What a tragedy that Jonah Lomu’s career was cut short. The youngest ever All Black, he was incomparable as a powerhouse of a player, leaving a path of destruction virtually every time he touched the ball. And sometimes even when he didn’t. What were the attributes that made him so unique? His size. Yes. His acceleration? Yes. His fearlessness. Without a doubt. But it was his balance I think that really set him apart. Defenders would attempt to knock him off his feet, only for the surging Lomu to somehow maintain his posture and cut a swathe through towards the tryline. Has their been a more damaging player before or since? Let us know your thoughts.
T
Guest
I noticed with interest in the last pieces of footage that it was Greegan who suceesfully brought him to ground.
Mitch
Guest
So what? He never scored against Fiji or Wales either. And only scored once against Argentina and Samoa. Yes it is amazing, but it in no way reduces the impact he had on any of the 12 games he played against South Africa. Tries dont always mean input.
Ben
Guest
Amazing things is Lomu never scored against the Boks,ever.
matta
Guest
Mike Catt is most likely the most over rated player of the professional era FULLSTOP
Roger
Guest
In Capetown 1995 Jonah Lomu rearranged the English winger Mike Catts centre of gravity . At a press interview after the match Catt said something along the lines of, "trying to tackle Jonah Lomu 's like trying to tackle a billiard table"
matta
Guest
128kg, 196cm, 10.8second 100m.. enough said...
matta
Guest
yeah no question he was one of the greatest athletes of all time..
Zolton
Editor
If the YouTube pictures had continued they would have shown Jonah Lomu scoring the try, almost tip-toeing his way down the sideline past Stephen Larkham to score the winning try. On his day, before his problems with kidneys depowered him, Lomu was the most devastating runner with the ball in hand in the history of the game. One of the tries on the video shows him bowling over Tim Horan, not an easy thing to do. His story reveals, too, the redemptive power of sport. His uncle was beheaded at Manakau City. Jonah got himself a scholarship to Wesley College. He was such an outstanding athlete that he once won the inter-college sports trophy for his age group by winning virtually every event. He was playing for the NZ Sevens at Hong Kong, and starring, when he was 16. He was played on the wing for the All Blacks because he was considered too young to play at number 8, his usual position. He played at number 8 for the NZ Schoolboys in a memorable match at the SFS. Jeff Wilson and Lomu starred for the NZers but it was the image of Lomu running down the middle of the field with that characteristic loping stride, with what seemed a dozen Australian players clinging to him like Lilliputians going for a ride with Gulliver that remains in the memory. If his health had not packed up so early in his career, he would have been the most devastating forward in the history of rugby. The greatest thing about Lomu, though, has been the wonderfully brave and positive way he has handled his illness. No regrets. No whingeing. Just courage and what Ernest Hemingway described as the epitome of style: 'grace under pressure.'
Barry
Guest
The footage of Jonah sent me back to the drawing board, Spiro. Every now and then I jot down my all-time world rugby 15 and stare at it wondering if my memory has got it right. I have to rely on recall as few players in the last several seasons have challenged for a position in my team of rugby gods. Not being able to be in the grandstand of various countries in certain years I have to include those players seen only on TV even though TV coverage lets you watch only what the director wants you to watch and is, therefore, not totally reliable. Nevertheless, I have a good grasp of my personal favorites. But seeing that a rugby team lets you have just 15 players, my dilemma is who to choose for my two wingers as the rest of the positions don’t keep me awake. Bottom line is, I can’t choose just two wingers. I’m no spring chicken, and have seen a lot of players including Ron Jarden who made my jaw drop with his astonishing ability to hit top gear within a few steps. But how can I drop Ron in favor of Campo who brought me to my feet so many times with his marvelous broken field running? And how can I drop Campo in favor of Jonah whose destructive charges amazed us all? And seeing that sheer speed is a requisite for all great wingers, I’ve got to find a spot for the Welsh rocket, Gerald Davies. Whoa, could that guy shift! Is age gilding the memories? A little bit, maybe. But I kind of think that if Loti was ever transported by a time machine, and found himself trying to stop Edgar Stapleton - who had a jaw like Superman, thighs like a Morton Bay fig tree, and was extremely fast - Loti would have been left a crumpled wreck. Spiro, you would have done me a favor had you posted a video of fine fullbacks. None of them, not even the great Christian Cullen, would have displaced Serge Blanco for me. But two wingers? Too tough.
Laurence Olivier
Guest
Never scored a try against the Boks.