Position of the Skipper

[SixteenSixtySix]

Most captain I see are fly-half, flankers, locks and such. Are there any centers that's a captain?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Most captain I see are fly-half, flankers, locks and such. Are there any centers that's a captain?

Seriously????!!!!!!

Jean De Villiers
Felipe Contepomi
Brian O'Driscoll

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I'd say flankers and centres are the two most frequent captain positions...

 

[jessta]

Anywhere really, but id say fullback and wing would be least common as its hard to lead a team from out in space. However the all blacks did it in 2009 in the france series with mils muliaina at 15, and the highlanders did it for some of this year with hosea gear on the wing. Funnily enough both were a disaster but I dont know if you can put that on the captaincy

 

[j'nuh]

There's a few I can think of...

Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland)
Jean de Villiers (South Africa)
Mike Tindall (ex-England and ex-Gloucester)
Chris Bell (Wasps)
Casey Laulala (a few times?) (ex-Cardiff)
Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont)

Locks and backrowers are by far and away the most popular captains. Those 5 positions must account for 70+% of captains. Centers are the next most likely. Quite a handful of hookers (Hartley, Smit, Rees etc.). One or two half-backs (Flood, Laidlaw etc.) I can think of at least a few outside backs (David Lemi (last year for Samoa), Doug Howlett (ex-Munster), Campese (ex-Australia), Geordan Murphy (ex-Leicester)).

But where are all the prop captains!? Vickery was one, but I cannot for the life of me think of any others.

 

[Howzy]

Dylan Hartley captains Northampton saints and he plays hooker

 

[lynam1104]

Lock and back row and the common place as they are:

1. Involved in pretty much every play in some way or another and closer to the ref usually.
2. The most intelligent people on the pitch

 

[big ginger 8]

But where are all the prop captains!? Vickery was one, but I cannot for the life of me think of any others.

We have to much to concentrate on...and need to catch our breath instead of talking to the ref!

 

[SixteenSixtySix]

Apologies for my ignorance I guess I don't know enough about the players and teams of the sport

 

[dasNdanger]

The Skipper? What I want to know is what position Gilligan plays?

;-)


das

 

[Jaguares]

I think flankers are the most frequent captain positions because is the most comprehensive position in rugby, then it's easier to be respected by all players. A flanker must be as strong as a prop and as fast as a back, is one of the most difficult positions.

A prop is strong but not fast enough as a back. And a back is very fast but doesn't participate in the scrum, one of the crucial moments in rugby and so it's difficult to be respected among the forwards. But a flanker participates in all phases of the game: Scrum, line-out and can run like a back. So IMO everyone respects him more easily.


Cheers

 

[LittleGuy]

Canada's have normally been Lock's, backrow's and Fly halves. Though Pritchard is a vice captain at full back.

 

[canadafan]

LG, you forgot hooker.

 

[LittleGuy]

LG, you forgot hooker.

Yep I did, Riordan was loved by the boys.

 

[TRF_heineken]

The only Captain I can think that have played prop was John Smit.

 

[Tony Manx]

The only Captain I can think that have played prop was John Smit.

Jason Leonard
Feb-Jul 1997,
Phil Vickery
Nov 2002-Feb 2003: +
Dorian West
Sep-Oct 2003:

Gethin Jenkins and Duncan Jones, David Sole

Edit...West was a hooker?

 

[ratsapprentice]

My preference when playing would be number 8.

 

[Jaguares]

The only Captain I can think that have played prop was John Smit.

I think Keith Wood was Irish captain a few games

 

[nickdnz]

Just in pro era of international teams (I'll only include players with 10 or more tests). This took my like, 3 hours. And I was only vaguely interested in the first place...but anyway I think its reasonably comprehensive - the stats are from scrum.com, the brackets are the number of tests as captain. If someone finds a link which pretty much is just this, be kind and never let me find it. Certains countries like Russia, Spain etc just didn't seem to have any information.

Prop: Joao Correia (POR, 30), Peter Fatialofa (SAM, 16) Paul Vickery (Eng, 15), Deacon Manu (FIJI, 13), Dai Young (WAL, 12), Levan Tsabadze (GEO, 12)

Hooker: John Smit (SA, 83), Sean Fitzpatrick (NZ, 51), Raphael Ibanez (FRA, 42) Keith Wood (IRE, 36), Greg Smith (FIJI, 30),Patrick Riordan (CAN, 23), Massimo Cuttitta (ITA, 22), Jonathan Humphries (WAL, 19), Alessandro Moscardi (ITA, 19), Masahiro Kunda (JAP, 14), Mahonri Schwalger (SAM, 13) Tom Billups (USA ,12) Gordon Bulloch (SCO, 11), Dimitri Oboladze (GEO, 11), Marius Tincu (ROM, 10), Phil Kearns (AUS, 10), Anton Oliver (NZ, 10)

Lock: John Eales (AUS, 55), Fabien Pelous (FRA, 42), Raphael Ibanez (FRA, 41), Martin Johnson (Eng, 39), Marco Bortolami (ITA, 38), Sorin Socol (ROM, 36), Ilia Zedginidze (GEO, 32), Steve Borthwick (Eng, 21), Pedro Sporleder (ARG, 20), Victor Matfield (SA, 17), Mario Lame (URU, 16), James Horwill (AUS, 13), Mihai Macovei (ROM, 12), Zurab Mtchedlishvili (GEO, 12), Inoke Afeaki (TON, 12), Nathan Sharpe (AUS, 10), Todd Blackadder (NZ, 10), Abdelatif Benazzi (FRA, 10), Alastair Kellock (10), Paddy Johns (IRE, 10)

Loose Forwards: Richie McCaw (NZ, 82), Sergio Parisse (ITA, 50), Takuro Miuchi (JAP, 45), Semo Sititi (SAM, 39), Thierry Dusautoir (FRA, 38), Massimo Giovanelli (ITA, 37), Gary Teichmann (SA, 36), Takashi Kikutani (JAP, 34), Todd Clever (USA, 32), Ryan Jones (WAL, 32), Francois Pienaar (SA, 29), Dave Hodges (USA, 28), Nili Latu (TON, 25), Alan Charron (CAN, 25) Dan Lyle (USA, 24), Rocky Elsom (AUS, 24), Reuben Thorne (NZ, 23), Pat Lam (SAM, 23), Taine Randell (NZ, 22), Lawrence Dallaglio (Eng, 22), Collin Charvis (WAL, 22), Sam Warburton (WAL, 20) Jason White (19) Corne Krige (SA, 18), Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (17), Kort Schubert (USA, 17) Martin Corry (Eng, 17), Andre Vos (SA, 16), Chris Robshaw (Eng, 16), Rob Wainright (SCO, 16), Vasco Sousa Uva (POR, 16) Tiberiu Brinza (13), Bob Skinstad (SA, 12), Lewis Moody (Eng, 11), Aaron Carpenter (CAN, 11), Alifereti Doviverata (Fiji, 11), Ifereimi Tawake (FIJI, 10)

Halfback: George Gregan (AUS, 59), Irakli Abuseridze (GEO, 31), Agustin Pichot (ARG, 30), Fabien Galthie (25), Alessandro Troncon (22), Rob Howley (WAL, 22), Brian Redpath (SCO, 21), Mosese Rauluni (FIJI, 17), Michael Bradley (IRE, 15), John Graf (CAN, 15), Morgan Williams (CAN, 15), Gary Armstrong (SCO, 14), Mike Blair (SCO, 14), Joost van der Westhuizen (FRA, 10)

Fly Half: Lisandro Arbizu (ARG, 48)

Centres: Brian O'Driscoll (IRE, 83), Will Carling (Eng, 59) Stirling Mortlock (AUS, 29), Felipe Contepomi (ARG, 25), Tana Umaga (NZ, 21), Jean de Villiers (SA, 18), Romeo Gontineac (ROM, 14), Sebastian Salvat (ARG, 13), Yukio Motok (JAP, 12), Andrew McCormick (JAP, 10),

Outside Backs: Gareth Rees (CAN, 25), Gareth Thomas (WAL, 21), Gavin Hastings (SCO, 20), Chris Patterson (SCO (13), Toshiaki Hirose (JAP, 14)

 

[big ginger 8]

Interesting to see how close McCaw is to the record, how long is he injured for? He could break it before the end of the RC.