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Hardest men in Rugby - past or present

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valley commando said:
How is BOD hard, he's more of an artist, certainly not a hard man, very few modern day players would enter the category as hard men due to the way the game has changed, the only 2 on my list that have played in the last year or 2 are Jamie Cudmore and Bakkies Botha, but they seem to be relics from a bygone age and will be sadly missed.
There is some great youtube footage of Cudmore.
Click to expand...

Being hard is not about being a thug. BO'D is plenty hard because of the punishment he could take and still keep performing. He was also a pretty big hitter and willing to go up against anyone including Botha and Matfield at the same time.

I don't know if I'd put him as the 'hardest man in rugby' but he sure as hell wasn't soft.
 
Come on, it has to be Colin Meads...

"In a game against Eastern Transvaal in South Africa, in which he emerged from a particularly vicious ruck with his arm dangling horribly, with an obvious fracture, yet completed the match. When the doctor cut away his shirt and confirmed the break, Meads muttered, "At least we won the bloody game."

BOD? Don't make me laugh.
 
Nah BG8.....BOD lost his hard man rep when he capitulated after that tip tackle in NZ!! Moody would have stayed on with the broken collar bone!!! Now that would be called hard!!!
 
big ginger 8 said:
Being hard is not about being a thug. BO'D is plenty hard because of the punishment he could take and still keep performing. He was also a pretty big hitter and willing to go up against anyone including Botha and Matfield at the same time.

I don't know if I'd put him as the 'hardest man in rugby' but he sure as hell wasn't soft.
Click to expand...

Agreed, he took his lumps and got on with the game, he was pretty fearless in defence and by the end of his career, over the ball. Not top ten material, but certainly a hard man in my eyes.

IMO it's a struggle to differentiate between hard and dirty. I don't know where / how you draw the line, but my gut says that quite a lot of players listed so far are the latter. A player who plays on through injury or who gives / takes big hits and bounces back and is happy to put his body on the line is far harder than one who takes every opportunity to disadvantage his team by getting sent off for cheap shots.
 
valley commando said:
How is BOD hard, he's more of an artist, certainly not a hard man, very few modern day players would enter the category as hard men due to the way the game has changed, the only 2 on my list that have played in the last year or 2 are Jamie Cudmore and Bakkies Botha, but they seem to be relics from a bygone age and will be sadly missed.
There is some great youtube footage of Cudmore.
Click to expand...

He's not about to throw a punch, but he's the type who'll get knocked down, dust himself off and get on with the job, with the exception of THAT tackle.

Backies is a bully. There's a difference between not backing down and throwing fists around, in my opinion. Granted, all the top drawer "hard men" have done a little of the latter, but the frequency with which Bakkies did it makes him little more than a liability of an enforcer.
 
Chris Ralston would fill that description! Took a lot but cannot remember him retaliating or instigating either!

Ps He was an England second rower in the late 70's early 80's!!!
 
One old name from the past.Mike Burton,the Gloucester,England and Lions prop.He could certainly dish it out and take it as well.His book;Never Stay Down(Burton's philophosy was you always get to your feet!) is a great read.
 
big ginger 8 said:
Being hard is not about being a thug. BO'D is plenty hard because of the punishment he could take and still keep performing. He was also a pretty big hitter and willing to go up against anyone including Botha and Matfield at the same time.

I don't know if I'd put him as the 'hardest man in rugby' but he sure as hell wasn't soft.
Click to expand...

BOD was nails, if you have any doubt watch the 2nd Lions test in 2009.

Mike Teague was the hardest player I remember closely followed by MJ.
 
I mentioned this earlier but will say it again. Jean-Pierre Rives was not a big man, but boy was he tough!
 
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It's Buck Shelford. End of story.

Dude rips his scrotum open with a testicle hanging out, gets the person to stitch it back up, and goes back on.

Next question.
 

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