Sonny Bill Williams Rejects Toulon offer to chase All Black Dream

[Sneaki]

I think he'd do well developing at Counties alongside Tana Umaga. Aukland seems to breed inconsistancy in the backs, where as the Crusaders would be very good for him. In my ideal world, he'd play for Counties and sign with the Crusaders. Doubt that'd happen though. I don't know any reference to suggest he wants to play outside Carter though, he seems to want to live in Aukland with family.

Oh yeah I had forgotten about Tana coming back, that could be a good option. And even if he doesn't improve greatly with Counties, Henry and Co. will probably pick him for the end of year tour anyway . He hasn't said that he wants to play outside DC I don't think, it would just make sense playing outside someone he'd be likely to play outside for the AB's.

 

[Teh Mite]

That'd be stephen Donald then... He'll never get past the midweek team either.

 

[nickdnz]

Speaking of Umaga returning, am I the only one who'd still put him in the AB's, just for giggles? Put him up against Japan and Tonga, add to his already impressive try tally? Like seriously...Even he said it's not totally out of the question...

 

[Iron Mike]

Man, I love that try in your avatar of CC.

Its not too late for Tana Umaga, Brad Thorn at the age of 35 in the latest AB's fitness test is the fittest and fastest forward. It is never too late, if Tana Umaga has the fitness and the same skillset I could see him being a backup 12 to Nonu for the RWC and probably mentoring other centres like Benson Stanley.

 

[MunsterMan]

How do they measure the fitness of forwards out of interest?

 

[TRF_Cymro]

How do they measure the fitness of forwards out of interest?

Most likely a bleep test.

 

[deeboxx1]

Lets see how he goes he may only get capped against lesser nations but a bet he wont do too bad, he does need to work at stuff tho as does every rugby player, NONU IS IMMENSE to whoever said he was poor, the top 14 is ah pretty decent level n SBW does well in that he'll be ah good aqiusition whoever he goes to, to the person who said RL is contact contact contact th NZ warriors play some immense rugby when they throw the ball about. As for AUS SA NZ being better than SH countries i can only speak for Scotland here but rugby in our country is not the number one sport and teams are constanly finishing due to lack of numbers fundingfrom the SRU at all levels is poor and there isnt enough money in our game for facilities coaches and the oppertunity to develop players, ah few years back when Matt Williams was coach to sack him before they did would bankrupt the SRU, finally the amount of foreigners in our club scene is frightning it is restricting the develpoment of young scottish players. ano that was totally of topic but it answered ah few questions PLUS DIDNT WE BEAT AUSTRALIA IN THE AUTUM 2009!!!

SONNY BILL WILL ROCK SUPER 15, AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL HE'LL DO OKAY!!

 

[MunsterMan]

Most likely a bleep test.

Which only measures how long you can run for, not how fit you are. I expect the All Blacks will have some better method.

 

[Teh Mite]

Errrr... You are aware what a bleep test is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test

 

[MunsterMan]

Yes I am, I have done plenty, and in my experience it is always a 10 stone weed who is last to finish even though there will be huge men who tirelessly tackle and hit rucks for 80 minutes who struggle. An accurate measure of some athletes fitness, not all (such as forwards in Rugby Union) IMO.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, a bleep test and possibly a crossfit types test as well (basically timed circuits in a gym)

 

[Iron Mike]

Yes I am, I have done plenty, and in my experience it is always a 10 stone weed who is last to finish even though there will be huge men who tirelessly tackle and hit rucks for 80 minutes who struggle. An accurate measure of some athletes fitness, not all (such as forwards in Rugby Union) IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l7ViExz1S0

That is standard for most international teams and pro clubs. It is what we use at our club.

The agility test, which the forwards don't go through as many poles as the backs.

The 50kg shoulder bag, which you run with, most use a beep test, which the All Blacks use shown in the video.

Then the sprinting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPxPd_AiCuw

That is a video of Ulster, using the same techniques in the All Blacks video, but is on a beach and is a pre-season training video.

No gym work is used to test fitness Olyy, treadmills are inaccurate and weights don't test fitness. The 50kg bag during a beep test is the most common.

 

[nickdnz]

Well, I know the AB's use beep tests - http://www.allblacks.com/ There's a video of it called "All Blacks Speed Testing".

 

[Haysie]

The yo-yo test is becoming more favoured than the beep test (which purely measures an athlete's Vo2 Max) amongst High Performance programs though

 

[Iron Mike]

Haysie is right, they do do the yoyo test aswell now, this is a recent addition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEJfe2R-J_g&feature=channel

Conrad Smith was the last one getting into the 19+ with Cruden in second. Pretty cool.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd never heard of a yo-yo test before now, just googled it, am i right in thinking it's pretty much the same as a bleep test, but at the end of the 40m (20 there/back) of running, you walk/jog for 10m (5 there/back)?

 

[Iron Mike]

Yeah, so it is non stop running.

 

[SelimNiai]

Yeah, so it is non stop running.

I'll pass.

 

[Iron Mike]

It ain't that bad, it is easier than the normal beep test for me, you get an extra 1-2 seconds if you jog it at a moderate pace, plus all the stopping and starting uses more energy. Go for a three mile run then stop for 10 seconds and see if you want to continue, it ain't easy.

 

[Haysie]

Yeah I prefer it to the Beep test actually, as it's concentrated effort over a short distance and you can block everything out and just go for it.
Whereas with the beep test you start it thinking "**** this sucks". haha.