Hard as nails national team

by tooboredtowork Fri 22 Aug 2014, 3:43 pm

I do not have Sky so cannot watch Championship.
So, being thoroughly bored, thought I would start a topic on the "hard as nails" England team.
Other nations welcome to put their own versions up.
This really is entirely a "my dad is bigger than your dad" thread. A totally juvenile thread with no intellect needed at all. Indeed totally worthless.
Only rule is the players picked must have been selected for your nation. They do not have to be good rugby teams.
I cannot pick an entire one for England and am hoping that others will fill the gaps for me:

1.
2. Dawe
3. Cotton
4. Johnson
5. Grewcock
6. Teague
7. Winterbottom
8. Ryan
9.
10. Wilkinson
11.
12. Noon
13. Tuilagi
14.
15. Lewsey

by funnyExiledScot Fri 22 Aug 2014, 3:52 pm

For Scotland it would look something like this:

1.Smith 2.Milne 3.Burnell 4.Hines 5.Hamilton 6.White 7.Calder 8.Jeffrey 9.Armstrong 10.Weir 11.S Lamont 12.Leslie 13.S Hastings 14.Tait 15.G Hastings

by fa0019 Fri 22 Aug 2014, 4:36 pm

Lets be honest, anyone who ever played for the springboks.... they don't do softies.

I recall when one of their locks was called Adolf Malan and no it wasn't in the 40s it was in the 90s!!! Shocked

by Poorfour Fri 22 Aug 2014, 5:37 pm

I don't think any hard as nails England XV would be complete without Arthur Harrison, the only England rugby international to receive the Victoria Cross. He'd probably bump Ryan out of the No 8 spot, if Dean Richards hadn't already done that. Sorry Deano, to the bench with you.

After that, surely Moore and Probyn would get a look in in the scrum? And Leonard, who apparently once woke up after a training evening feeling unusually sore and looked around his bedroom to see that he'd stolen a temporary bus stop and carried it several miles home. As a teenager.

Then you could shift Tuilagi to the wing, put Mike Brown on the other wing and bring Tindall in to the centres. Put Neil Back, who was a schoolboy scrum half (and I believe on a couple of occasions ended up playing there when England ran out of subs) at 9. That's a backline that wouldn't take a backwards step.

by majesticimperialman Fri 22 Aug 2014, 6:07 pm

I cannot see that you can have a hard as nils team with out including Paul Ackford, and Wade Dooley.

by Poorfour Fri 22 Aug 2014, 6:15 pm

majesticimperialman wrote:I cannot see that you can have a hard as nils team with out including Paul Ackford, and Wade Dooley.

I think they'd be able to take out Grewcock, but not so sure about Johnson.

by broadlandboy Fri 22 Aug 2014, 6:29 pm

You have got to have Julian White

by **Rugby Fan** Fri 22 Aug 2014, 10:27 pm

There are a lot of candidates for prop but I'd go with Phil Blakeway, who was described by Paul Ackford as being "supernaturally strong".

If he could run ten yards in training without falling over, then he was deemed sufficiently fit to play, such was his rock-like reliability.

He once broke his neck in a game for Gloucester. Not only did he play on, he played another match before deciding he probably out to get it checked. The hospital told him he could have been paralysed.

by **Rugby Fan** Sat 23 Aug 2014, 12:32 am

For the Canadian side, we could probably just name Norm Hadley and leave it at that.

Jason Leonard recalled:

“One of the England lads got on the wrong side of an early ruck, so Hadley decided to get him out of the way. I took huge exception to Hadley’s method, so I threw one of the biggest punches of my life at him. He was bending down and my punch landed on his forehead. I thought, ‘Well, that’s you sorted.’”

But Hadley did not appear to notice anything. Leonard watched open-mouthed as Hadley straightened up. “I just had not realised how big he was. He started to stand up, and it went on and on, so I had plenty of time to watch this egg-sized lump growing on his forehead. For my part I had a dislocated finger. When Hadley finally stood up he looked at me and asked, ‘Is that all you’ve got, Princess?’ He spent the rest of the match chasing me around the pitch. Fortunately he never caught me.”

by Guest Sat 23 Aug 2014, 1:14 am

majesticimperialman wrote:I cannot see that you can have a hard as nils team with out including Paul Ackford, and Wade Dooley.

Set Mendez on Ackford. Easy money.

That's the equivalent of a Welsh guy saying big Derwyn

by Guest Sat 23 Aug 2014, 1:17 am

Wales

Forward

Spikey Watkins

Back

Big Arwel

We don't need any more guys boxing

by Geordie Mon 25 Aug 2014, 10:26 am

No Tim Rodber?

by bedfordwelsh Tue 26 Aug 2014, 8:46 pm

Wales:

Brian Williams
Garin Jenkins
Stuart Evans
Alun Pask
Bob Norster
Paul Ringer
Mark Jones
Mark Perego

Dai Bishop
Mark Ring

Scott gibbs
Ray Gravell

JPR

Two wingers anyone?

by **Biltong** Tue 26 Aug 2014, 9:04 pm

1. Os du Randt
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Carl Hayman
4. Bakkies Botha
5. Martin Johnson
6. Willem Alberts
7. Richie McCaw
8. Danie Rossouw
9. Joost v d Westhuizen
10. Henry Honiball
11. Jonah Lomu
12. Tana Umaga
13. Jaque FOurie
14. Ben Tune
15. Chris Latham

by disneychilly Tue 26 Aug 2014, 9:55 pm

1 Kevin Skinner
2 Sean Fitzpatrick
3 Richard Loe
4 Brad Thorn
5 Colin Meads
6 Michael Jones
7 The King
8 Wayne Shelford
9 Justin Marshall
10 Luke McAlister
11 Jonah Lomu
12 Tana Umaga
13 Frank Bunce
14 Rene Ranger
15 Don Clarke

Guys like McCaw and Fitz look relatively unthreatening but they are among the hardest of the lot with the punishment they took. Will Greenwood said he first thought about retirement in 05 when he took the ball up and got smashed by an AB. He got up expecting to see a flanker but saw the number 10 on McAlister's shirt instead.

by chewed_mintie Wed 27 Aug 2014, 8:37 am

This thread has just reminded me that it appears Pat McCabe may be about to retire after fracturing his neck for the THIRD time in his career. Hard as nails maybe, but clearly his life and health is far more important than a game of egg-chasing.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/10429040/Neck-injury-ends-Wallaby-Pat-McCabes-career

by Geordie Wed 27 Aug 2014, 9:31 am

No Brian Lima??
No Norm Hadley?

Or Surely this guy!!!

A favourite son of Rhodesian rugby was undoubtedly Andy Macdonald, who made international headlines when he emerged victorious from a brawl with a fully-grown lion in 1966.

Though born in South Africa, Macdonald grew up in Bulawayo and always regarded himself as Rhodesian - for whom he played in the Currie Cup and also against international touring sides.

He was selected for the 1965 Springboks' tour of Australasia, playing in 5 of the 6 tests. All Blacks legend Colin Meads described Macdonald as the most imposing physical specimen he ever encountered on the rugby field.

A year later he was attacked on his farm by wounded lion and managed to kill it, at a cost of 400 stitches and an amputated finger. This wasn't enough to end his rugby career, however. But Macdonald farmed in Zambia and, after its independence, he was pressured by the government of that country to stop representing South Africa.

He was murdered along with his wife in Bulawayo at the age of 52 when his car was set alight in circumstances which remain unsolved.

by Bathman_in_London Wed 27 Aug 2014, 10:16 am

Macdonald was a legend alright. Interestingly he lived in Zambia, played for a club in Rhodesia and represented SA!

by fa0019 Wed 27 Aug 2014, 10:18 am

good call Geordie on Lima

I'd have

Chilcott, Brian Moore, Loe, Jonno, Bakkies, Brennan, McCaw, Shelford, Robert Jones, Butch James, Jonah, Gibbs, Tindall, Lima and Serge Blanco

Robert Jones might have been 5ft 5 or whatever but he was tough as old boots.

by Geordie Wed 27 Aug 2014, 10:31 am

Henry Tuilagi? Strongest guy in rugby in his prime?

Maybe not the hardest but James Small the SA winger in the 95 WC was a right workie ticket!

How about Kobus Wiese from the same team?

I would pick a team but i could pick a different team tomorrow....

Ill have a shot though.

by Geordie Wed 27 Aug 2014, 10:38 am

1 Du Rant
2 Bismark
3 Fran Cotton / Probyn was a tough ol boy as well.
4 Martin Johnson
5 Kobus Wiese / Norm Hadley
6 Andre Venter
7 Tim Rodber
8 Shelford

9 Gary Armstrong
10 Johnny
11 Inga Tuigamala / Alex Tuilagi
12 Scott Gibbs
13 Frank Bunce
14 Brian Lima
15 JPR

AS for purely England

1. V.Ubogu (Yes i know hes a tight head...but how can you not have him in! Very Happy

2. Moore
3. Cotton
4. Johnson
5. Grewcock
6. Teague
7. Winterbottom
8. Dalaglio

9. Dewi Morris
10. Wilkinson
11. Banahan
12. Barritt
13. Tindall
14. Cohen?
15. Lewsey.

by kiakahaaotearoa Wed 27 Aug 2014, 11:11 am

1. Dean Greyling
2. Ross Ford
3. Matt Dunning
4. Todd Blackadder
5. Charles Riechelmann
6. Rebuen Thorne
7. Mauro Bergamasco
8. Sione Lauaki
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Dan Parks
11. Caleb Ralph
12. Berrick Barnes
13. Bredan Laney
14. Iain Balshaw
15. Shayne Philpott

These players had to be as hard as nails to cop the flak they got during their careers.

by Geordie Wed 27 Aug 2014, 11:15 am

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:1. Dean Greyling
2. Ross Ford
3. Matt Dunning
4. Todd Blackadder
5. Charles Riechelmann
6. Rebuen Thorne
7. Mauro Bergamasco
8. Sione Lauaki
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Dan Parks
11. Caleb Ralph
12. Berrick Barnes
13. Bredan Laney
14. Iain Balshaw
15. Shayne Philpott

These players had to be as hard as nails to cop the flak they got during their careers.

You've got to be hard with a nick name "the chainsaw"!!!

And to be fair Balshaw was awesome when he first came on the scene.

by Bathman_in_London Wed 27 Aug 2014, 11:40 am

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:1. Dean Greyling
2. Ross Ford
3. Matt Dunning
4. Todd Blackadder
5. Charles Riechelmann
6. Rebuen Thorne
7. Mauro Bergamasco
8. Sione Lauaki
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Dan Parks
11. Caleb Ralph
12. Berrick Barnes
13. Bredan Laney
14. Iain Balshaw
15. Shayne Philpott

These players had to be as hard as nails to cop the flak they got during their careers.

You've got Bergamasco in the wrong position...!

by kiakahaaotearoa Wed 27 Aug 2014, 11:59 am

No, even when he returned to his rightful position, people still talked about that one crazy, positional move.

It's like Ricky Martin. Doesn't matter how many girls he banged, he banged in his vida loca, they're all declared null and void after he came out.

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