Best League to Union convert
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="584815" data-time="1464863178"><p>
Except he only played less than 10 league games because he was injured all the time. I remember him carving up playing in the Wallaby midfield though.<br><br>
Thorn and Robinson (and Folau) for me of the league to rugby converts. I don't buy the skill set being different means a player's better. Thorn is a greater rugby player than SBW and SBW is still a bloody good rugby player. <br><br>
The absolute worst is Marvin Karawana.</p></blockquote>
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Exactly, so for Gilly to say that means he must have been a very special player. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="584823" data-time="1464865027">
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<p>Paul Deveraux the Welsh centre</p>
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<p>One bloke who never gets mentioned but if you youtube him he was really very good at both codes - Jonathan Davies. </p>
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<p>Played for GB against Aussie when blokes really put the filth in too, but despite being little, he never flinched</p>
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<p>John Devereaux. Good in both codes. One of many who led/joined the exodus from Wales in the 80s</p>
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<p>The centre Alan 'The Clamp' Bateman was better IMHO.</p>
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<p>Welsh Union caps at centre, then Wales & GB league caps, before returning to union for more Wales caps and 1 British Lions cap.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584820" data-time="1464863927">
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<p>Paul Moriarity who played Lock for Swansea and Wales (Union) and Second Row for Widnes, Great Britain and Wales (League) is about the only dual international tight five player I can think of. He scored the match winner try in the 1987 RWC 3rd/4th place off.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moriarty_(rugby'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moriarty_(rugby</a>)</p>
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<p>His son Ross is in the current Wales squad and likely to be selected at blindside flanker in the absence of Dan Lydiate for the tests against the All Blacks.</p>
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<p>Dai Young went OK.</p>
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<p>Wikipedia</p>
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<p>Young played <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union' title="Rugby union">rugby union</a> at club level for <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swansea_RFC' title="Swansea RFC">Swansea</a> and <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_RFC' title="Cardiff RFC">Cardiff</a>. Having not been selected to play for Wales in the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_Rugby_World_Cup' title="1987 Rugby World Cup">1987 Rugby World Cup</a>, Young, then 19, travelled to Australia for the summer to play for <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Suburbs_Rugby_Club' title="Northern Suburbs Rugby Club">Northern Suburbs</a>. When <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Evans' title="Stuart Evans">Stuart Evans</a> broke his foot playing against <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonga' title="Tonga">Tonga</a>, Young was on the right side of the world at the right time and was called up to the Welsh squad. He made his debut for Wales against England in the quarter-finals.</p>
<p>Young played <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league' title="Rugby league">rugby league</a> for <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_Rhinos' title="Leeds Rhinos">Leeds</a> and <a class="" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salford_City_Reds" title="Salford City Reds">Salford</a>. When he moved to Leeds in 1990 his transfer fee was a then world record of £150,000 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £350,000 in 2013).<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Young#cite_note-Measuring_Worth_-_Relative_Value_of_UK_Pounds-1'>[1]</a></sup> He captained Wales in the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Rugby_League_World_Cup' title="1995 Rugby League World Cup">1995 Rugby League World Cup</a>.<sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dai_Young#cite_note-Dai_Young:_On_making_his_Wales_debut_in_the_first_ever_Rugby_World_Cup_against_England_in_the_quarter-finals-2'>[2]</a></sup></p>
<p>Young won 51 caps for the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales_national_rugby_union_team' title="Wales national rugby union team">Wales national rugby union team</a>, a record number for a prop, and three caps for the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_Irish_Lions' title="British and Irish Lions">British Lions</a>. He is the only man to have toured with the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_Irish_Lions' title="British and Irish Lions">British Lions</a> in three separate decades: 1989, 1997 and 2001.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="584833" data-time="1464873112"><p>Dai Young went OK.<br>
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Wikipedia</p></blockquote>
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Dai Young went Union to League to Union as a prop. He's now Director of Rugby at Wasps.<br><br>
The greatest ever League/ Union dual international was Jon Bentley, at least in the opinion of Bentos. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="584834" data-time="1464873272"><p>
Who was that great Welsh centre who played both codes in the 90s?</p></blockquote>
John Devereux? Scott Gibbs? Alan Bateman?<br><br>
Gibbs the best of the three. Car-crash's run through Os Du Randt for the 97 Lions was rather special. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584836" data-time="1464873997">
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<p>John Devereux? Scott Gibbs? Alan Bateman?<br><br>
Gibbs the best of the three. Car-crash's run through Os Du Randt for the 97 Lions was rather special.</p>
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<p>This was better :)</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="584838" data-time="1464878789">
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<p>This was better :)</p>
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<p>Ted was coach of Wales at the time, Woodward the coach of England. :)</p>
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<p>Denied England the Grand Slam.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="584496" data-time="1464753240">
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<p>The skill step he bought was the off load, that whilst used in rugby before was a truly a leap above what union had seen before.</p>
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<p>Really?</p>
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<p>I've got an old copy of Terry McLean's <em>Willie Away </em>book of the 1963-4 AB tour. In it, McLean talks of players ability to pass the ball out of the back of their hands - even while being tackled. Mind you, that was the tour where prop forwards dropped goals from 40m and sold outrageous dummys...</p>
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<p>A pic is attached.</p> -
<p>I remember the Welsh scored a try against Scotland and the commentator went "League, League, League" as Gibbs, Bateman and Quinnell handled. It was the mid 90s and I think the gap between league players being bigger and stronger was a huge factor ( not now, they'd be even keel as athletes )</p>
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<p>Alan Tait from Scotland did the Union-league-Union switch and formed an awesome midfield with John Leslie on his return. His nickname when he went to league the first time was "pidge" as in pidgeon chest because he was so poor at the strength testing. He rectified that though, he was a great tackle buster on his return.</p>
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<p>Gibbs and Bateman were great to watch, neither very tall but so solid and strong. Quinnell was awesome too. Fucken bulldozer....</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="584838" data-time="1464878789"><p>This was better :)<br>
"></a></p></blockquote>
<br><a class="bbc_url" href="
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It's well known that footage was faked, like the Apollo landings. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Victor Meldrew" data-cid="584847" data-time="1464897481">
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<p>Really?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've got an old copy of Terry McLean's <em>Willie Away </em>book of the 1963-4 AB tour. In it, McLean talks of players ability to pass the ball out of the back of their hands - even while being tackled. Mind you, that was the tour where prop forwards dropped goals from 40m and sold outrageous dummys...</p>
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<p>A pic is attached.</p>
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<p>great book</p>
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<p>Also, Scott Gibbs was awesome, one of my favourite players ever</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="584859" data-time="1464904215">
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<p> </p>
<p>Alan Tait from Scotland did the Union-league-Union switch and formed an awesome midfield with John Leslie on his return. His nickname when he went to league the first time was "pidge" as in pidgeon chest because he was so poor at the strength testing. He rectified that though, he was a great tackle buster on his return.</p>
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<p> Am I right in thinking he was the only player other than Canada's Gareth Rees to play in both the 1987 and 1999 RWCs? </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="584880" data-time="1464911845">
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<p> Am I right in thinking he was the only player other than Canada's Gareth Rees to play in both the 1987 and 1999 RWCs? </p>
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<p>I don't know the answer to that, but it does lead into a thought I had the other day - that quite a few RWC 2003 ABs made it to RWC 2015, but we're already shorn of all RWC 2007 ABs. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="584880" data-time="1464911845">
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<p> Am I right in thinking he was the only player other than Canada's Gareth Rees to play in both the 1987 and 1999 RWCs? </p>
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<p>Yeah I reckon you could be, he was a replacement in the 87 cup. Also played for the Lions in 97 with fellow hard running cross coders Gibbs, Bateman and Bentley.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="584880" data-time="1464911845">
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<p> Am I right in thinking he was the only player other than Canada's Gareth Rees to play in both the 1987 and 1999 RWCs? </p>
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<p>Rees is the only player to participate in the first 4 RWCs - an impressive record in the amateur era. Plenty of others have played in 4 consecutive RWCs since. It would be interesting to know if any player is a chance for 5 RWCs in a row.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="584911" data-time="1464919065">
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<p>Rees is the only player to participate in the first 4 RWCs - an impressive record in the amateur era. Plenty of others have played in 4 consecutive RWCs since. It would be interesting to know if any player is a chance for <strong>5 RWCs in a row.</strong></p>
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<p>Brian Lima was first to do it as well as putting in the most overrated big hit of all fucken time.</p>
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<p>Mauro Bergamasco did too.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="584911" data-time="1464919065">
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<p>Rees is the only player to participate in the first 4 RWCs - an impressive record in the amateur era. Plenty of others have played in 4 consecutive RWCs since. It would be interesting to know if any player is a chance for 5 RWCs in a row.</p>
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<p>Not sure if there are any.</p>
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<p>Given Nonu was mentioned earlier in the thread, have there been any other ABs that have made a RWC (2003) then dropped for the next one (2007) and then played the next two (2011 and 2015)?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="584820" data-time="1464863927"><p>
Paul Moriarity who played Lock for Swansea and Wales (Union) and Second Row for Widnes, Great Britain and Wales (League) is about the only dual international tight five player I can think of. He scored the match winner try in the 1987 RWC 3rd/4th place off.<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moriarty_(rugby">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moriarty_(rugby</a>)<br><br>
His son Ross is in the current Wales squad and likely to be selected at blindside flanker in the absence of Dan Lydiate for the tests against the All Blacks.</p></blockquote>
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Paul Moriarty was a loose forward , a 6 or 8, to my recollection (even if his wiki profile says second row, obviously written by a leaguie).<br><br>
His brother Richard was a lock. -
