Rugby Freaks
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George Smith is as close to a complete rugby player as I've seen as well.
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@taniwharugby said in Rugby Freaks:
@majorrage I'd go Pierre Spies, that dude was a freakish athlete, although never really fulfilled the potential
He was a freakish athlete, no question, but he was a bit soft at the very top level. Not sure why, had all the attributes.
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Campese was also a freak player.His pace, goose step ability to size up situations was impressive.He could also kick goals and had a big boot on him.He was at another level at wing the first few years of his career, he made our wingers look pedestrian when he first came on to the international scene.
Pity he was such a tosser. -
@chris said in Rugby Freaks:
Campese was also a freak player.His pace, goose step ability to size up situations was impressive.He could also kick goals and had a big boot on him.He was at another level at wing the first few years of his career, he made our wingers look pedestrian when he first came on to the international scene.
Pity he was such a tosser.No need for past tense there. Nothings changed on the few times I've met him.
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@majorrage said in Rugby Freaks:
@chris said in Rugby Freaks:
Campese was also a freak player.His pace, goose step ability to size up situations was impressive.He could also kick goals and had a big boot on him.He was at another level at wing the first few years of his career, he made our wingers look pedestrian when he first came on to the international scene.
Pity he was such a tosser.No need for past tense there. Nothings changed on the few times I've met him.
Even though I have never met him I am not surprised.
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@majorrage said in Rugby Freaks:
Skinstad was something else when he first came on the scene.
Andrew Walker probably the most natural runner Iāve seen on a rugby field.
Walker was in a class above, he played on instinct which he had in spades - simply exceptional. He was a beautifully balanced runner, similar to Jason Little, could step and swerve and find his way through openings which simply did not exist! He had splendid natural ability, reminiscent of Mark Ella.
He battled the grog, went on benders and Eddie Jones never stopped caring for him and responding whenever his wife called for help. He did it for Walker's welfare, not to enhance his own Brumbies and Wallabies record. He was finding Andrew work in league, using his vast network, long after he left rugby.
Eddie once left a Wallaby camp at Coffs Harbour to go down south looking for him when he went walkabout. He understood the phenomenon - he grew up with the La Perouse locals, went to Matraville High with the Ellas and Lloyd Walker - and he demonstrated outstanding ability to work with it. He's an easy mark for the big mouths who know not much, Eddie, yet he has a long history of going well beyond the ordinary fellow in his efforts for his fellow man.
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Lots of great players being touted here, but we're supposed to be talking about freaks.
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@victor-meldrew said in Rugby Freaks:
@arhs said in Rugby Freaks:
Cullen Campo J van der Westhuizen Serevi Hugo Porta would be my top 5.
Good call
Hugo Porta, certainly, we saw him do some wondrous things with consummate ease in the '87 World Cup - taking a ball at Concord near halfway, on the sideline in front of the stand. He glanced at the advancing defence and nonchalantly dropped the ball over for three points - just couldn't be bothered expending energy unnecessarily. His left winger, RAF Flying Officer Rory Underwood turned to the crowd and gestured, palms up, as if to say "Is there anything this genius cannot do?"
Hugo was appointed Ambassador to South Africa and later became a Minister in the Argentine government.
David Campese was simply the best, talented, quick, creative and focused. He epitomised excellence, and led the way for players to earn good money in Europe before the game turned professional.
He cops criticism from lesser men and I doubt he hears it because he has always been a bit busy being successful. He is not at all friendly.
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Your Zinzan Brooke was special - splendid, especially capable, a joy to watch. He ran like a centre holding the ball out in front and was a punishing tackler.
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@catogrande said in Rugby Freaks:
Lots of great players being touted here, but we're supposed to be talking about freaks.
So you will throw your boot at the screen if I mention Tony Woodcock or Greg Somerville ... Anton Oliver?
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@machpants said in Rugby Freaks:
Pocock was a freak in the jackal, best player in the world ever at that imo. Not much else, but fuck me the penalties/turn overs he created from nothing. So good at it, ABs made their forwards tactics around running directly at him to nullify him.
Yeah see I can't really get behind that eh - all he did was look for a jackal - to the detriment of pretty much every other factor of his game at times. I don't see it as anything that can't be pretty much replicated by any other half decent player if they shelve every other aspect too.
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@mick-gold-coast-qld said in Rugby Freaks:
Hugo Porta, certainly, we saw him do some wondrous things with consummate ease in the '87 World Cup - taking a ball at Concord near halfway, on the sideline in front of the stand. He glanced at the advancing defence and nonchalantly dropped the ball over for three points - just couldn't be bothered expending energy unnecessarily. His left winger, RAF Flying Officer Rory Underwood turned to the crowd and gestured, palms up, as if to say "Is there anything this genius cannot do?"
Saw him play way back in '78 or '79 in the UK (Cardiff I think). Took the ball from the half-back on the half-way line, ran laterally towards the middle of the park, did a 90 degree left turn and simply outpaced everyone to score.
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@catogrande said in Rugby Freaks:
Rupeni and Lomu are the stand outs. Cullen great player, amazingly quick, ran great lines but not in the same league of freakishness for me. Iād say Blanco an honourable third.
Funny I watched Cullen as he was coming through the college ranks etc and thouht he was pretty good, , but kind of familiarity thing didn't really think he that great until I saw him as a 16yo play for the Nua against Northern Transvaal, try he scored I just went f*** me he really is a bit of a freak. I got told by kids that played against him at 1st XV he was special, and my own son when he played him in club rugby was shaking his head at things he did. Funny was similar to what some of the young fellas at the local college said after playing against Lomu in a 7s tournament, just didn't know how they did some of the things they did.
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I didnāt see a lot of Cullen in his prime but I have to admit his highlight reels are pretty special. I guess what I mean is that as special a player as he was there didnāt seem to me to be that thing that said āno one else could do thatā. I actually think he was a pretty complete rugby player and maybe the best full back Iāve seen. But the Rupenis, Lomus, Blancos of this world, did other worldly stuff.
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@catogrande said in Rugby Freaks:
I didnāt see a lot of Cullen in his prime but I have to admit his highlight reels are pretty special. I guess what I mean is that as special a player as he was there didnāt seem to me to be that thing that said āno one else could do thatā. I actually think he was a pretty complete rugby player and maybe the best full back Iāve seen. But the Rupenis, Lomus, Blancos of this world, did other worldly stuff.
You're a hard marker.
Give a peak Cullen the modern jerseys and he might never get tackled.
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@dice said in Rugby Freaks:
@catogrande said in Rugby Freaks:
I didnāt see a lot of Cullen in his prime but I have to admit his highlight reels are pretty special. I guess what I mean is that as special a player as he was there didnāt seem to me to be that thing that said āno one else could do thatā. I actually think he was a pretty complete rugby player and maybe the best full back Iāve seen. But the Rupenis, Lomus, Blancos of this world, did other worldly stuff.
You're a hard marker.
Give a peak Cullen the modern jerseys and he might never get tackled.
Not only was Cullen brilliant on attack, he was brave and capable in defence, and he was quite small relative to Lomu and Rupeni. He and Lomu were probably the two best I have ever seen
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@dice said in Rugby Freaks:
@catogrande said in Rugby Freaks:
I didnāt see a lot of Cullen in his prime but I have to admit his highlight reels are pretty special. I guess what I mean is that as special a player as he was there didnāt seem to me to be that thing that said āno one else could do thatā. I actually think he was a pretty complete rugby player and maybe the best full back Iāve seen. But the Rupenis, Lomus, Blancos of this world, did other worldly stuff.
You're a hard marker.
Give a peak Cullen the modern jerseys and he might never get tackled.
He seemed particularly unstoppable against the Jocks!
