Returning NSW Waratahs backrower Jack Dempsey has been compared to former Tahs and Test captain Rocky Elsom by the current skipper of both those teams.
Dempsey on Saturday will play his first Super Rugby match in 19 months when he runs out in the unfamiliar No.8 position in the opening round clash with the Hurricanes in Sydney.
He’s played in a competitive game more recently for Australia than his state side, after a hamstring injury sidelined him for the entire 2018 Super Rugby campaign.
Dempsey suffered the knock just prior to the Wallabies’ 2017 spring tour and was out for almost a year before returning in the NRC last September.
He performed well enough to earn a spot on the Spring Tour on which he earned four caps, the last three as a starter in his familiar position of blindside flanker.
With Tahs coach Daryl Gibson wanting both Dempsey and fellow Wallaby Ned Hanigan as starters, he opted to name the former in the No.8 jersey and the latter on the flank.
“He (Dempsey) also brings that ball carry aspect to his play that we desperately need,” Gibson said.
NSW and Wallabies captain and openside flanker Michael Hooper said he was pumped to see 24-year-old Dempsey back playing for the Tahs.
“He’s really grown a nice combination with Ned in last week’s trial,” Hooper said.
“He’s very explosive, and then some real finesse.
“He sometimes looks a bit like Rocky Elsom when he runs the ball, and he’s got some on-field attributes with some of the skills that he can pull out that there really are some similarities there.
“What comes to mind though is his ball-carrying ability.”
Asked if Dempsey was as kooky as the sometimes quirky Elsom, Hooper chuckled and said: ” No, I won’t judge there, but he’s certainly great for our team on and off the field.”
Although Hooper rarely misses a game unless injured, he welcomed the rotation and management of Wallabies players in a World Cup year.
“It’s not playing on my mind, I think it’s a really good thing,” Hooper said.
Hooper wasn’t concerned that he and several of the Tahs’ other Wallabies stars including Bernard Foley, Israel Folau and Sekope Kepu, didn’t play in either of their trials.
“We’ve made a really concerted effort to try and get our load right in training, get our physical level up in training,” Hooper said.
“We’ve been doing a bit more contact in the weeks going in.”
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Considerably smaller than Schalk Burger, and not actually that much bigger than McCaw. He’s still slightly bigger than average, but he could definitely play at 7 if he had to.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Kolisi - 188cm Cane - 189cm Savea - 188cm O’Brien - 188cm Warburton - 188cm Curry - 185cm. I don’t see your point - all these guys are roughly Dempsey’s height, and Dempsey is still a lot closer to those guys in size than he is to Rocky. Dempsey’s still a bloke who looks capable of playing 6 and 7.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
In fact in Rocky's era Dempsey would have been a very big 7. In 2019 he basically just fits in that list.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And outside Hooper and Smith, the guys that are regularly chosen at 7 are all closer to Rocky's size than the following were: - Phil Waugh - Neil Back - Tom Rees - Steffon Armitage - Shane Jennings - Martyn Williams We are basically the only major nation that regularly selects sub-185cm back rowers now.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
- David Pocock - Sean McMahon - Michael Hooper - Matt Todd - Sam Cane - Ardie Savea - Sean O’Brien - Dan Leavy - Jaco Kriel - Siya Kolisi - Kwagga Smith These are guys closer to Dempsey’s size, than to Rocky’s.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Why? RHP was chosen and played at 7 in a back row of Timani, RHP and Mafi. But that's the point Fionn, they are no longer generally smaller, lighter. In many cases the openside is bigger than the blindside. Boks have used Kolysi and blindside and Louw at 7, Louw the bigger option. England for a period used Haskall at 7 and the smaller Robshaw at 6. O'Mahony and SOB are almost identical dimensions. Him and Leavy are identical in height and weight. The smaller 7, or most so I think, the distinct back row positions, are being phased out.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
All of those guys, with the exception of Steyn, are closer to 190cm than to 197cm. They’re all closer to David Pocock than to Luke Jones. To refer to RHP as a 7 is just silly. Locks have gotten taller and heavier in general. All players have. However, 7s are still generally smaller, lighter guys than 6s and 8s. And definitely smaller than locks.
Russ
Guest
Cottrel is twice the plyer Dempsey is. Demspey is consistently soft at the tackle area, which is my real gripe with him. Angus is a mongrel at everything, it`s unfortunate he wears a dark blue jersey not a baby blue one.
Eugene
Guest
And Hooper....
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Haskell is 193cm and 120kg. Francois Louw 190cm and 114kg. Yacouba Camara is 194cm. Dan Leavy is 191cm and 107kg. Braam Steyn 194cm and 117kg. In fact Ross Haylett-Petty was used at 7 last year. Simply because I think teams are now more likely (especially at international level) to use a 2nd 6/8 as opposed to a 2nd 7. Everybody is fit so they select size. Consider that Reuben Thorne's career overlapped with Rocky's. He was a lock/6. And he was 192cm and 107kg.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Really? I can’t think of a single 7 in any tier 1 international team, or even a top club team, that is on the verge of being the size of a lock.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
The trolls were getting hungry
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Headline: “Unattributed paid-by-the-word writer wrings a few pars out of a throwaway line by a football player and pads the rest out with unrelated fluff”
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I think a 197cm 112kg 7 would be a lot more normal in 2019 than it would have been in 2009 though.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I think there has always been a range. McCaw and Smith played very differently to Burger. 7s are still guys about 178-190 or so cm tall, and around 100-110kg.
Rugby wizard
Guest
Dempsey along with Coleman are the most overrated players in the wallaby setup. I would pick Arnold and Philip over Coleman for the wallabies and Cotterill is a much better player than Dempsey.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah purely because he's always injured haha. I don't completely agree with your second comment - because I think the role of a "7" has changed since Elsom's time. Geez he was great in his prime. You wouldn't know much about that being a Brumbies fan though.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
You mean because he’s in the sideline, right? Because I don’t think Elsom was the sort of guy who could just as easily have switched to 7, which I think Dempsey could.
Azza
Guest
Cheikas speciality is picking underdone players ( Mostly Waratahs ) or players who are clearly not up to test standard.( Definatley Waratahs )
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I reckon Hooper is spot on. Plays just like Elsom. Spends most of the time on the sideline injured unfortunately.