The Bakkies Botha ‘rucking’ on Mortlock was greeted with general exasperation and indignation by the rugby community. However, the generic response seemed to be, from his supporters anyhow, that Botha is a hard man who plays tough but fair.
Although not quite in the spirit of the modern game perhaps, I thought to myself, “Geez, where have all the hard men actually gone?”
I realised that modern rugby has created an identikit player. Every forward can roughly bench press the equal of any other forward, and so on and so on.
All modern international players are, by definition tough, but where are the big Charlie’s who used to get the opposition sweating like Dunning around a burger stand?
Botha isn’t a hard man, per say. And, in any case, there is no place for the old enforcers in the modern game, otherwise Mother Brenda would never let little Nelson trot down to the local RFC.
But I don’t think I would be human if I didn’t have a little soft spot for those old exponents of the biff. So I decided to have a think of all those golden oldies that made grandpa wince when they sprinted out on to the pitch.
I love modern rugby, but to those real old men who would pull Bakkies’ pants over his head, I salute you.
I have tried to remain within a comparatively contemporary period. If I was trying to discriminate between players in the 70s, we could be here all day.
Here are my favourites, in no particular order, gone but not forgotten.
Buck Shelford
Would you fancy playing a game with your hazelnuts hanging all over the place and missing a few teeth? Not sure I would. He was not particularly big, but what a mongrel. Exceptional. I’m sure he’ll take on lymphoma with his customary rage. Good luck, Buck.
Marc Cecillon
Les Bleus always wheeled this loony out when they fancied having a good old row with les rosbifs. Unfortunately, Cecillon took his rugby rage too far and shot his wife, taking a 20-year sentence in the progress. It was a tragic end to what was a truly fearsome career.
Frederico Mendez
Simply for that punch on Paul Ackford. Stupendous.
Sean Fitzpatrick
Literally made of iron, he had great passion, and scary intensity. It’s all in the eyes.
Andre Venter
Another tough as teak player who clearly would have fitted in during any decade of rugby. He was big, strong and fearless. Wishing him luck with his viral infection and recovery.
Others
Alain Estevez, Louis Armary, Pascal Ondarts, Vincent Moscato, Gregoire Lascube, Armand Vaquerin, Laurent Seigne, and Michel Palmie, simply because there must have been something in the water back then.
And the biggest, baddest guvnor of them all?
Gerard Cholley. He once knocked out four Scotsmen in a single match. Classic.
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July 27th 2008 @ 2:16am
Benjamin said | July 27th 2008 @ 2:16am | Report comment
Here’s some old school ruffians; Wade Dooley and Mike Teague.
July 27th 2008 @ 3:21am
Sluggy said | July 27th 2008 @ 3:21am | Report comment
Peter Clohessy
July 27th 2008 @ 10:00am
Benjamin said | July 27th 2008 @ 10:00am | Report comment
As an Irish fan I do have a soft spot for Clohessy but as he was such a bad scrummager I can’t help but feel that he was a hard man from the street who met tougher men on the rugby pitch, on a regular basis. Trevor Brennan was a tough cookie.
July 27th 2008 @ 10:20am
True Tah said | July 27th 2008 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Bozo,
I think Bristow got banned from first grade rugby, in fact I believe he actually set up the Newport club so he could continue to be involved in rugby. I also remember when Alan Jones was at Kings and coaching the 1st XV, he called Bristow to help him, after Bristow left, Alan Jones said to his players to forget everything they heard from Tim.
Benjamin,
Brennan was not a tough cookie, I remember a certain large Wallaby no. 8 of Tongan extraction turning Brennan’s face into something resembling raw mince at the 1999 World Cup.
July 27th 2008 @ 10:49am
Benjamin said | July 27th 2008 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Tah, that’s onlly because Brennan was being held back by two Wallabies. Not hard to hurt someone if they can’t even raise their hands. Cowardly from a 17 stone man. Kefu never tried any of that against any other teams … enough said.
July 27th 2008 @ 5:59pm
Justin said | July 27th 2008 @ 5:59pm | Report comment
Its not hard to hurt someone with an elbow off the ball like Brennan did to Jeremy Paul either. Thats what started the fight and either way Kefu would have punched the shit out of Brennan. At least he stuck for his mates unlike the rest of the Irish who stood and watched Brennan get smashed.
Kefu was a hard and fair player but he never had a reason to take on anyone until that day. You dish it out you got to cop it. I dont recall too many journos giving it to Kefu about punching a man being held by 2 others. You sure about that? Brennan was throwing punches so not quite sure how he got suspended for just being a punching bag as you say.
July 27th 2008 @ 10:32pm
Benjamin said | July 27th 2008 @ 10:32pm | Report comment
Firstly I think it’s a bit juvenile to suggest that Kefu would ‘have punched the shit out of Brennan’, on what basis? I’ve boxed since I was 7 so would probably punch the shit out of Kefu but I doubt the average person would suspect that since he probably weighs about 4 stone more than me. So that’s a bit off.
Find the youtube clip. Australians held his arms.
July 28th 2008 @ 12:00am
Bob Mc Gregor said | July 28th 2008 @ 12:00am | Report comment
Re Tim Bristow – rest his soul. The hardest man I ever played with and against. I say against advisedly – see later. Ken Yanz wasn’t far behind. Both were then playing for Gordon on Sydney’s north shore. The year was 1961.
Tim was huge man, a very mobile second rower and already wearing the scars of many a battle, which was evidenced by the stroke-induced drop, when he spoke, of the left hand side of his face. I was playing with Gordon second grade, as a halfback. Later the team won the 1961 second grade premiership for the first time. Adrian Smith was the First grade half and was the Waratah understudy to the great Randwick half, Ken Catchpole. I was barely 21 and in my second year of grade. The Club Coach was an ex Wallaby Captain – Bob Davidson – who took the 1957/8 Wallabies to the British Isles. Gordon was very successful in the 1950s and had a number of Wallabies in Bob’s touring side. As a club, Gordon was renowned for it’s tremendous spirit and never say die attitude. It prided itself to never take a backward step to anyone. Their major “enemy” was Northern Suburbs from whom they were formed in a breakaway move in 1935 as suburbia-spread north.
Due to Adrian Smith’s injury/North Harbour/Waratah duty I was privileged to be selected to play for the Gordon First Grade side for 4 consecutive matches. Some might say that the club was bereft of halfbacks. But to be selected for Gordon in that era was almost on a par with representative or State selection. Pride in the jersey was paramount. It was never to be traded with the opposition. It belonged to the Club and was to be protected come what may. Bob Davidson insisted that a lowly 4th grader was as good as any first grader and that spirit was passed down through the years. It still exists today. To help one understand this camaraderie Bob Davidson’s dying wish was that his ashes be scattered on Chatswood Oval. Such was his love of Gordon. I think of it every time I go to that ground.
Aware of these traditions I was going to do my bit in the coming battle with archenemy North’s. We went to the oval and began our drills. Suddenly I copped an elbow to the jaw that sat me on my backside. After shaking the stars from my head I was aware Bob Davidson was berating Bristow for his idiocy. Didn’t he realise we were short on halfbacks to play at that level? I bounced back to my feet to be told by Bristow I was a tough little bastard and he would look after me. Sort of a baptism of fire.
North’s had a winger who as a schoolboy ran 9.6 for the 100 yards, the renowned flyer Jim Mc Cann. He was thrown clear and Bristow accelerated and with a swinging right rearranged his teeth/face. That was the end of his season. An all in ensued. After order was restored I was deliberately kicked in the head [later required 16 stiches]. After having my head swathed in bandages I saw out the remainder of the match. We won. It was Easter Saturday and we were due to play Manly at Manly Oval on Easter Monday. After the stiches and having been told I wasn’t to play by the Doctor at the Martyr Hospital, I was coerced to play 2 days later. Bedecked in headgear and bandages we prevailed 8-6, a rare feat as Gordon failed to beat Manly at home again until 1981. My headgear etc lasted about 10 minutes and I received a “working over” by Manly’s front row of Ellis, McDeed and Slaggy Miller – the State front row at the time. Bristow and Yanz protected me that day as if their lives depended on it.
The following week it was Sydney University at St Johns Oval. Early on I was king hit but saw enough to identify who it was. Bristow and Yanz said they would take care of it. After a scrum – the protagonist was a front rower – and a couple of ensuing rucks, play was held up while a stretcher was brought on to carry the prop off. Needless to say he took no further part in the game. Bristow’s aside as he was being carried off “he won’t give you any more trouble”.
Many thought he should have been a Wallaby – at least selected to go on the upcoming tour to Sth Africa but his reputation was against him. Pity, as I’m sure he would have acquitted himself and laid down his life for his team, as he did at Gordon.
Despite his “awesome” reputation his funeral was standing room only and his wake was at the Gordon club. He didn’t bear a grudge to the club that gave him a second chance and who eventually “had” to let him go for “political” reasons.
I could regale further on Bristow but time is short.
Sorry for being so long winded but I think the younger brigade should know what Rugby was like in the trenches in that era, a time when the referee was the only judge and neutral referees at Test level didn’t exist.
July 28th 2008 @ 12:28am
Benjamin said | July 28th 2008 @ 12:28am | Report comment
That was very interesting, thank you. I wikipediad Bristow and it is interesting how many ‘naughty men’ in Australia got involved in rugby, much like in Wales, whereas in England all the ‘naughty boys’ boxed and would never have considered getting involved in team sports. I often wondered why Australia never had more world class boxers given the general sporting culture and preference for ‘tougher’ sports.
I was actually doing some reading the other day and if you play rugby in France the name given to a social player is ‘le rugbyman’. Apparently the violence in the amateur divisions is so endemic, even now, that to play rugby you are given a special title. You don’t just say, ‘oh I play rugby on weekends,’ – you say ‘I’m a rugbyman.’ That psychology is fascinating. Shame the current French pack is so powderpuff.
July 28th 2008 @ 8:55am
True Tah said | July 28th 2008 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Benjamin,
Kefu did actually try to punch out someone before, it was Frank Bunce and it was when Qld were playing Waikato a few years before 1999. Kefu came out swining and I can recall Bunce knocking him out with one punch, surprising cause Bunce would have been close to 35 and Kefu would have been close to 10 years younger. I guess a young pup being put in his place.
Agree that the decline of French forward play is disappointing, that used to have angry peasants in the front row, now they import Argies and Georgians to work at the coal face.
Bob, thanks for the memories of Bristow, those sort of stories need to be passed on…generally Bristow was a larger than life character, and I guess, he sounds like a Hollywood character of sorts.