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The 2008 Tri-Nations continued a tradition dating back several decades – namely that of each country trying to field some huge men in the second row to power up the scrum and try to dominate the lineout.
Early on, we saw Boks stalwarts Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha briefly continue their partnership for South Africa. Not only are Botha and Matfield an ideal combination skills-wise, they are also seriously big men. Matfield is 2.01 metres tall (6’7” plus in the old measure) and 110kg; and Botha slightly taller and heavier at 2.02m (6’8”) and 118kg.
The All Blacks put their trust in Ali Williams and Brad Thorn, with Anthony Boric getting a start during Thorn’s suspension. Williams is a similar height to the Boks pair at 2.02m and shades Matfield on the scales at 112kg. Former Brisbane Broncos and now All Black second row Brad Thorn is short by comparison, coming in at a mere 1.95m (6’5”) and 115kg. The newcomer Boric is right on 2.00m (6’6” plus) and laces up the gloves at an athletic 110 kilos.
Looking at figures like that, many feared the Wallabies chances, however they packed some pretty serious beef of their own at various times in Nathan Sharpe (2.00m/6’7” and 115kg) and newcomer James Horwill (2.00m/6’7” and 117kg), with South African-born Dan Vickerman (2.04/6’9” and 117kg) also in the picture.
To put all this height and weight in perspective, the total of any two second-row partnerships is about 450kg which is roughly the weight of a large yearling bull, or just under half a tonne. Laid end to end, any random scrumfull of these second-rowers would be roughly the same length as the world’s largest saltwater crocodile (measured at 8.6 metres, shot in Queensland in 1957) and some may argue, about as much fun to run into on a dark night.
So how do these guys rate alongside other sportsmen for sheer size? Grant Hackett, the Australian swimming champion is not far off in the height stakes, measuring up at 1.97m, which is roughly the same height as former Wallaby second-rower John Welborn and slightly taller than longtime Springbok lock Johann Ackermann.
Tennis champ and tall dude Goran Ivanisevic is approaching second-row height at 1.93m or 6’4”, but his whippy tennis figure of only 81kg is built for speed and endurance, not impact. He’s about one Olsen twin short of rugby weight.
In rugby league, there were few tall and broad enough to compare with Roosters and NSW forward Willie Mason. In rugby union however, Mason is nothing to write home about, coming in at a mere 1.95m (6’5”) and 114kg. Of course, just try telling him that next time he’s running onto a short pass 10 metres out from your line. All Black wannabe Sonny Bill Williams is the baby of this group at a tiny 1.91m (6’3”) and 108kg.
Rowing and rugby share some physical assets, and plenty of rugby second-rowers were also boat rowers in school days. Nathan Sharpe is a good example, rowing in the first VIII at The Southport School.
The leverage equation in rowing means that height is a distinct advantage, although you don’t want to be pulling too much weight around in those flimsy shells, so most rowers are too light to make it in rugby.
Endurance, on the other hand, would be no problem! Four-time Olympic oarsman James Tomkins is up there with Wallaby legend John Eales and Springbok Mark Andrews at 2.00m (6’7”) but would need to pack on some kilos, weighing in at a svelte 96kg.
The obvious place to look for big ‘uns is the American NBA. The great Michael “Air” Jordan would have made a fantastic lineout leaper with or without lifting, but would have been a tad light at 1.98m (6’6”) and only 98kg.
Aussie star Andrew Bogut is better suited at 2.13m (7’0”) and 118kg, but the king of them all is rugby-player-in-waiting Shaquille O’Neal. The Shaq is an utterly massive 2.16m (7’1”) and 147kg. To put this in perspective, he is 6 inches taller and 37 kilos heavier than Victor Matfield!
From the NFL, journeyman Aaron Gibson gets a mention because he holds the dubious record of being one of the first 400 pounders to play professional American football. At 1.98m (6’6”) he compares favourably with rugby second-rowers Rod McCall, Kobus Wiese and Gary Whetton, all of whom were the same height.
It appears that few of them could match Gibson at the breakfast table though – he weighed an incredible 170kg, which is almost exactly two Matt Giteaus.
Luckily for the lineout lifters, there aren’t too many Aaron Gibsons in rugby. But there are still some pretty big pairings.
For the Wallabies, the biggest pair from the last 20 years or so would be former Randwick, NSW and Brumbies lock Warwick Waugh (2.03m/6’8”plus, 122kg) wrapping his arm around league convert Garrick Morgan (2.00m/6’7”, 122kg). Together they outweigh most of today’s Tri-Nations combos by almost 15kg, although neither is quite as tall as Dan Vickerman.
The largest Springboks are probably Bakkies Botha lining up with the equally lofty Adolf Malan (2.04m/6’9”, 110kg), who played the first Test back from the wilderness against the Wallabies in Cape Town in 1992.
For the All Blacks, the giants are the “Big Rigger” Mark Cooksley at 2.05m (6’9” plus) and 125kg, alongside the great Chris Jack at 2.02m (6’8”) and 115kg.
Size is interesting trivia, but rugby people know that the old adage about “fight in the dog” is the ultimate key to winning rugby matches – the tougher the better – and modern players aren’t always the winners.
Former Wallaby Jules Guerassimoff remembers playing against Springbok forward Andy McDonald (1.90m/6’3”, 100kg plus) in the 1960’s and describes McDonald as an “unbelievable specimen of humanity”.
Not only was McDonald big for the time, he was hard too. Guerassimoff recalls hearing that McDonald was in hospital in 1966 following a lion attack. One of McDonald’s workers had been killed by the lion and so McDonald went hunting it on horseback and then, as he got closer, on foot.
Guerassimoff says: “There was a clump of bushes about 15 yards in front of him, and he thought there was no way a lion was ever going to get in there. He took a couple of steps, and this lion charged at him. All Andy had time to do was hold up the rifle into its jaw and fire before it snapped the rifle in half.”
“Andy apparently wrestled this thing for the next half hour, and it virtually had his head inside its mouth. Luckily he had wounded it with the first shot because he kept a hand on each jaw and after a while, it just quivered, rolled over and died.
“Now those were the sorts of guys we had to play against”.