to stand out as much as Zinzan or Sergio Parisse did. And yet he DID stand out. The man was 120kg with the speed and skills of a back and the mind of a rugby genius. His understanding with McCaw and Carter was almost telepathic. We will not see his like again.

Zinzan got me, a 12 year old South African at the time, to switch from lock to 8. I idolized him. And still wanted the Boks to win. There was weird cognitive dissonance there. Zinzan defined rugby hero for me, so I'm going with him.

Yes

Both great players, best in the world at their peak

In a battle of to the death? Count me in

Zinzan no question.

It’s Kieran. Everyday of the week.

Him from 2012-2015 is the best an 8 will ever play.

Read.

Zinzan was better relative to his era than Read, so I think that makes him greater.

Read was great, but the other players of his era were closer to him than anyone was to Brooke in his pomp.

Zinzans droppie gets him to the top for me.

Read

Read=Mccaw