What makes a good player?

EdgarAllenPoo

Given that everyone and their granny has an opinion on what makes a good player I thought I'd get some opinions on what qualities you feel are required to play in individual positions.

Please note I'm not referring to any particular player or team here.

How about we start with scrumhalf.

Stev_o

Depends on the style of rugby you want to play.

Has to have a great sense of position and kinda has to work 3 plays ahead of himslef

Has to be aware of where every player is.

HAS to have great communication skills, needs to encourage and boss the forwards and needs to know what type of ball the backs want

Box kicking....debatable really, iv NEVER seen it done at junior level rarely seen in senior ie AIL

Passing obviously

Then you start going on one of two paths that can be summed up with Wales

You can have a Mike Phillips. Big strong 9 who can make great breaks and tackles

Or Dwayne Peel medium sized cheeky and sly and makes great sly breaks

EdgarAllenPoo

Does a scrumhalf necessarily have to be a cheeky b@$t@$d a la Greegan and Healey or is that a drawback nowadays?

Stev_o

GDM wrote:

Does a scrumhalf necessarily have to be a cheeky b@$t@$d a la Greegan and Healey or is that a drawback nowadays?

Sly cheeky makes the opposition have to think twice on what he's going to do.

They dont half to complain about EVERYTHING which annoys any ref

Whens the last time uv seen a scrumhalf that looks sane in the head

EdgarAllenPoo

In terms of physical shape and size is it better to be a Mike Phillips or Peter Stringer?

Stev_o

GDM wrote:

In terms of physical shape and size is it better to be a Mike Phillips or Peter Stringer?

If the modern game keeps going the way it does then its Mike Phillips you want 15 able tackling men rather then 14

nacho libre

my criteria:
sound defense
pace
raw power
ability to off-load in the tackle
good handling skills
being able to pass off either side


the handling skill of the south pacific islanders in this competition has been very impressive. If they can master the set pieces they are going to be fairly formidable opposition for anyside in the future.

Imhof Tank

[QUOTE=


the handling skill of the south pacific islanders in this competition has been very impressive. If they can master the set pieces they are going to be fairly formidable opposition for anyside in the future.[/QUOTE]



I dont think its as much their handling skills as their natural physicality. Even when taking man and ball while standing still against Wales, the Fijians were able to make ground in the collision - from the locks to the centres and (especially) right wing (Delasou?).

Thus, it this trend continues, what makes a good player in the future will be explosive power and if a player hasnt got that, then he has no chance.

EdgarAllenPoo

Right speaking of big tacklers how about openside? I know they're generally smaller than the blindside (Neil Back was 5'9) and as such are generally quicker than a 6 but which is more important in that position, speed or strength?

Stev_o

GDM wrote:

Right speaking of big tacklers how about openside? I know they're generally smaller than the blindside (Neil Back was 5'9) and as such are generally quicker than a 6 but which is more important in that position, speed or strength?

Long arms help :P I play openside and iv spent the summer going over dozens of videos to really learn every aspect of the game.

Im not the biggest lad in the team 5'10 and 10.5 stone though im a hard tackler and very aggressive at the breakdown. One thing all of us opensides love is seeing a prop go to ground= turnover ball or penalty!

I suggest you also know the rules of the breakdown and understand them so you dont get pinged every time you go into a ruck.

Just get to the break down [opposition ball] and get a low body position legs spread wide and try get the ball with your hands until the ref calls ruck.

nacho libre

Imhof Tank wrote:

I dont think its as much their handling skills as their natural physicality. Even when taking man and ball while standing still against Wales, the Fijians were able to make ground in the collision - from the locks to the centres and (especially) right wing (Delasou?).

Thus, it this trend continues, what makes a good player in the future will be explosive power and if a player hasnt got that, then he has no chance.

yeah, sorry, i meant to say handling skills allied with their ability to offload when tackled and make yardage due to their natural physical strength.
With the exeception of Wallace i didn't see any Irish player able to do any of these things today.
I guess these islanders are just naturally stronger than any Irish player before they ever set foot in a gym.

Diamondmaker

Watching my cheap as chips, yet quite entertaining, Leinster CD.
I noticed a few things about BOD in the highlights.

As far as tackling goes he was always quite handy!

1. Ability to make a tackle, turn a defender by correct ( almost martial arts trained ) leg positioning for the "throw"
2.Acrobatic spring back to feet in low body position to try and wrestle ball free.

This is an excellentt skill all down to technique..

EdgarAllenPoo

I'd say having the odd bit of judo or aikido wouldn't hurt. Jason Robinson seemed to be fond of judo take downs to get rid of tacklers.

In terms of fitness, while the fitter the better which position 1-15 lends itself to a player who is slightly below par on fitness?

I would have thought 9 or 15 simply because there's more sprinting involved then sustained running.

Am I wrong?

Diamondmaker

GDM wrote:

I'd say having the odd bit of judo or aikido wouldn't hurt. Jason Robinson seemed to be fond of judo take downs to get rid of tacklers.

In terms of fitness, while the fitter the better which position 1-15 lends itself to a player who is slightly below par on fitness?

I would have thought 9 or 15 simply because there's more sprinting involved then sustained running.

Am I wrong?

I disagree:

A 15 is more likely to be covering left field to right - sweeping alway s covering position and gaps left up field, an attacking winger may only have a few sprints in a gmae and be quiet defensively -unless targeted, may never even get the ball some times.

Wickie

No Good player is not blessed with a very good awareness of what is going on around him. Having a handy knack of being in the right place at the right time.
Knowing what his teamates and the opposition are likely to do in a given situation and being 1 step ahead is what makes a good player.

ongarite

All we heard before going into this WC was that all the players were bench-pressing insane weights and how great Hickey's 100m sprints were.

Its seemed we had forgot the basics. Only on a handful of occasions did we ever break a tackle with speed and power, most times we were stopped dead or knocked backwards.

nacho libre

ongarite wrote:

All we heard before going into this WC was that all the players were bench-pressing insane weights and how great Hickey's 100m sprints were.
.

It just goes to show you manafactured strength will be found out against natural raw power on the field.

walshb

Fo a good scrum half, it has to be overall game intelligence. Being able to read the play's quickly and think ultra fast. Obviously handling and passing skills are so essential. Gregan is a perfect example of this

EdgarAllenPoo

Am I alone in thinking that an inside centre ideally would have the kicking skills to fill in at fly half if needed whether during a game or through injury.

Goodluck2me

Good head -
- Professionalism
- Lack of Complacency
- Confidence
- Unbiding will to win
- Composure
- Ability to see gaps and patterns
- Ability to change the game for the situation in front of them

Physically
- Abiltiy to see and change lines of running
- Physical pressence
- Excellent handling abilty
- 90 Minute Fitness
- Raw Pace
- Ability to offload
- Abilty to tackle and hit hard
- Ability to hit a line at pace and power and break thorugh gaps/creating space.


All of these would make a super-player, BOD has the majority of them, hence why he is so popular/successful.

Luckycharm

Having a good rugby brain, knowing when to pass, straighten up offload etc To be a Jerry Collins as against a Joe worsely/POC who just runs straight into the nearest Defender.