Which players should be the fastest?

[Joni89]

this topic seems to be drawing the same idiotic comments you get on every 'fastest' debate. let's be logical:

Someone with a top speed rating of 100 would have to be Usain Bolt, because he represents as fast as man can go. Based on that, no rugby player should have that kind of speed. Other Olympic standard sprinters would have to be 98/99.

Leigh Halfpenny is Quicker Than Usain Bolt! http://www.magnersleague.com/news/6463.php

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Could he keep it up for 100m though?

Fast acceleration is great, but I guarantee he slows a lot before the end - Halfpenny is pretty short as well, Bolt rather tall, shorter legs = faster acceleration
Bolt takes longer to get up to speed

 

[dan the man]

Yeah, that article basically states that Halfpenny has mad acceleration... and being a Rugby player he's alot more muscular so thats not surprising as he can get his legs pumping alot harder than Usain. But as far as Top Speed is concerned he'd be far from Usain... and Usain can maintain those sorts of speeds over 200m, whereas most Rugby players can barely run at top speed for 80m simply because their bodies are a different shape to a sprinters

These are Usain's best times FYI
100m: 9.58 s
150m: 14.35 s
200m: 19.19 s

 

[Draggs]

Shane Williams is not the fastest player, never has been, not close really.
If we are talking acceleration, there are really none better (as well as changing direction at speed).
Over 20-40M, I am willing to bet Shane will be the first there.

 

[lucky number 7]

David Wallace clocked the fastest acceleration in the irish camp for a couple of years I believe

 

[dan the man]

Shane Williams is not the fastest player, never has been, not close really.
If we are talking acceleration, there are really none better (as well as changing direction at speed).
Over 20-40M, I am willing to bet Shane will be the first there.

Yeah, thats on the money... Sure he's quick, but his real strength lies in his acceleration and agility... and the fact that no one can grab him cause he's so tiny

EDIT: By the way, that was a pretty solid tackle there lucky number 7 :injured:

 

[Draggs]

Yeah, thats on the money... Sure he's quick, but his real strength lies in his acceleration and agility... and the fact that no one can grab him cause he's so tiny

Pretty much
What pretty much summed Shane up was his try v SA in 2008:


Acceleration, Agility, Opposition players on the ground.

 

[lucky number 7]

Yeah, thats on the money... Sure he's quick, but his real strength lies in his acceleration and agility... and the fact that no one can grab him cause he's so tiny

EDIT: By the way, that was a pretty solid tackle there lucky number 7 :injured:

Haha Cheers

And I would agree that the acceleration and agility are just as important as overall pace , its rare for a player to ever be even given 15 metres to run never mind a clean 100

 

[TVH11]

I'm guessing guys like Sivivatu and Shane Williams who are known for being pretty damn quick would fit in to the 90-94 bracket. And Shane Williams fans, you can always max out his acceleration and agility, which are where his real talents lie anyway - straight line speed he'll get burnt by a number of players though.

Hit the nail on the head there. 30 metres, probably be one of the dynamic ("fastest") players in the game , but his top speed wouldn't be as high as most other wingers. If we're working on a scale of a 100 for example his acceleration and agility would be close to max (97 - 100) but his top speed would probably be around 89/90. Which would make him initially one of the quickest players on the pitch (good for inside opponents half), but have a likely chance of being caught up by wingers such as Tommy Bowe etc over 50 metres. I think the "fastest" debate is definitely one that has so many answers. Its been a while since i've done physics, so i will not attempt to embarrass myself openly with my lack of scientific knowledge

 

[TVH11]

Now lets celebrate the great man


2.33 is probably one of my favourite SW moments

 

[Adizero29196]

Lachie Turner is probably the fastest rugby player in Australia....

 

[ranger]

Lachie Turner is probably the fastest rugby player in Australia....

There is the forgotten figure of Brett Stapleton, who is probably quicker than anyone thats been mentioned so far. (And also evidently a much worse rugby player than everyone mentioned so far)

 

[nickdnz]

There is the forgotten figure of Brett Stapleton, who is probably quicker than anyone thats been mentioned so far. (And also evidently a much worse rugby player than everyone mentioned so far)

I'd say Rod Davies is quicker than them both Stapleton and Turner.

 

[Draggs]

I'd say Rod Davies is quicker than them both Stapleton and Turner.

Stapleton has run 100m in 10.69s, Davies was around 10.8 IIRC.

The Wallabies coaching staff said last year that Beale is the quickest in the squad.

 

[lucky number 7]

Quick is an odd word..it can be taken as over the 100 or as fastest acceleration ..I personally associate quick with more the Shane Williams type and fast with the Bowe or Visser type guys ..the big rangy sort of players.

 

[ranger]

I'd say Rod Davies is quicker than them both Stapleton and Turner.

Stapleton had some stupidly fast times. That 10.69 he ran, he actually pulled his hamstring 5-10 metres before the finish line, he hopped and dived over the finish line and still won the race and recorded a 10.69. Thats ridiiiculous. His force bio had his P.B listed as low as 10.3.

Hes one of those cases where they try and make a rugby player out of an athlete though, he couldnt catch, was hesitant as hell, couldn't read a game and would slow down into contact. I dont think he ever made it onto the field at super rugby level..

 

[nickdnz]

Stapleton had some stupidly fast times. That 10.69 he ran, he actually pulled his hamstring 5-10 metres before the finish line, he hopped and dived over the finish line and still won the race and recorded a 10.69. Thats ridiiiculous. His force bio had his P.B listed as low as 10.3.

Hes one of those cases where they try and make a rugby player out of an athlete though, he couldnt catch, was hesitant as hell, couldn't read a game and would slow down into contact. I dont think he ever made it onto the field at super rugby level..

Fair enough, I never really noticed how quick he was. I guess he's a Roger Randle type.

 

[ranger]

Fair enough, I never really noticed how quick he was. I guess he's a Roger Randle type.

I doubt you've seen him play actually. He never got on the field at the force, then moved to the reds and again couldnt get selected in the 22. Then he went to Japan even there he couldnt get much game time at all. Ive only seen shaky cam snippets of him sucking in australian club rugby.

 

[nickdnz]

I doubt you've seen him play actually. He never got on the field at the force, then moved to the reds and again couldnt get selected in the 22. Then he went to Japan even there he couldnt get much game time at all. Ive only seen shaky cam snippets of him sucking in australian club rugby.

I actually remember him playing a few years ago in Dubai. He didn't look lightening, but it was a wet tornement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUn-Qyg1SIM&list=SL
6:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lbnwd7sfmc&list=SL
8:05

 

[Hulk Hogan]

Matt Dunning is by far the fastest eater.