George Smith

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="579134" data-time="1463050072">
<div>
If there was one player and one player only that I (being the guru of rugby talent judging that I am) felt even for a brief moment could be in consideration for being momentarily everso slightly as good and maybe not worse than Richie McCaw it was George Smith. 
I think he suffered from the NSW obsession with Phil Waugh who was a much lesser player and the need for the Wobs to pander to the NSW media to include him. They were IMO (refer guru statement above) not as good playing Smith and Waugh together and should have just picked the better player (much the same as Pooper).
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I tend to agree with all of that. The only games where you could actually entertain a debate about if McCaw was outplayed by his opposite was Smith - and perhaps Brussow in those 2009 match ups, although it was a very different stylistic match up and a unique period.
 
Smith was certainly a more complete loosie, and to be honest he probably eclipses Greegan/Larkham to be the best Brumbie for me. He is probably underrated by the Aussie media because during a majority of a his tenure he was unflattering compared to Waugh, when the conversation should have been comparing him to McCaw, at least in the early days.
 
Not sure what it says about the competition where a 35 year old is MVP though.

Gary

Do you have the right smith - George would just be 6 foot in boots let alone 6'3"or 6'4" - maybe he wears high heals when he goes out

Gary

Do you have the right smith - George would just be 6 foot in boots let alone 6'3"or 6'4" - maybe he wears high heals when he goes out

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Gary" data-cid="579168" data-time="1463068246">
<div>
Do you have the right smith - George would just be 6 foot in boots let alone 6'3"or 6'4" - maybe he wears high heals when he goes out
</div>
</blockquote>
<img src="http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Richie+Mccaw+George+Smith+Blacks+Captain+Run+x5lqAGWUWcil.jpg" alt="Richie+Mccaw+George+Smith+Blacks+Captain">
 
McCaw is what? 6 foot 2? He clearly has a few inches on him - you seem on the money.

sparky

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="579080" data-time="1463039793">
<div>
Wins the uk players player of the year. At 35.
 
That's outstanding. 
 
I do find it amazing that he was only once nominated for the IRB player of the year, and a shame he retired from international rugby much earlier than he needed to. 
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Richie McCaw, who clearly knows a thing or two about playing Openside Flanker to say the least, said that George Smith was the best Test 7 he played against.
 
I've never got the hype about Pocock at all. Pocock is the most over-hyped Rugby player of all time in my opinion. George Smith was the only Wallaby 7 who I wish had chosen to play for New Zealand.

jegga

Does anyone remember seeing this guy play? My old man said he was outstanding the few times he saw him play <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www2.rugby.com.au/wallabies/TheTeam/WallabyHallofFame/GregDavis.aspx'>http://www2.rugby.com.au/wallabies/TheTeam/WallabyHallofFame/GregDavis.aspx</a>

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="579111" data-time="1463046335">
<div>
Deans wanted to start Pocock
</div>
</blockquote>

Deans didn't take Giteau to a world cup either, and helped to drop Cullen for Blair.
 
I'll hold me a grudge if I have to.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SidBarret" data-cid="579164" data-time="1463067072">
<div>
He was unit back in the day. Ended up in the same bar as the Brumbies squad in 2004 or 2005. Recognised some of the frontrankers and they were tiny but Smith was seriously big, a little taller than you would expect (i'm 6'2" and he has an inch or two on me) and broad as a shit house.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Everyone looks tall when you're lying flat on your back pissed....either that or you and Canes4life need to go and learn the metric system properly....or in actual fact Eales/Harrison/Sharpe etc were all over 7 foot tall.....
 
I don't think anyone who gets 111 caps for his country can be anything close to "unsung" though, Richie was a bit better that's all.

Crucial

I'm wondering if he was confusing Smith with Ogre Finnegan (who was still around back then), although you'd think the lack of dreads would have given it away.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="579195" data-time="1463089622">
<div>
I'm wondering if he was confusing Smith with Ogre Finnegan (who was still around back then), although you'd think the lack of dreads would have given it away.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
.....and the complexion and the fact they look nothing alike and the moons that would have surrounded Finegans giant Melon......

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="579166" data-time="1463068186">
<div>
....
Not sure what it says about the competition where a 35 year old is MVP though.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
And yet, and yet, if Brad Thorn had won the S15/16/whatever MVP at age 39 there would be plenty on here frapping themselves over it.

nzzp

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="579197" data-time="1463089873">
<div>
.....and the complexion and the fact they look nothing alike and the moons that would have surrounded Finegans giant Melon......
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Fark, I love Owen Finegan. Thinking of a quality player like that reminds you just how deadly the Wobbles were back then, and how they don't seem to have produced the forwards since.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="nzzp" data-cid="579206" data-time="1463092215">
<div>
Fark, I love Owen Finegan. Thinking of a quality player like that reminds you just how deadly the Wobbles were back then, and how they don't seem to have produced the forwards since.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Yeah him, Smith and Kefu were some trio weren't they ? I remember thinking Flavell, Randell ( there was the problem, no real 7 ) and Cribb would be more than a match for them.
 
I was wrong.
 
The Brumbies were always compulsory viewing back in those days too and Finegan and Smith played a huge part in that.

mariner4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SidBarret" data-cid="579164" data-time="1463067072">
<div>
He was unit back in the day. Ended up in the same bar as the Brumbies squad in 2004 or 2005. Recognised some of the frontrankers and they were tiny but Smith was seriously big, a little taller than you would expect (i'm 6'2" and he has an inch or two on me) and broad as a shit house.
</div>
</blockquote>
i think you had too much to drink. I too had beers with him and a few other Brumbies once in Wellington, i'm also 6'2, and he was considerably shorter than me. Wiki has him at 1.8 which might even be a bit generous.
 
Phenomenal player. I remember watching he debut for the Brumbies and thinking "shit, they've got a good one here". Great over the ball, great instincts, great running game, and all-round rugby skill (his passing was excellent, and i remember a few very good little grubber kicks for Brumbies tries as well).

MN5

Since the dawn of time Rugby programs have always made skinny guys more bulky ( Ian Jones, Norm Maxwell ), short guys more tall ( George Smith, Ardie Savea ) and fat guys lighter ( Sione Lauaki, Bill Cavubati ). There's also people who jump on forums to further spread this propaganda. It's not like boxing, they don't have weigh ins before the match.

MajorRage

I don't even know if I'd call McCaw a better player than him. If you take out McCaw's leadership of the All Blacks, I'm not convinced I can honestly say that he was a better out and out 7 than George Smith.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="579234" data-time="1463097393">
<div>
I don't even know if I'd call McCaw a better player than him. If you take out McCaw's leadership of the All Blacks, I'm not convinced I can honestly say that he was a better out and out 7 than George Smith.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
He's probably a better pilot than McCaw too.

taniwharugby

I recall hearing that Junior Tonu'u was listed as being about 10kg lighter than he actually was.
 
Is an odd thing, some players who look huge/small on TV and then you stand close to them and they look huger/smaller than you expected.

MN5

That lock for South Africa ( now coach ) Johan Ackermann would be the biggest fucker I ever walked past. How Kamo and R Brooke survived playing against him I'll never know.

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="579234" data-time="1463097393">
<div>
I don't even know if I'd call McCaw a better player than him. If you take out McCaw's leadership of the All Blacks, I'm not convinced I can honestly say that he was a better out and out 7 than George Smith.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I think if you weight Super Rugby performances the same as tests you can at least make an argument like that without being laughed out of the room (similar story with Pocock). But make no mistake McCaw was still McCaw by mid-2005. The Aussie comms would bleat, he already had the cheat moniker etc etc. EOYT 06 when he won the IRB player of the year is the absolute latest you could argue after one pretty standard year of captaincy (compared to Slam/Lions the year before under Umaga).
 
Smith I recall being possibly the better pilferer, but I remember him at his peak as a pilferer with the Brumbies in Super Rugby where the jackal is much more effective. I don't ever remember him turning a test against us with his ruck play - and he played us a lot. That said he was always one of the top 5 Wallabies on the park come Bledisloe time. McCaw's motor at test level and ability to get through work is several lightyears above anyone else I've seen. Pick an AB test at random from the past 12 years and see who tops the tackle and carry counts - McCaw every time.

The Silver Fern

George Smith