The Front Rowers Club

[rugbywhisperer]

Don't know where else to put this but it is proceless.

Came across this today on another chat site - I will admit it - stole it but i'ts too good to miss.
....thought you guys would like it...

It is based on the famous court-room scene in A Few Good Men, in which Colonel Jessup, in the person of Jack Nicholson, gives his thundering oration from the dock to Lieutenant Kaffee (Tom Cruise), justifying Marine atrocities. Now, though, it is a prop forward giving a namby-pamby winger the rounds of the kitchen.

"Son, in this world there are scrums. And in those scrums you need props. Are you willing to do it? As a prop, I have more responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You use words like `drunk` and `out of shape`; those words are the very backbone of a life I spent drinking and partying in, and you use them as a punchline. You weep for your wingers and centres, and you curse the prop forward. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that the front row, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, wins these games you play. Truth? You can`t handle the truth, because deep down in places you don`t talk about in your selection meetings, you want me in that scrum; you need me in that scrum. I neither have the time nor inclination to explain myself to a back who scores under the very blanket of ball retention that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just bought me a beer and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you crawl into that scrum and get dirty. Either way, I DON`T GIVE A DAMN who you think is responsible!!!!"

 

[naza]

Seen it. It makes me sad to think NTA has given up his front row dreams.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Seen it. It makes me sad to think NTA has given up his front row dreams.

generally 'other' players have no idea how good it is 'up there'.
It's the only position where you are in direct physical competition against your opponent on a regular basis.
Should stop mow in case others get interested.

 

[Sully]

Played everywhere in the tight 5 except hooker Even played on the wing in primary school Nothing compares to Propping!

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Played everywhere in the tight 5 except hooker Even played on the wing in primary school Nothing compares to Propping!

Similar, played every position but 9 and 2 and there is NO comparison.

 

[Aussie D]

I've played every position on the field bar 9 and 10. Loved prop the most though, especially when my fellow front rowers were of a similar size (I hated it when I had to pack alongside shorter frontrowers).

 

[TOCC]

ive played everywhere except 9, 10 and 15.. i was a prop in highschool and colts but ive since become a blindside/no.8

Yes i also agree, nothing compares to been a prop. As a back you always have the possibility of been embarrased by your opposite number stepping you, fending you or just running around you, but you can still hide those flaws as a back. As a prop, you will be exposed for what you are.

I was a bit of a lightweight as a prop, but i had excellent technique, i got coached by Dan Crowley and '2008 QLD Coach of the year Pat Richards'. I loved playing against the bigger props, i use to have a trick where i would drop the shoulder and get my head pushing up right into his sternum.. Man, that shit hurts so dam bloody much, i actually learnt the trick the hard way off another prop.

It always used to make me smile as well when you would take your jersey off after the game and have lines and bruising on your shoulders, ahh i miss been a prop.

 

[Sully]

Well you're only a dozen or so pies a week from your ultimate playing weight! I say go for it! The ladies love it!

 

[cyclopath]

Well you're only a dozen or so pies a week from your ultimate playing weight! I say go for it! The ladies love it!

None left on the East coast - remember Dunning is rehabilitating from an injury!

 

[Pfitzy]

Seen it. It makes me sad to think NTA has given up his front row dreams.

I have not. Should the club get a 3rd Grade up, the dream will continue. Once I see a podiatrist...

 

[RugbyReg]

My dad likes to tell the story of planning my career as a 5 year old. Dad was a first grade coach at the time and had all sorts of ideas. He'd take me down to play for the Western Bulldogs and suggest I play fullback. I'd get plenty of chance to run with the ball, understand the game from watching at the back, learn the lines and angles of running rugby. From then I'd be moved into the centres, around the age of 7 or 8. From there it would be more about beating the man one on one and linking with my team mates, as well as working on my front of defensive work.

A couple of years after that (around 10), I'd move into 10 to further develop my ball making and decision making skills. Learn how to implement and manage a game plan. To take control of the match. Then, around 13, I'd be moved into the backrow to start with the physicality side of things. Maintaining the ball skills and running ability I had developed, I'd then have more experience in manning up and obviously learning more about rucks, mauls and ball winning on the ground. At around 15 I'd move into the lock (2nd row) position as I physically start to mature. Now I'd be learning the tight game more, beginning to dominate my opposition number with brawn whilst maintaining my brain and ball skills. Then around the time I moved into club football, around 18, I'd be ready to make the move to front row having gained a excellent grasp of the game of rugby and be the perfect 'future/modern day' prop. Hard, physical, abrasive, skilled, fast, smart. It was a great plan and one that was not without a great deal of thought and planning.

So we turn up for training and the coach looks at me, a slight buldge in the middle of my jersey, and says "Ok, you play prop"!

And that was that. 13 years of planning circumvented by stereotyping!!!

So I played prop pretty much my whole career. I was always a prop. I had time at hooker, lock, flanker (rarely), no 8 and even filled in as a Lloyd Walker-esque centre (both in and out) a few times. But I always consider myself a prop. A Tight Head one, with "3" being my 'lucky' number.

 

[formeropenside]

As a schoolboy I was an backrower, with stints at 6,7 and 8 (although in those days it was often left and right breakaways rather than open and blind). I spent the odd match in the second row, and an occasional run on the wing or halfback.

Moving on to Colts, Subbies and University rugby, I moved to hooker as a rule, although I twice played tighthead prop (at under 80kg!) since no one else could or would do it. A fair chunk of time was still spent in the backrow, and I was always surprised at how differently I played when I was in the backrow - a lot more ball carrying and support play.

I (obviously) agree with the constant contest up front: even at hooker, there was pressure on every scrum to hold it up and on the opposition feed to strike or try to kick the ball through. And lineout time gets pretty lonely too.

 

[Scarfman]

In under 9s and 10s, and for primary school I played lock. Odd decision as I a little under average height.

For high school and uni I played the beautiful position - 13. It's a great place to watch rugby from. If you're smart (me) and grossly unfit (again), you can figure out where the ball is going to go before anyone else and save yourself some running.

In my glorious comeback season for the Blackheath Wildfires I played flanker and broke my shoulder apart.

My second glorious comeback lasted only one training session. The props were outrunning me and every time I took a hit I saw stars.

Still, I'm up for the ANZAC Challenge in '11 if someone from the Fern can organise it.

 

[Rugby Rat]

You lot disgust me. Props shouldn't communicate let alone spell ! They should just do and let the backs look great.

Pfffttt... Props

 

[Sully]

You lot disgust me. Props shouldn't communicate let alone spell ! They should just do and let the backs look great.

Pfffttt... Props

You talk tough on the other end of the world wide interweb thingy. But deep down it's just jealousy.

 

[Rugby Rat]

If you want to talk thingys, mine is very adequate.

The only requisite you need to be a good prop is that someone can break a brick on your scone as a pre match warm up.

Pfftt.. props.

 

[mark_s]

Played every position from 1 to 5 except hooker. I can remember passing the ball in 1999, wish someone had of taken a photo.

 

[Rugby Rat]

Played every position from 1 to 5 except hooker. I can remember passing the ball in 1999, wish someone had of taken a photo.

That's the spirit. Someone buy that prop a beer.