scaraby
Ron Walden (29)
so we've got Victor and Bakkies as the hot favs for Boks and good debate for Wobs and ABs with Jones being the key and Eales the key for Wobs. How does Eales ,Vickerman rate?...I still think McCall shades him.
Great second row pairings
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My mistake, he didn't look that tall!! It's all relative!
T
Train Without a Station
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Have Dave Dennis and Ben McCalman ever locked together?
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Surely it totally depends on the era. Back in Meads' day, lineouts, and rucks (in particular) were vastly different affairs than they are now. I would argue that a player as good as John Eales, as magnificent as he was in his time, would have struggled a lot in Meads' day, simply because he was not a mongrel.
I would agree that Eales and Giffin were a pretty good combo, as were Eales and McCall. Botha and Matfield would take some beating in any era, however. I would love to have seen Matfield under the old lineout laws, no lifting. I reckon he would have been absolutely unbeatable. And Botha would have been in his element in those days.
I would agree that Eales and Giffin were a pretty good combo, as were Eales and McCall. Botha and Matfield would take some beating in any era, however. I would love to have seen Matfield under the old lineout laws, no lifting. I reckon he would have been absolutely unbeatable. And Botha would have been in his element in those days.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Willie John McBride, the Irish lock (albeit from Northern Ireland) was widely recognised as the best player of the 20th century (in the NH, anyway).
He was a superb athlete, tough and skilfull. He was a champion schoolboy high jumper, incidentally, great vertical leap to go with all his other physical attributes.
Forcefield
Ken Catchpole (46)
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Giffin. Did he play with Vickerman, too? Not sure what is "unique" about the size of this list. Eales was the standout first choice lock for his whole career which lasted for a long time, so it kind of stands to reason that he would have had a few partners.
Brumby Runner
David Wilson (68)
Memory's not as good as it used to be, but did either of Giffin or Harrison play alongside Eales, or had he retired before this duo came on the scene?
I believe the partnership of Whitelock and Retallick will go down as one of the best in rugby history. Both are excellent lineout practitioners but are also very strong around the ground in general play and seem to be solid at scrum time.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Giffin and Eales were our lock partnership at the '99 RWC.......
Without a doubt the best Wallabies locking combination since Eales and McCall........
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Giffin played alongside Vickerman at the Brumbies and Wallabies (pushing Sharpe to the bench for a while).........
The reason Harrison went to the Tahs is because they were the starting locks........
Australia did have a good rotation of locks post Eales with Giffin, Sharpe, Vickerman and Harrison pushing each other for selection.........
Eales would have probably formed a pretty strong locking partnership with George Gregan if he'd had to.
Willie John McBride brings to mind another Irish Lock, Willie Anderson.
When France were playing Ireland in Belfast in 1985, one spectator prepared a banner "Our Willie is bigger than your Condom" (Jean Condom French Secondrower). Classic
Seems the middle part of his career the Meads brothers played second row for NZ. In the latter part of his career it was a SC (Sam) Strahan.
Some of his early tests were at Lock (#8).
http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=601
Second Row Brothers seems to be a big thing with the kiwis.
Whitelocks, Whettons (one was a 6 mostly I think), Meads, Brooke (Zinny was mainly #8).
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