1 TON scrum

[TRF_stormer2010]

Bit bored and thought with the changing of the guard player wise post a RWC will any country be closer to fielding a 1 ton pack. We've been getting closer and closer. I'm sure we can get a combined team or club team there but realistically, how close are we?

Looking at SA (and I know I should not be using Wikipedia but where else)..

Probable player / heavier possible alternative (though not absurd IE at least somewhat likely)
1 S Kitshoff 120kg / T du Toit 136kg
2 M Marx 114kg
3 F Malherbe 125kg / C Oosthuizen 127kg
4 E Etzebeth 123kg / P Willemse 135kg
5 L De Jager 125kg
6 S Kolisi 105kg / M Coetzee 114kg
7 PS Du Toit 120kg
8 D Vermeulen 117kg / JJ van der Mescht 120

844kg / 891kg (could have Vermeulen in ahead of Louw to boost to 994kg but still short of 1000kg)

So I expect SA has to wait another generation unless we get that one 140kg+ dude. A quick look at heavy men in rugby shows me France could probably do it. Who else?

 

[MikeTheNative]

All you need is Ben Tameifuna and your nearly up to that already.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

All you need is Ben Tameifuna and your nearly up to that already.

Very true. If you need your average forward to weigh in at 125kg and you have someone weighing at 150kg that will make it much more achievable considering plenty of props and locks weigh in at the 125kg mark so you can spread your Big Ben's excess to make up for the hooker and loosies' probable shortfall.

Edit, I see Big Ben has picked up a couple of kilo's living in France LOL (wiki shows 166kg). And I see Wikipedia has Leone Nakarawa's weight at 160kg- can that be true? I'm going to have to get back to following R92 even with them not having as many South Africans as a few years back.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I think Trevor Nyakane was around 135 when started out with the Cheetahs and has since become a bit leaner and fitter.

But mass is such a relative term to be honest. and it changes a lot. For example, when the Springboks arrived early in Japan ahead of the World Cup, SARU had a list of the players at the world cup with a little profile that included their weight and height. But they kept those weight stats up to now. Even though there were articles about a guy like Duane Vermeulen that lost nearly 3kg's in a single training day.

I wouldn't be surprized if our players were between 5-15kg's lighter now than when they were before the world cup started.

 

[Which Tyler]

I suspect it would be the french to first hit a ton, if anyone ever does - they love a big lad.

ETA: they currently hold the record for heaviest international scrum at 962kg: https://www.rugbypass.com/news/france-to-field-heaviest-pack-in-international-rugby-union-history/
Their clubs have a few times; with Toulouse hitting 1004kg in 2017 (rugbypass article above); or this one for Racing at 1004kg: https://www.rugbypass.com/news/meet-super-sized-1000kg-plus-pack-racing-unleash-leinster/

ETA2: Scratch that, looks like Tonga overtook it in Japan (974kg): https://ragbi.my/2019/09/23/tonga-boasting-heaviest-scrum-pack-in-japan/

 

[Kapa O Pango]

I want to see a 700kg+ backline lol