Is Habana the best winger in either code?
Roar Guru
By ScottWoodward.me, 24 Feb 2010 ScottWoodward.me is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Brian Habana, Jason Robinson, NRL, Rugby League, Rugby Union
139 Have your say
Springboks Bryan Habana looks to get a pass away as the Wallabies Matt Giteau tackles him to the ground during the Australia v South Africa Rugby test at Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Saturday, August 5, 2006. AAP Image/Dean Lewins
I wasn’t that fussed with Oprah’s guest today, so I switched to the boys on Talkin Sport as they posed an interesting question: “Is Bryan Habana the best winger in the world for either code?”
As a Rugby League nut, I would love to jump in and throw a name down your throat that is playing either NRL or Super League, but sadly I am struggling.
There is no doubt that the Habana’s swerve would be a huge success in League, and while there are some outstanding wingmen, none have the record of the flying South African.
National selectors in recent years have chosen players from other positions to carry shirts 2 and 5, with Jarryd Hayne (fullback) and Israel Folau, whose best position is right centre.
Specialist wingers are constantly overlooked.
The best known wing to make it in Rugby Union from League would be England’s “jack in the box”, Jason Robinson. He scored 30 tries in his 56 test matches, and who will ever forget the only try in the 2003 World Cup final, which England went on to win.
My dad was great mates with Ken Irvine, regarded as the greatest ever winger to play Rugby League. And I recall as a kid that Ken defended his tackling technique by telling the “old man” that his job was to score tries, and “the guys inside me should do the tackling before they get to me.”
Rugby Union’s version of the legendary Ken Irvine would arguably be David Campese. What an amazing man, both on and off the field.
Allow me to share how I met Campo.
The intercom buzzed in my Clarence Street office one day. It was colleague “Duck” Maree and he asked if I could pop down to his office. As I walked in, “Duck” stood up and with his big infectious smile, asked me if I remembered when I told him that “David Campese could not tackle a weet bix?”
I said yes, of course, and then “Duck” asked me to turn around and he then introduced me to the great man, who, bless his heart, laughed as he shook my trembling hand.
It is interesting that Irvine and Campo reached the top of the tree in their respective codes, but were both not noted for defending.
As for Bryan Habana, let’s just say he is the best winger in the world, either code.
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rugbyfuture said | February 24th 2010 @ 2:53am | Report comment
but someone please tell him he looks like a fool with those shoulder pads, i swear if we wore shoulder pads that huge in schoolboy we would be banned from playing!
but yes i agree, although there are a few leagueys who could probably switch to wing in rugby and be a force to contend with, also watch USA rugby, they’re recruiting the bigguns the right way, through college gridiron.
that quote you said about the defence reminds me of my dad talking about a frnechman, who from what ive heard around might have also been a league convert? apparently he used to smoke on field, played fullback and his philosophy was that if they had gotten past the other fourteen men, there was no way he was gonna stopem. any one care to correct me?
True Tah said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:02am | Report comment
That bloke was Puig Aubert.
Mr cheese said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:46am | Report comment
correct
I’ve heard of him too. “Puig” is a classic Catalan, methinks. I used to do Spanish translations written by people called Puig.
Brian said | February 24th 2010 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
SERGE BLANCO
J said | February 24th 2010 @ 5:10am | Report comment
without doubt the quickest player in either code. he scores fantastic trys in rugby. imagine him in league as there would be more space for him to move.
Colin N said | February 24th 2010 @ 5:14am | Report comment
“without doubt the quickest player in either code.”
Ngwenya?
Sam Taulelei said | February 24th 2010 @ 5:28am | Report comment
Purely subjective and unproven. There are wingers in SA that are quicker than Habana – Chavangha, Nokwe and the Brumbies winger Francis Fanifo ran down Habana from behind, not to mention the American winger that Colin has mentioned. Who knows how many others playing around the world are quicker than Habana in union let alone league..
ScottWoodward.me said | February 24th 2010 @ 11:32am | Report comment
Sam,
We said best as opposed to quickest.
Do you know of a better winger today?
Sam Taulelei said | February 24th 2010 @ 9:47pm | Report comment
Scott my comment was directed at J’s post “without doubt the quickest player in either code” and not at the question your article poses.
Habana is the best winger in union today Can’t compare wingmen from union to league, even though they play the same position. The context of their roles in each code are different, the number of players on the field are different and the laws of the game are different. Any comparison is speculative and not based on anything other than personal bias or preference. Even the achievements of recent converts to either code offer no real clue on who would be a success in a new code.
Lee said | February 24th 2010 @ 5:42am | Report comment
Yeah I don’t think he is the quickest – there are even quicker guys in other SA Super 14 teams. But overall speed isn’t everything. His acceleration, ability to read the game and teh fact he goes looking for work instead of just hanging out on his wing(looking at you Sivivatu) is what makes him such a great winger.
TembaVJ said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:16am | Report comment
Add to that his defence and ability to finish… not to mention he is actually not a bad kicker of the ball.
rugbyfuture said | February 24th 2010 @ 11:25am | Report comment
The American team has a former 200m gold medallist in it…..
Nick said | February 24th 2010 @ 5:21am | Report comment
Accourding to Jake Whites autobigoraphy springbok winger Chavanga was even quicker than habana, however no one could compete with habanas exceliration, meaning over 40m he was lightning.
allblackfan said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:17pm | Report comment
There is footage of habana intercepting the ball in a SA match 60m out only to be run down by Tonderai at the finish (although Bryan still scored the try). Habana pretty much ran the 60m with his head over his shoulders, Even in slow motion replay, Chavanga is still faster than Habana!
jus de couchon said | February 24th 2010 @ 5:48am | Report comment
What makes Habanna good is not just hes fast but hes also a very good rugby player.
sheek said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:13am | Report comment
I asked a Saffie acquaintance not so long ago how he would compare Bryan Habana to the Boks imperious left-winger of the 1980s – Carel du Plessis.
He said it was a no contest in du Plessis’ favour. Big Carel was faster, in his opinion, also stronger & with a better technical & tactical understanding of rugby.
I had only ever seen du Plessis briefly on film, so this piece of knowledge certainly surprised me & left me with greater admiration for du Plessis’ skill. My Saffie acquaintance is in his 60s, so his first hand knowledge goes back to about the mid to late-1950s.
So he would’ve seen a few wingers in his time, not only from SA, but other countries as well. I think on that basis, Campese (right) & du Plessis (left) have been the best wingers of my time (1969-present).
Habana is currently the best winger in rugby. Difficult to know if he is also better than any leagueies.
Ken Irvine is the best league winger I’ve seen, although I caught him during the backend of his career (1969-73). Jason Robinson was also special. A special mention for Eric Grothe & Kerry Boustead, who thrilled league crowds in the 1980s.
ScottWoodward.me said | February 24th 2010 @ 11:35am | Report comment
At his best Wendell Sailor was as good as anyone in League.
Fivehole said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:20am | Report comment
Don’t know about the best winger in any code, but in the no neck department he gives Gladstone Small a run for his money.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/return-to-mcg-rekindles-memories-of-ashes-debut/2006/12/26/1166895297822.html
ScottWoodward.me said | February 24th 2010 @ 11:37am | Report comment
Hahahah…..have you heard the joke: “what has no neck, black and comes in a white box?”
Sam said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:45am | Report comment
As a finisher he is as good as anyone else, but everything else he does is a step up. His chasing game is fantastic, and defense is really solid. Even his work at the ruck is pretty good. He reads the game better than anyone in either code which is why he gets so many intercepts. Hard to fault him (apart from those shoulder pads!).
DST said | February 24th 2010 @ 7:51am | Report comment
Wing skills have been undervalued and underrated in Australia for years, probably since Campo, and we’ve lacked wingers with the kind of try-scoring ability of Habana. Instead we’ve favoured the league-style wingers who tend to be bigger and stronger but lack the ability to get outside their man.
One of the positives about Robbie Deans is that he does appreciate the role of the winger and he has been looking to play specialists, rather than just shifting a centre out there.
True Tah said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:02am | Report comment
DST
there is a world of difference between league wingers and union wingers. Wendell Sailor was without doubt the best winger in RL before he came to RU, because he was relatively fast for a big bloke, strong and knew his channels.
In union, wingers need to understand the play and position themselves accordingly – i.e. the ability to sniff out tries, they need to be able to kick as well. Having said that, Habana would be wasted in RL IMO.
As far as wingers go, the best union wingers Ive seen would be Lomu, Campese, Kirwan, Caucau (when he was fit and not being lazy), Jason Robinson, Habana and Ngwenye (that try he scored was priceless). Lote was up there as well.
In league, the best wingers Ive seen are Wendell Sailor, Noa Nadruku, Dale Shearer (although he also played at fullback).
Sam said | February 24th 2010 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Caucau was incredible. Never seen a winger like him (in either code), only behind Lomu in the freak factor.
anopinion said | February 24th 2010 @ 10:07pm | Report comment
Have you forgotten Ben Tune?
dave said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:13am | Report comment
The best wingers I’ve seen.
1. John Kirwin
2. Brian Lima
3. David Capese
4. Bryan Habana
5. Rubeni Caucau
6. Jonah Lomu.
7. Joeli Vindiri
8. Napolioni Nalaga.
9. Jeff Wilson
10. Jason Robinson
11. Afato So’oalo
12. Sitiveni Sitivatu
Lee said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:37am | Report comment
To me Sitivatu is too lazy to be considered up there. Yes he has pace and can finish but he is reluctant to look for work and reluctant to drop back in defense.
True Tah said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Lee
if you think Sivivatu is lazy what do you think of Caucau?
Brian Lima was one tough tackler, I think they called him the Chiropractor, he moved peoples bones.
Lee said | February 24th 2010 @ 9:02am | Report comment
To be honest, I havent seen a lot of Caucau. I just don’t rate lazy wingers, to me Howlett was better than Sivivatu
Rusty said | February 24th 2010 @ 9:31am | Report comment
From memory Lima played more in the centres
Sam Taulelei said | February 24th 2010 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Brian played predominantly as a winger throughout his career, he only moved infield when his top end pace began to drop a la Tana Umaga, towards the latter stages of his career.
Rusty said | February 24th 2010 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
Cheers Sam – didnt realise it, I only ever remembered him squaring people up in the mid field! Odd given I first recall us playing Samoa in the ’95 world cup but I dont recall any of the players…too caught up in the moment I guess
Short-Blind. said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Dave, fairly kiwi centric list albeit all of them were/are very good wingers. I think Ben Tune (and perhaps Joe Roff) at their peak have to be in that list somewhere. You also must consider how good the team/backline they were feeding off were. JK played during a period of almost absolute AB dominance. Yes he was very good but may not have shone quiet as much in another era. Not sure how BL rates above Campo? Agree with posters that at present Habana is well above the other contenders and it has most to do with his acceleration, attitude and all round rugby skills that see him read the game better than most other wingers.
True Tah said | February 24th 2010 @ 9:58am | Report comment
Joe Roff for mine went missing in defence and was a heart attack waiting to happen at times, certainly a mercurial player and I wouldnt put him up there with the other bokes.
anopinion said | February 24th 2010 @ 10:10pm | Report comment
Joe Roff was not only a very good winger, he also had the skills to play at 10 if needed.
Jim Wilson said | February 28th 2010 @ 8:46pm | Report comment
Didn’t you ever see Martin Offiah play?
My best three Offiah, Lomu & Irvine.
IMO view Habana is about the same as Natham Merrit & Mat Bowen.
ballboy said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Please – Lote doesn’t deserve to be on the same page as Lomu, Campese, Kirwan, Robinson, Habana. All these blokes were great for different reasons. Campo revolutionised the wing position and the way he read a game and his angled running was second to none for his era. Just don’t ask him to tackle. Lomu was a truck with skills and speed who, on his day (and he had many) was impossible to stop. I think Habana is poetry in motion – lightning speed, great angles, about a second ahead of the game with vision and solid defense.
BUT – I think Billy Slater from ‘the other game’ is as good as I’ve seen in either code for a very long time. With the exception of Lomu who was just a freak of an athlete – how someone can be that big as well as being quick, good balls skills etc is a once in a Mal Maninga lifetime – Slater does some amazing things on the park and has done consistently for years. Not many can split a defense like he can. I’m a huge fan of Habana but I also watch league to see Slater play.
Short-Blind. said | February 24th 2010 @ 8:50am | Report comment
BB totally agree on Slater – very similar skill set as Habana. He is the one of the few reasons I still watch SOO.
ScottWoodward.me said | February 24th 2010 @ 11:41am | Report comment
Slater is playing in the World Club Challenge in England on Sunday.