What position did you play?
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@antipodean said in What position did you play?:
@MN5 said in What position did you play?:
One of their bowlers went for about 40 in an over as he very kindly and unintentionally bowled very slow full tosses.
I once got a guy out seven times in an over. Six of them bowled. He couldn't play in-swingers.
weren't they six ball overs in indoor ?
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@MN5 Eight.
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@antipodean said in What position did you play?:
@MN5 Eight.
Yeah that rings a bell now you mention it. In our biggest win every partnership topped 60, our "closers" managed to get 80 odd. Easier off 8 ball overs of course.
Whilst they're not as hard as cricket balls the balls they use still smart a bit when a pace bowler hits you in the nuts.
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A tall openside until 32, when my pace fell of a cliff. Then the last 2 years as a short lock.
I really miss it.
I did play in every position from 4 to 15 (except 10) for our prem side at some point.
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As the weedy smart mouth kid at school I was used to running fast to avoid beatings (usually throwing comments over my shoulder at the time). You'd think that would make me a halfback but a severe lack of skills resulted in a few attempts at wing instead. I can even claim a handful of games for my school 1st XV (well before they actually put resources into the school rugby and it became a 'TV level' school.
Became an armchair expert for ages but as my boy grew up and I became involved in trying to coach him some skills, my own skills developed. Amazing what hours of passing and kicking with the kids can do.
Decided to get some boots and have another crack in my very late 30s when we were in Oz. Did pre-season training and was put on the wing for 4th grade. Then I discovered that 4th grade in Canberra was where all the failed league boys played to learn skills and getting smashed by someone 20 years your junior isn't fun.
Found the wonderful setup that is ACT Veterans (as @antipodean can attest) and had great fun for 4 years playing mainly fullback and wing but also 10. Dependeded on who showed up. Had some pace still and could beat other oldies on the outside. -
I didn’t have a clue what to do so was shunted to the wing. I was quite quick and stayed there for mostly my entire union life. I had the odd game at FB and as an open side when I got fat. My last games were at wing. Would give anything for a new left Achilles so that I could have a go out on the wing one more time. Even if it was to put a chip n chase out on the full, like I did almost every game of my life.
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@pakman said in What position did you play?:
LH or TH?
TH.
Good in scrums, raised in a rugby free zone, no clue what was happening around the field. PLayed a couple of seasons, didn't love it. Found rugby on TV in my late teens and got hooked, but only played socially from time to time (and then the body regretted it).
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Wing/fullback. I was tiny at school, like the smallest 3rd former at Napier Boys High, so was very much in the Grant Batty school of speedy little guy with a big sidestep. Then at 15 I blew out my knee really badly, and that was it for contact sports for me.
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@African-Monkey said in What position did you play?:
@nzzp Haha yeah was expecting replies like that. I have no reason to lie about it but it is my training week. My theory on doing well in marathons is that if you can do the distance with ease, then the pace will follow (as well as keeping your weight down). My goal is to do a sub 3 hour marathon. 3 hours 10 is my best time so I still have a bit of work to do but yeah, that is my training.
We don't take kindly to that level of overachieving around here...
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@Stockcar86 said in What position did you play?:
Wing/fullback. I was tiny at school, like the smallest 3rd former at Napier Boys High, so was very much in the Grant Batty school of speedy little guy with a big sidestep. Then at 15 I blew out my knee really badly, and that was it for contact sports for me.
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As a little kid, I started at halfback because I was the smallest player in the team. A few years later, I was the first to get a growth spurt and managed to convince the coach to move me to the outside backs, because I had quite a bit of pace and I didn't like playing at halfback. I mostly played at fullback, but also on the wing.
Then we moved to the Netherlands and there was no rugby club to find in our area at the time, so I played football, mostly as a striker. I also did a fair bit of ice speed skating in Winter and swimming and road cycling in Summer.
When I was 16, we moved to France, where I started playing rugby again, mostly at fullback or first five. I moved back to the Netherlands to go to Uni, played rugby (fullback & first five) and sevens, even got some interest from national coaches and ... then I made the mistake of going on holiday to England.
In England, an idiot thought it was a good idea to ignore a red light, hit me with his car while I was crossing a street and I ended up in hospital with multiple broken bones, a skull fracture and spinal damage. That took a long time to heal, and I tried getting back into rugby a few years later, but other health problems forced me to abandon rugby completely and take up non-contact sports (which I still do back in NZ).
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@mariner4life Yeah don't worry I cop plenty from workmates, familyand other friends as to how slow I am and why I waste my time doing it haha. I quite enjoy the banter tbh.
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Prop at primary school (fat kid), second five at intermediate (loved playing there, get to do everything, run, pass, kick). Early teens growth spurt, no longer chunky, tall and lanky, and school high jump record holder (wasn't much good at anything else), so moved to lock (no lifting in those days so lineouts were my thing). Didn't like lock much and still enjoyed more running ball in hand so moved myself to 8 when they made me captain. Complete abuse of power.
Enjoyed it there and stayed. Gave up rugby at uni and kinda wish that I hadn't. A few more years would have been good but, life, work, and women got in the way. Looking back I enjoyed the latter more than rugby I guess. No regerts.
Nice that we can now accurately pigeon hole everybody into our preconceived ideas of who they are and where they would have played. The half backs were obvious anyway.
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@Snowy said in What position did you play?:
Didn't like lock much and still enjoyed more running ball in hand so moved myself to 8 when they made me captain. Complete abuse of power.
I always wanted to be an 8.
And I could have been good too, aside from the lack of athleticism, speed, ball skills and mongrel.
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@Stargazer whoah!
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@Stargazer fuck!
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I played one game at 8 for Prem reserves as a warm up back into prems after an injury. I loved it. Halfback was real Angy at me as I kept on 'pick and go-ing'
Rest of time was at lock/halfback/wing
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@Stargazer Jesus Christ.
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@Hooroo said in What position did you play?:
I played one game at 8 for Prem reserves as a warm up back into prems after an injury. I loved it. Halfback was real Angy at me as I kept on 'pick and go-ing'
Rest of time was at lock/halfback/wing
Natural movement of positions!
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Funny that this thread comes up, and Facebook reminds me it's 9 years today since I played my last competitive game
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@mariner4life said in What position did you play?:
Funny that this thread comes up, and Facebook reminds me it's 9 years today since I played my last competitive game
Definitely in the 'back in my day' category then
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@Crucial said in What position did you play?:
@mariner4life said in What position did you play?:
Funny that this thread comes up, and Facebook reminds me it's 9 years today since I played my last competitive game
Definitely in the 'back in my day' category then
Definitely
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@mariner4life until I killed off FB I was always tempted to join the golden oldies crew that a lot of my ex team mates are in. But then I think about how much I enjoy not being injured and getting match fit... pffft ain't nobody got time for that. Still get a surge of adrenaline watching rugby and league though - especially for a big hit or a sick play.
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@Paekakboyz I just play over 40s touch.
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@Magic65 said in What position did you play?:
@nzzp had to be a TH with that pic😀
Olo Brown. Dead. Set. Legend. Interestingly first AB prop to hit 50 tests.
Straightest back in the game.
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@mariner4life more than 40 seconds of touching!! Fucking stud!
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@Magic65 said in What position did you play?:
@nzzp went up against him in his first year at Ponies. Preferred TH but was loose that day. Couldn't buckle the 19yr old straight outta MAGs.
Great story! How old were you then (dare I ask)?
My mother in law taught him at kindy ... no making prop jokes please
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@nzzp was 22/23 at the time. Olo had alot of press about him in his last year at college. So I was rapt to have a crack. Was written up as a monster so I was surprised he was same size as me-5'11 17 odd stone. An absolute rock at scrum time.
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I played everywhere in the backline.
Was fullback in my younger days, then moved to mainly to 9, but also a fair bit at 12.
Also played 1 game at hooker - lineouts were easy, but FUCK scrummaging.
Went out on top last year, winning the final whilehobbling around one good ankle. Just call me Richie.
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I currently play prop,Hooker,Loosie and F knows why lock I’m only 1.82 and also surprisingly Wing as I been told I’m the fastest in the team but being the good forward I am I’m absolutely lost in the backline in terms of positioning 😂
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@pakman said in What position did you play?:
I'd let them have outside and come in low side on.
Hah. In my first year out of school I was playing senior 3 I think, so it was a lot of church teams and stuff. I would've been lucky to be 70 kilos so become used to being at fullback and guys running straight at and usually over me. That's how I eventually learnt to hit hard.
One time I decided to plant my feet early and look scared, then basically as soon as they'd straightened and thought I was easy pickings I'd take off directly at them. Worked a fucken treat and became my thing 😬
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At Primary school had a promising career at lock coz I was the tallest kid in the class but before I could become the next Pinetree we shifted to a non rugby area and I ended up playing two years of league and then three of soccer as that's what all my mates played.
Fortunately my parents divorced and we moved back to the Shore where I specialised as a non-kicking, non-passing 2/5 because I was big. Tactically most of our plays revolved around me taking it up. I was a rugby god. It worked really well until we started crossing the bridge and I found out that what passed for big amongst the little white boys at my school made you a midget facing the poly's from South Auckland. It did lead to my passing skills improving out of sight though.
Beer and girls curtailed my career until I ended up in Holland where I mostly played as a very slow, non-catching, non-tackling 14. Truth be told I specialised mainly in the after match.
Finally a few years later I got roped into two seasons in London for a social side back where I started - as a lock. Mainly because I didn't want to freeze my balls off in the backline who never saw the ball more than once a game. Our idea of spin it wide was giving it to the half back. I did learn to appreciate the rolling maul as a great way to avoid hypothermia in an English February.
Finally gave it away when someone tried to take my eye out which I decided wasn't very social.
Still available for selection although to be honest I have slowed down a lot since my days in Holland. Still good at the after match though.
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Halfback. I was a cross between Justin Marshall (i.e. good hair) and Sid Going (i.e. we both came from Northland). Other than those points there was nothing else in my game that was reminiscent of any All Blacks.
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@JC said in What position did you play?:
Halfback. I was a cross between Justin Marshall (i.e. good hair) and Sid Going (i.e. we both came from Northland). Other than those points there was nothing else in my game that was reminiscent of any All Blacks.
JP rhymes with JC?
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@Bones said in What position did you play?:
@JC said in What position did you play?:
Halfback. I was a cross between Justin Marshall (i.e. good hair) and Sid Going (i.e. we both came from Northland). Other than those points there was nothing else in my game that was reminiscent of any All Blacks.
JP rhymes with JC?
Believe me, I’ve clutched at all those straws 😞
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One theme that runs all through this thread is the number of positions we’ve all played. I believe there is a correlation along the lines of: more positions played = the shittier you are at rugby.
To back this up I can tell you that whilst I spent most of my “career” in the back row, I have played every position barring 2 and 9. Case proven.
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