Wallabies need more than just mongrel

On Friday night, I watched the Auckland-Taranaki AirNZ game played in the kind of weather that took me straight back to the images of the old Athletic Park on a bad day. Playing a game like this one (Auck won 10-0) teaches all you need to know about playing like a mongrel consistently. The posts were dancing a merry jig; the wind was blowing passes behind players, the rain made the ground so sodden that grubber kicks would stop dead abruptly; balls that did get a bounce often PICKED UP speed because of the wind, it was night, wet, muddy, and the players demonstrated the most speed when they were getting off the ground. The stadium may have been crude by today's retractable roof standards but it ensured you played what was in front of you. None of this `let's close the roof because the weather's not right' stuff. The game required you to fight for every inch of ground and to never let up. Every point scored was morally worth three. You had to play smart, fight for posession, dominate territory and never give up until the fulltime whistle goes -- in other words, qualities that Deans wants to see in his charges.

Fair play Bay, I'll eat with flankers!

Bob, not front row players, all forwards. Each to their own.

Nah... not convicned. You can call yourself pigs, but trust me on the fact that no-one else in the world uses the term for front row players. And it's nothing to do with humour mates... front row can call themselves what they want, we earned it... we sit at the same table... and we often call each other much worse... but only front row players are allowed in that club, along with time served locks.

"maybe it’s an aussie thing… and maybe it explains why you dont produce front row forwards of note or standing" What, lose the sense of humour and start taking ourselves too seriously, and we'll start playing well in the front row? That would make us ... England. No thanks. :)

And a try is a meat pie!!!

I was a 2nd rower, coming into the game as an adult. The term was one used by the forwards themselves. I understood immediately what it meant. It's a badge of honour. We'd use it to fire each other up. "Come on pigs!!!" When you used it, you knew who you were talking to, and it wasn't anyone with a 9 or higher on their back. We get in the mud, and root for the ball. We'd get dirty, and love hating it. Can you imagine the backs calling themselves something similar? Princesses indeed! :)

well yes it is an aussie thing. im playing under 20's rugby here in aus and im a flanker/8 and pigs is just what we refer to all forwards as. pigs piggies. its what we call each other. before kick of our captain who is our hooker will always yell "fire up piggies!!" its not ment as a derogatory term. forwards are big boys. they need to be. its just the way it is. i dont take offense to the term and neither should you! and it probably came about as a nickname because they get down and dirty rather than because theyre fat. i doubt youve played rugby at all if youve never heard some friendly banter between forwards and backs. princess.. fairy.. pretty boy.. "what hair gel are you using today?" there were two very funny coaches at my high school, one forward and one back and their joke went: "everyone knows forwards are the more important players" "yes i completely agree!- otherwise who would dance with the ugly chicks at the pub?" nuff said?

Interesting... I played front row for 30 years, until just 5 years ago, I coach to rep level. and am closely related to several professional union props in the north, one international and one GB league player... and I never heard anyone call any one of us a pig... nor the backs princesses for that matter... I played in NZ and SA too, and never heard the term used... maybe it's an aussie thing... and maybe it explains why you dont produce front row forwards of note or standing. And nemo... I've propped against true greats... including Jason Leonard, and alongside him in the days of the am game... I know my sport... it is also my passion... so don't patronize me. No-one called me a pig, and you wouldn't now if you were within reach, trust me on that.

Bob - I can't think of one front row forward of my acquaintance who doesn't revel in the name "pigs". In fact, one club I know has a club-within-a-club for front rowers only. They have their own club jerseys with their own logo - a muddy pig.

lol @ captain nemo.

Matt there are certainly a few of those in the Wallabies pack!! Pea-hearts and egos bigger than Ben Hur!

bob, forwards are called pigs, backs are called princesses, referree is called sir, ball is called the pill, a kick straight up is called a box and the last training session before a game is called a captains run. You are now ready to take over Rebecca Wilsons job.

You played any rugby Bob? Pigs is the affectionate name for the forwards. It all about nose down getting stuck in (at the breakdown and trough). No rugby forward (myself included) would ever have been offended by the term. It was a badge of honour (and meant we didn't have combs in our socks). But perhaps this is the problem though, the current Wallaby forwards don't like the moniker. Could I suggest a new one: 'New Age Nuturing Chiefs In Every Sense .............or NANCIES for short.

That is the traditional name for forwards. If you are put off by something as silly as a generic name then you most likely don't belong in the pack at all, let alone the front row. Respect is earned. Respect is when the backs come in and congratulate the forwards for turning the ball over at the scrum or for stopping the opposition 5m lineout drive. Big boys have a valid place in rugby. More of a place than in many other games.

I'm sure big boys are just champing at the bit to join the ranks of what you term "pigs".... first learn to respect what the big boys are, what they bring, and how hard they train, then maybe one of them be kind enough to educate in what it takes to be a front row forward. Front row players are developed from the age of 8 or 9, not over night, and unless you have a culture where the big boys have a valid place and respect, you wont get them to stay in the game... start by not calling them pigs.

Deans appears to have gone for the 'hard working' angle with alot of his team selections this year, ie Richard Brown, and is obviously part of the creed he is trying to instill in the team. But the Brown experiment doesnt seem to have paid off, neither does the ethic! Plan B?