KeithQuinnRugby
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You are here: Home » News Comment » When Will it End? Rugby Players just keep on Getting Bigger!
31 January 2015
Don't get me wrong here. I congratulate Uini Atonio for being selected in the French rugby team this northern season. Uini (pronounced 'Weeny') Atonio made his test debut before Christmas coming off the bench v Fiji in Paris and with all the attention then on the exploits of the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies in their tests in UK, Atonio's arrival and unique story kind of slipped under the main news.
But this week France announced its first test squad for the Six Nations championship and the name of Uini Atonio is there again.
On two accounts his is such an interesting story. Firstly he was born in Timaru, in the South Island of New Zealand. His parents are Samoan-born and like a considerable number of other Polynesians they arrived in New Zealand to look for work in Timaru where there are meat works, factory and farm work opportunities. The lad was born there and later went to school as a boarder at Wesley College in South Auckland. That's the school which has a fine rugby tradition, the most famous of its old boys being Jonah Lomu. Say no more.
From the school's famous First XV Uini was then snapped up by the local Counties Manukau Rugby Academy and by 2011 he played his first two games of representative rugby as a tighthead prop.
But other scouts were lurking and a Frenchman Patrice Collazo spied the young New Zealand giant. Collazo was a tough prop forward and in his new capacity as coach of the southern coastal French club of La Rochelle he was given carte blanche to find big forwards for the club.
So Atonio was approached and soon he left his New Zealand background and began playing in fully professionally in France. Such was his progress in the La Rochelle team that soon he was being talked about as one of the best props in the country.
To play for France he had to fulfill the required 3-years residency qualification. When that was achieved in 2014 he was straightaway elevated into the full French squad. Next week he will begin to play the game at the highest levels.
But Uini is unique in another matter, and it is one which actually makes me think about rugby's future.
On the announcement of the French squad he was listed as weighing 146 kilograms (23stone 6 pounds). This in itself made me blink with astonishment. When I read it, I then checked other French outlets. Amazingly, elsewhere, I found that this 24-year old was listed as weighing 155kgs (24st 6ilbs). From my knowledge such size must make him the biggest player ever to run onto a test match pitch.
Which leads me to the delicate balance of asking. While it is a 'bravo' to Atonio for reaching his new honour I still ask the question - "where will this end?"
We already know that collisions in rugby have grown to be a disturbing crunch of bone and muscle to a level which the toughest rugby guys of even a decade ago would probably shy away from. Concussion and safety from the often seen sickening collisions of ruck-smash and at the 'clean-out' in forward play have become the biggest talking point of rugby's current state. The game's very future as a safe game for kids to play is being discussed at the highest levels.
The question is; How can we reasonably expect players who weigh considerably less than 146 kgs in their weight to be able to tackle men of such mountainous size. I expect that as all men continue to get bigger, to sadly see more broken necks and serious injuries.
Look, none of this is 'Weeny' Atonio's fault. He is what he is. (And I saw him being interviewed on French TV while speaking impeccable French - so the lad from the tough streets of Timaru has done very well for himself) But what is next for rugby when men of his size are increasingly coming into the game?
TWO men of 145 kilograms colliding is not something I'd like to see from the game that I love.
I know what I'd do - I'd hope that given a choice (as most kids are) that my two grandsons might take up basketball, soccer, hockey - or anything else you can think of, instead of playing a game where a knockout is on the way to you at any moment on any Saturday you play.
[Footnote; Some told me Fiji's Billy Cavabati finished his test career weighing 165kgs. I seriously doubt that - but yes - Billy was a BONNY presence on the playing field!]
All this raises the point though that if we've got players now who are officially listed as 150-plus in kilograms and are a ball of muscle and sinew then we must expect even more 'collateral damge' from the game.
Much more in fact. - and I for one, do NOT want that.
...
Quote from Uini Atonio when he was picked to play for France; "Quand j’ai mis l’équipement de l’équipe de France, je me suis dit : ‘‘Regarde, je joue en France, je sais parler français, je suis Français’’
(Loose translation; 'When I put on the French team's playing kit, I say to myself; "Look, I am playing for France, I know how to speak French; therefore I am French!')
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Yet again the ABs win 4 Home Union tests in 4 Saturdays. On this day Wales are beaten 37-25.
MCBRIDE, WILLIE JOHN
Ballymena and Ireland
63 internationals for Ireland 1962–75
17 internationals for British Isles 1962–74
One of the outstanding figures of world rugby who, in his time, set a record for most international caps by an individual player, and who gained great respect as a leader.
During the latter days of his playing career, William James McBride became known, as ‘Willie John’. He was an imposing lock, immensely powerful in all aspects of forward play, who specialised in giving only good ball to his halfback whether from lineout, maul or scrum. He had enormous determination and his rivalries with other top players of his day, such as Colin Meads of New Zealand and Frik du Preez of South Africa, were worth traveling miles to see. Perhaps his greatest attribute was his ability to inspire others to play with equal dedication. Perhaps it was a commentary on rugby in its time that those three men became firm friends after their rugby days were over.
In his time McBride knew success: as pack leader for the 1971 Lions in New Zealand, as captain of the 1974 Lions in South Africa and as captain of Ireland in its first championship win in 23 years, in 1974. But he also knew defeat: 26 of his games for Ireland were losses. From those varying results McBride emerged as a player of true character and greatness. He never gave in. He was idolised at home and deeply respected abroad.
McBride, then known as ‘Bill’, began his international rugby as a lock for Ulster in 1960–61, marking the great South African, Johann Claassen, in a Springbok tour game. The young McBride was one of nine new caps brought in by the Irish selectors for the match against England in 1962. Even though he was not in the winning team that day, or indeed that season, he was chosen soon after, as a 21-year-old, for the British Isles tour of South Africa. His courage was epitomised that season when he played the last part of the game against France with his left tibia bone broken.
South Africa in 1962 was a baptism of fire. The young Ballymena man played in two tests: both were losses. He also suffered the pain of defeat in New Zealand in 1966 when the All Blacks wiped aside the Lions by four tests to nil. Two wins against Australia were small consolation.
In 1968, on the Lions tour to South Africa, McBride was again in the losing team, and it was not until 1971 in New Zealand that he smelt the sweetness of victory.
His ultimate performance was with the British team of 1974, which won its test series with the Springboks so dramatically. On that tour McBride, the captain, exhorted his men to ‘take no prisoners’. They reacted superbly to his leadership demands and did not lose a game on tour. Their three test victories, with a draw in the fourth test, represented the biggest humiliation for a major ‘home’ team in rugby history.
On that tour the cry ‘99’ was also used. It was said that McBride had previously suffered at the hands of All Blacks and Springboks in the physical side of the game. He was determined that there should be no more. Thus ‘99’ called for all his players to get alongside their team-mates and if necessary physically fight the opposition together. It was a controversial tactic but one which McBride and his team felt was necessary.
Between his Lions tours he added to his tally of Irish caps, building towards the massive total, in that time, of 63. His five Lions tours, three in all to South Africa and two to Australia and New Zealand, added another 17 caps, bringing his total to 80 caps. Thus he became the world’s greatest cap-winner, an honour he kept until his fellow Ulsterman Mike Gibson passed it in 1979.
In all his test matches McBride scored only one try, against France in his second to last game for Ireland.
After his retirement in 1975 he was, for a time, the Irish coach. In 1983 he was manager of the British Isles team in New Zealand.
In the decade from the 1960s through to the fourth test of 1970 the All Blacks played exactly 100 test matches. What % did they win?
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