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Fastest Player

Who is Fastest??


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Damn he's fast! Might have to start watching more Sevens. Carlin Isles. I'm going to remember that name. I hope one day the USA start taking rugby seriously and their elite athletes give it a go.

The espn scrum writer Tom Hamilton wrote a nice article about him (and Isles is one of the nicest rugby players on twitter btw):

"I've never seen anyone that quick on a rugby field ever ever, XVs or Sevens. I don't think anyone else has either." - Nigel Starmer-Smith

There has been a long-standing debate in rugby circles concerning just who the quickest player in the world is. That question now has an indisputable answer.

While it has not attracted as many hits as Gangnam Style, you have probably seen the video of a certain USA Sevens team member in action - to date 2,233,684 have. Carlin Isles has only been playing rugby for about four months but he has already propelled himself into the public eye. And he is adamant that he can "get faster, bigger and stronger" - a worrying statement for the rest of rugby when he is already comfortably the quickest player tearing up the world stage, a stage which could have been at the Olympics had fate taken a different path.

If you hark back six months then he was focused on London 2012. The 23-year-old was preparing for the Olympic trials in the 100metres. His personal best of 10.13sec would have been enough to get him into the semi-finals of the Games but instead he surrendered any hope he had of running out in the Olympic Stadium to focus on rugby.

The impact has been immediate and rapid. He first ran out onto the field for the USA development side in the Victoria 7s tournament in Atlantis back in July. The Sevens crowd immediately embraced him as one of the new stars of the sport with Isles' pace unmatched in the short-form of the game. It has been a quick learning curve for Isles, but it is one that he is relishing after his first chance encounter with rugby.

"I was getting ready for the Olympic trials and I was on the computer watching and studying other running techniques," Isles told ESPN. "Then I clicked on rugby, it just popped up. I started watching more and more videos and I thought 'Yep, I'll be pretty good at that'.

"I had heard of XVs but did not know much about Sevens but once I had watched the videos, I knew it was for me. So then I hit up Nigel Melville (CEO of USA Rugby) - I emailed him and I did not expect a response. I was getting ready for the Olympics but then I got a phone call the next morning and I was really surprised. I had a chat with him and he called Alex Magleby (USA Sevens head coach) and four days later I went off to Colorado to train there. I then got invited to play on the US development tour to Canada and I tore it up there so I managed to get into the USA team."

And one thing that is certain with Isles, is that he is not short of confidence. He had toyed with the idea of going into NFL - he seems built to be a wide receiver and was scouted during College. "My skills are good, so it would be no problem" was his answer when questioned about whether he would have been a success in the American sport. And when asked about how far he would have gone in the 2012 Olympics, you get a similarly bullish response.

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"I'd have at least made it to the semi-final or maybe the final. My best bet would have been the 2016 Olympics as I'm still young and still new to track and field so I would have peaked at 26. But the goal is now to go to those Olympics with the USA team."



"People still have to catch me and if they have seen my speed before, that is only going to get quicker"



While learning a new sport is hard enough, Isles also had to adapt his training pattern. He was used to track-orientated work and also breaks in-between sprints. Rugby training is an altogether different entity. "We barely rest, I'll tell you that much" is how he sums up the whole process and he continues: "It's pretty tough, there is a lot of running.

"I knew the concept of it but I did not know how I'd fit in. But my intentions are to be the fastest rugby player in the world and one of the greatest. I had vision and thought 'you know what I'm going to do it'."

And it is hard to doubt him. Isles sought council of US Eagles speedster Taku Ngwenya, along with Eagles back-row Todd Clever, when he first embarked on his rugby adventure and there are immediate comparisons with the Biarritz winger who is also blessed with electric pace. Ngwenya told Isles "man you're the fastest rugby player in the world" but with that sort of status, comes pressure.

There is no doubt that Isles is now a marked man on the Sevens circuit. Such is sport's propensity with 'tall poppy-syndrome', there will be a host of critics and potentially players, who want to put this new sensation back in his place. But Isles is not concerned by this.

USA's Carlin Isles tries to evade the Portugal tackler, South Africa Sevens, HSBC Sevens World Series, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, December 8
Carlin Isles tries to evade the Portuguese defender while turning out in South Africa © IRB
Enlarge

"It is part of the learning process and it motivates me. I know that opponents will try and catch me and pummel me but I have other weapons. My coach and team-mates are there for me and I will get bigger, get faster and get stronger. People still have to catch me and if they have seen my speed before, that is only going to get quicker. I also have a step and I have more steps that people haven't yet seen.

"I can plant off the right and then go left, I can make you stop and as soon as you stop I can go right past you. I can quick right between you, pick it up and run - I can also kick deep and chase. I can spin off you and I have also got a pirouette so there is a lot yet to be used."

The rugby world is yet to see the Isles' steps that he has in his locker, but it has witnessed him scoring tries on the HSBC Sevens World Series stage. The series was first exposed to Isles in fifth match of the Gold Coast Sevens - the first meeting of the season. Isles was introduced as a second-half substitute in the USA's match with New Zealand and 46 seconds later he had his first try. And when you talk to Isles about that moment, his whole persona lights up.

"Oh man it was amazing. When I got my first try it was great - the crowd was big and making lots of noise. The stadium was bouncing and I thought 'yeah I could get used to this'."

There is no doubting that Isles still has a long way to go. He should be wary of being a one-hit wonder, he has now got the following, but with that comes the pressure to living up to expectation. But if his confidence manifests itself into form, then rugby may well have seen the birth of a new star. He admits that playing in XVs, like his hero Ngwenya, is an attractive option, but first he has to prove himself on the Sevens stage.

The current IRB Sevens Series is in its infancy, we are only three tournaments into the season, and so is Isles. But if Isles continues in a similar vein to how he has started, then there is no doubting that while he missed out on the 2012 London Games, he could be one of the stars of Rio 2016 when rugby takes centre stage.

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http://www.espnscrum.com/sevens-2012/rugby/story/174775.html
 
Nick, you the fcking man!!! Roger Randle ya!!!

Cullen aka pakakariki express till this day is still my rugby hero... but I never knew he caught Vunibaka from behind :O I'm gonna try look for the vid now... WOW!!!

ya I know what you saying regarding the judging of player speed...

on banana, I don't like him at all... he has pace and that is about it... his high work rate makes him look a bit better (like wayne rooney)... his defence is poor one on one... he can catch up to someone from behind and then bring him down with is a bit easier... he can't pass, has little ball skills... I don't want to go off topic as this thread is about pace... but if I had too choose between a guy like Cory Jane and banana, i'll go for Jane without thinking twice... Jane is a lot slower (maybe not) but is brilliant in all other departments where banana is not...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_iAQXyDJns

lol have you seen the vid of banana vs the cheetah :D funny ****... banana is already on pace and they let loose this cheetah... after a seconds you could see the cheetah starts too realize... hey why the @#%@#$ i'm I running here... and the cheetah actually start to look around :D plus they shoot from behind after the cheetah is let lose... now how can you judge who won???

this cheetah goes 0-60 in 3seconds... and they claim banana beat it :lol:

Haha that video is the most ridiculous thing I have seen in ages. What a waste of money.
 
If you're interested - someone uploaded a Roger Randle tribute a couple of months ago - the only reason I know this is cause I was looking for footage myself for a very long time (very few old Waikato and S12 Chiefs games are up on Youtube, had to go through NPC season try highlights from like 1999-2004 to get a handful of footage, so this vid was pretty interesting to me). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm5rh3t2Of4

In terms of the Vunibaka from behind - I'll take a look and see if I can find it. It was a Wellington game so it's a bit tricky to find - but here is one video where Cullen gets very close to Vunibaka on his second try (Vunibaka had a too big a head start). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mfMrsaX1sc - worth remembering Cullen at this stage had knees that were more or less shot, despite being a very good last season.

You may also like this if you haven't seen it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIPD1KoZ44U (features Vunibaka, Cullen and Lomu in the 2000 NPC final - which Wellington won. And haven't since <_<).

on the Roger Randle vid... I love the way he runs with ball in hand but somehow manage to retain his speed... that is not easy to do... if you run like that with ball in hand the natural running movement actually make your arms swing from side to side... this confuses opposition as they don't know which direction you going to pass... that is pure rugby skill.. and its the small things you do that makes you a great player!!! that is why I hate it when a player runs with the ball under his arm IF the tryline is not clear in front of him... if you have defenders infront run with ball in hand...

on the Cullen vs vunibaka vid... damn Cullen is quick... ok he had the angle on Vuni in the 2nd try but just look at Cullen's pace... Culley looks quicker!!! wow

on the wellington final... nice :D Lomu was actually fast as well, just needed a 50m running start before hitting top gear unlike Cullen acceleration out of the block... what a team... Cullen, umaga, alitini etc wow!!!

Nic, I don't know if you can remember but I think it was in 2000 where the Hurrincanes played against the Bulls or NSW... where the canes were on their tryline defending then the canes won a turnover in play and through it to Cullen... Cullen then move laterally and through a dummy pass.. the gap infront of him then opened up and he went through and ran the entire 100m... however on the 25m line there was a prop or hooker and Cullen played with him... he stepped left then right... left then right and went around him... all that while the rest of his team where still chasing including the opposition... and no, its not the NSW try of Cullen on youtube... I know I checked...

on the other hand... I also remember one year, the canes almost made the playoffs... they had to win their final game, I can't remember who... it think this was in 2002/03 after culley's knee issues :( in anycase... the hurrinces were behind by a few points and ran in a try in the dying minutes of the game... it was Cullen... he ran till behind the post and when he wanted to actually ground the ball he knocked it on... canes where out... :(

p.s Umaga also knocked the ball on behind the try line... sure you remember that one...
 
Yeah used to love watching Cullen in his prime. There are very few players who can sidestep and not lose much pace.
 
This site claims that Carlin Isles, mentioned before in this thread a bunch lately, is trying out for Leinster:

http://www.balls.ie/rugby/is-super-..._source=twitter#sthash.Q6TmBqXS.ywg4IxWl.dpbs

Would be interesting, I'm in two minds about it. On one hand he has bags and bags of pace which in 7's means he can run around people with all that space. On the other hand XV's you get considerably less space and wingers need to rely on things like positional awarness, defensive positioning, kicking and catching, all of which take more than a few months to become good. He's also a very small bloke. Love seeing very quick guys get a shot, but it's certainly unlikely he'll star for them.

Also - he wants to play in the Olympics in 2016, will he be able to play 7's while on a XV's contract? Like I said - interesting if true.
 
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**** me...

That would be interesting..If I'm being honest I can't see him getting in ahead of some of the technically gifted players that have been molded and groomed in the adacemy for years...but hey stranger things have happened.

Also gambling an NIQ slot on him would be risky...and we have a wing NIQ already.


The more I think the more improbable an idea this becomes.
 
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**** me...

That would be interesting..If I'm being honest I can't see him getting in ahead of some of the technically gifted players that have been molded and groomed in the adacemy for years...but hey stranger things have happened.

Also gambling an NIQ slot on him would be risky...and we have a wing NIQ already.


The more I think the more improbable an idea this becomes.

Yeah he may be quick, but that's only one out of 4 or 5 important skills he would need to have. And that's not even taking into consideration things like positional play. Wing is one of the hardest positions to play, especially from a positional perspective. For example a scrum on the half way line, with a huge blind side, a wing that does not have years of experience could easily be found out. Too flat, they kick, too deep they run, too close to the scrum, they draw and pass or wrap. Potentially he could score lots of tries, but I would imagine his defensive frailties (speculating here) and inexperience would result in a lot of leaked tries. A decent 10 can make an inexperienced winger or fullback look like a complete cÃœnt. Also there are lots of techniques a team and players can employ to reduce the impact a very quick guy can have (well at 15s anyway).
 
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Not really. He played American football, so can tackle and take a hit pretty well.

Did you really just make that comment? American Football (otherwise known as American Padball) is one of the least physical sports I have ever played... and I'm only a widdle halfback.
 
Not really. He played American football, so can tackle and take a hit pretty well.

He's a running back, so has probably never put in a single tackle in his life. They have offensive & defensive teams.
 
Check it out if you like, this blog writer lists the fastest at each position in what would be a swift XV if ever did see one...

http://rugbyonslaught.blogspot.ie/2013/01/rugby-onslaughts-fastest-xv.html?m=1

Leaving aside my disapproval of the positional looseness - Kankowski ain't an openside and Monye really isn't a 13 - and the idea that specialist 7s players are proper rugby players*, that's not too far off.

*I'll take some flak for this but by now the games are so divergent I honestly don't they should be included unless they have serious 15s time as well.
 
He's a running back, so has probably never put in a single tackle in his life. They have offensive & defensive teams.
Unless his QB is Mark Sanchez/Tony Romo, in which case then he'd have decent tackling practice. :p
 

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