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<blockquote data-quote="ranger" data-source="post: 466915" data-attributes="member: 40555"><p>This is one of the biggest misunderstandings in Rugby. <strong>It is far easier to get a guy with a gifted rugby brain and give him a gym programme than it is to teach athletes how to think</strong>. The decision making and natural nous for what to do, where to go, when to pass, when to kick etc, <em>that</em> is a far rarer genetic gift than just pace. </p><p></p><p>Look at the likes of Varndell, Chavaga, Kinikinilau, Stapleton etc. They are some of the most naturally gifted athletes on the planet pace wise, but no matter how much coaching they were given/continue to recieve, they were never really that good at rugby. </p><p></p><p>Then look at the finest rugby players on the planet; McCaw, O'Driscoll, Carter etc. They are all fairly average athletes really, they aren't too fast or too strong compared to other players, but they have rugby brains that others can only dream of competing with. New Zealand has a whole truckload of huge, quick, agile Islanders and Maori wingers that could probably impress NFL and College Scouts with raw metrics, but our best winger is a ratty little bogan named Jane, who just happens to always make the right decision on the field.</p><p></p><p>The complexity of Football doesn't really count or translate to rugby either; yes it is complicated as a whole, but the players are glorified chess pieces, its not really too complicated for the players themselves. The offensive and defensive coordinators make the reads, the players just run the route they were told to remember. There are exceptions in every case of course, but thats what i beleive on the whole.</p><p></p><p>I would much rather take a pointguard with insane courtvision or one of the very few soccer attacking midfielders that arent pussies than these athletic freak footballers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ranger, post: 466915, member: 40555"] This is one of the biggest misunderstandings in Rugby. [B]It is far easier to get a guy with a gifted rugby brain and give him a gym programme than it is to teach athletes how to think[/B]. The decision making and natural nous for what to do, where to go, when to pass, when to kick etc, [I]that[/I] is a far rarer genetic gift than just pace. Look at the likes of Varndell, Chavaga, Kinikinilau, Stapleton etc. They are some of the most naturally gifted athletes on the planet pace wise, but no matter how much coaching they were given/continue to recieve, they were never really that good at rugby. Then look at the finest rugby players on the planet; McCaw, O'Driscoll, Carter etc. They are all fairly average athletes really, they aren't too fast or too strong compared to other players, but they have rugby brains that others can only dream of competing with. New Zealand has a whole truckload of huge, quick, agile Islanders and Maori wingers that could probably impress NFL and College Scouts with raw metrics, but our best winger is a ratty little bogan named Jane, who just happens to always make the right decision on the field. The complexity of Football doesn't really count or translate to rugby either; yes it is complicated as a whole, but the players are glorified chess pieces, its not really too complicated for the players themselves. The offensive and defensive coordinators make the reads, the players just run the route they were told to remember. There are exceptions in every case of course, but thats what i beleive on the whole. I would much rather take a pointguard with insane courtvision or one of the very few soccer attacking midfielders that arent pussies than these athletic freak footballers. [/QUOTE]
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