BOD memories

[enby]

https://www.lionsrugby.com/2020/04/18/o ... ith-rugby/

Nice piece on that try for Lions in Australia and on the Great Man.

Its hard to believe that its almost 6 years since he retired. I still half expect to see him in the 13 jersey at kick off. Watching the 2011 Final the other night reminded me of how well he played in that match. Himself and Strauss were not far behind Jonny in the MOTM stakes.

What happened him in NZ in 2005 is one of those sporting Sliding Doors moments that I'd love to reverse.

[JB1973]

BOD was top class , one of the greats of any era. The mark of a really top player is doing it in big games , bod always delivered be it intercept vs munster in hc semi, trys vs wales in a grand slam game or carving the aussies opens for the lions. As a pundit his insight is top class and he reads the game as well as anyone

Nothing else to say about the man just a superb rugby player

[riocard911]

BOD was top class , one of the greats of any era. The mark of a really top player is doing it in big games , bod always delivered be it intercept vs munster in hc semi, trys vs wales in a grand slam game or carving the aussies opens for the lions. As a pundit his insight is top class and he reads the game as well as anyone

Nothing else to say about the man just a superb rugby player

+1. His try vs England 2009, getting a pick and go over the whitewash in the teeth of the England pack, while still reeling after being concussed by Delon Armitage moments before, was the measure of the man: TRUE GRIT!!!!! For me personally it's his greatest moment.

[enby]

Not to mention his drop goal in that match which we won by a point

[Oldschool]

The one incident that really marked BOD out from the pack.
Prelude - Two Aussies taking Trevor Brennan on and basically assaulting him, his mates did SWA about it and I have a vague recollection that Brennan got carded or sent off, even, later in the game.
BOD's first cap as captain was against Australia or SA in Landsdowne Road.
Early on there was a scuffle under the posts.
BOD ran in and clocked one of the opposition.
Think he was a big name too.
We won the game.
Leadership from the front, how many times in his career did BOD show that quality.
I'd love to see a clip of the incident, both incidents in fact.
Please and thanks in advance.

[JB1973]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCVCXiVecl4 a huge hit on a massive man in possibly the most physical game of rugby ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69zRGsI0Yzg takes a huge hit plays on , scott williams hit him so hard he dislocated his own shoulder!

[Flash Gordon]

The one incident that really marked BOD out from the pack.
Prelude - Two Aussies taking Trevor Brennan on and basically assaulting him, his mates did SWA about it and I have a vague recollection that Brennan got carded or sent off, even, later in the game.
BOD's first cap as captain was against Australia or SA in Landsdowne Road.
Early on there was a scuffle under the posts.
BOD ran in and clocked one of the opposition.
Think he was a big name too.
We won the game.
Leadership from the front, how many times in his career did BOD show that quality.
I'd love to see a clip of the incident, both incidents in fact.
Please and thanks in advance.

The altercation took place on the other side of the pitch so the players were not in the vicinity. Andy Ward was first to the scene and piled in. Bizarrely, both Brennan and Kefu were given the same suspension though I don't remember Brennan landing a punch but there were plenty directed at him.

[JB1973]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Og0_C_xks

is the Brenan incident you mean I think

fair to say he lost that one on points but he was tag teamed!

[Flash Gordon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Og0_C_xks

is the Brenan incident you mean I think

fair to say he lost that one on points but he was tag teamed!

There you go, Andy Ward was over quickly. Not sure how Brennan got cited for that, he seemed to be largely acting as the punchbag! On another note, how loose was Keith Wood? WTF was he doing on the wing?

[JB1973]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Og0_C_xks

is the Brenan incident you mean I think

fair to say he lost that one on points but he was tag teamed!

There you go, Andy Ward was over quickly. Not sure how Brennan got cited for that, he seemed to be largely acting as the punchbag! On another note, how loose was Keith Wood? WTF was he doing on the wing?

Off topic slightly but Wood was always great to watch and a great force with the ball in hand. but when it came to getting stuck in rucks/mauls he wasn't the keenest

[Oldschoolsocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Og0_C_xks

is the Brenan incident you mean I think

fair to say he lost that one on points but he was tag teamed!

There you go, Andy Ward was over quickly. Not sure how Brennan got cited for that, he seemed to be largely acting as the punchbag! On another note, how loose was Keith Wood? WTF was he doing on the wing?

Off topic slightly but Wood was always great to watch and a great force with the ball in hand. but when it came to getting stuck in rucks/mauls he wasn't the keenest

Show pony

[Morf]

There you go, Andy Ward was over quickly. Not sure how Brennan got cited for that, he seemed to be largely acting as the punchbag! On another note, how loose was Keith Wood? WTF was he doing on the wing?

Off topic slightly but Wood was always great to watch and a great force with the ball in hand. but when it came to getting stuck in rucks/mauls he wasn't the keenest

Sergio Parisse of his day then?

[enby]

I have my misgivings about Wood as a pundit but he was an outstanding player. He played a crucial role in the winning Lions tour of 1997 and he carried that poor Ireland side on his back during the late 90s. Despite his pedigree as son of an Ireland and Lions prop, he was never fully respected by some in Irish rugby probably because he played the bulk of his club rugby abroad.

Returning on topic, BOD's transformation from the speed merchant of his early career to the hard yards man (as in his tries v England and Wales in 09) was extraordinary and he never lost the poacher's instinct to be in the right place at the right time to take the inside pass or scoop the loose ball to score. Garry Ringrose has that knack too and it is absolutely invaluable in the modern game.

[JB1973]

BOD Sella and Gerber the stand out 13's in my life time with Conrad smith just a step behind.

Gerber is forgotten due to his lack of test games but he was a monster, sella and bod both superb players , great in attack and in defence

The game changed and so did centres roles so BOD had more to his all round game things than sell like his jackling at the breakdown

As an outside I find it hard to split the first 3 although I would imagine as leinster and irish fans BOD must be ranked as the best ever centre if not the best ever rugby player

[Morf]

BOD Sella and Gerber the stand out 13's in my life time with Conrad smith just a step behind.

Gerber is forgotten due to his lack of test games but he was a monster, sella and bod both superb players , great in attack and in defence

The game changed and so did centres roles so BOD had more to his all round game things than sell like his jackling at the breakdown

As an outside I find it hard to split the first 3 although I would imagine as leinster and irish fans BOD must be ranked as the best ever centre if not the best ever rugby player

Does Jauzion come close to those 3 for you out of interest?

I found Smith like Carter. The more you paid attention to details and nuts and bolts of their game the higher regard you held them in.

[JB1973]

BOD Sella and Gerber the stand out 13's in my life time with Conrad smith just a step behind.

Gerber is forgotten due to his lack of test games but he was a monster, sella and bod both superb players , great in attack and in defence

The game changed and so did centres roles so BOD had more to his all round game things than sell like his jackling at the breakdown

As an outside I find it hard to split the first 3 although I would imagine as leinster and irish fans BOD must be ranked as the best ever centre if not the best ever rugby player

Does Jauzion come close to those 3 for you out of interest?

I found Smith like Carter. The more you paid attention to details and nuts and bolts of their game the higher regard you held them in.

Jauzion was a really good player plus he was also a athlete with a great build for rugby but I always thought wales would be able to handle him and he would be a tier below those players (probably alongside the likes of Guscott Jason little and john davies)

Smith say wasn't one of these flashy powerhouse players and I think that led people to underestimate him. However as you point out he was such a good footballer , hardly ever made any mistakes, and he made so much space for those around him he was key to a really good all black side

The ability to do the simple things so well but at such high speed and with so many huge collisions around is priceless at test level

Ben Smith is another who although plays in a different position always seemed to have time and to be able to make the right decisions.

The biggest compliment I can give BOD . Is that he and POC are the two Irish players I have worried about facing the most, in fact I always bet on BOD to score the first try in wales vs Ireland games regardless of where they being played and he came up trumps on a few occasions (including twice in Cardiff!)

[neiliog93]

Jauzion one of the most overrated players of that period IMO. A big guy and an impressive athlete but didn't have the vision or hands he was cracked up as having. Their back three players of that time like Clerc, Heymans, Rougerie, Dominici, Poitrenaud etc. were pretty outstanding though.

[JB1973]

Always baffled me why france have so many great back 3 players and top class centres but were so average at half back especially at 10

Pick your all time French back line and your spoilt for choice until you get to 9 and 10. The current 9 and gallion are the only ones that stand out for me, anyone else remember france insisting on their 9 throwing in to the line and their hooker standing at 9?

bizarre tactics

[Dave Cahill]

I'd guess that the game took a separate evolutionary path in France as a result of them not being part of the british empire and because they were excluded from the international game for significant periods.

Also, because the Top14 is such an old league compared to all the others, it developed it's own style. What we think of as traditional typical french flair was not really traditional or typical in or of the Top14 - and their halfbacks are developed to serve the Top14 style

[JB1973]

But they were churning out centres like maso charvet sella and boneval or back 3 players like blanco lafond esteve lagisquet and then saddling them the likes of berbizer and lescabaro (sp) at half back, they even turned mesnel into a crash ball fly half!

Why so many great 3/4 but so many bang average 9's and 10's ?

Good point about the T14 it is often like watching paint dry, two giant packs bashing the daylights out of each other, the worst of the top 3 leagues in Europe when it comes to providing entertaining rugby