Who is best line breaker?

George North or Robbie Freuan?

Sorry I don't know how to making the poll. But from watching super rugby replay from the weekend I saw Robbie Fruean and understand at last what many others are conversating about him. His two try and set up first try for Crusaders was amazing. I wonder if you think he is better threat at the line than George North or Cuthbert? Now before you getting crazy and attack me about different positions, yes I know is true. But still similar style to the player so I think is fair to compare.

Of course if you think someone else might be better like Sonny Williams or Mani Nonu or Banahan or Tuilagi then let me know also this opinion.

Gio Aplon ,Andre Taylor , Pat Mccabe Kurtley Beale AND JAMES O CONNOR especially James O connor that lad can sidestep and make linebreaks with only 30cm of space

There's a video where JOC steps 6 Sprinkboks in the midst of a packed field within about a metre. Nobody else comes close, as in an elephant isn't even close to the size of a Blue Whale. He makes players like Williams look like clumsy oafs

You guys haven't seen Coenie Oosthuizen step and score?

Ok, it was only one defender.

Matthew Morgan is the best around at the moment. Amazing pace off the mark and creates a gap where there is none.

Best wing line breaker in NH right now is probably Christian Wade.

It is difficult comparing different positions tbh.

The likes of Sonny Bill make half line breaks & have great offloading skills which are probably as effective as one person bursting through a line on his own.

But for shear gas & making use of a small amount of space Wade is unbelievable to watch.

True, SBW makes a different case for line breaks. A line break on its own means nothing without being able to use the advantage of front foot ball to a supporting runner into space.

You can look at Jean de Villiers vs Frans Steyn, both can break the line, but Jean de Villiers doesn't offload.

Gethin Jenkins - Beautiful sidestep

richie gray breaks the line pretty well

Usain bolt wasn't bad at breaking the "line" at the end of his run either.

From what I saw in the 6Ns, Stuart Hogg is another to consider in this - doesn't look like he has the most extravegant sidestep, but he runs great lines at deceptive pace and just seems to go untouched through gaps that other players don't even see. Last player I saw who was as good at this was Cullen: didn't look to have to do very much at the defensive line to suddenly find himself in the open field and leaving defenders in his wake.

Not saying Hogg is as good as Cullen, but just that this ability reminds me of CC (and before than Guscott). Not bad players to be compared with.

Robbie Fruean makes great initial line breaks but then lacks the handling skills to do much with the ball. His passing and offloading game are why he is not a test team regular.

Beale is good at working space where there is none and ditto JOC is fleet footed as well. Manu Tuilagi tends to get over the gainline as do the Gloucester pair JSD and Johnny May. Not sure they are up there with JOC and Beale though.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Robbie Fruean makes great initial line breaks but then lacks the handling skills to do much with the ball. His passing and offloading game are why he is not a test team regular.

...

Fruean's defence is the real reason why he's not a test regular. Though he is guilty at times of running too far on a break, and of trying SBW-style offloads that don't quite work.

I think Tommy Bowe is one of the best around coming in off his wing and making holes in midfield. Invariably ends in a solo try, scoring pass or clever offload to keep the move going.
That Ashton bloke isn't bad either

Dagg, JOC, Freuan or Ioane.

Lomu, wasn't really a line breaker as much as a wall breaker.

Defences seem to be on top in the NH these days.

I'd say Sean O'Brien is one of the best players for making line breaks right now.

He picks great lines and picks out the defenders inside shoulder and when he hits the line at pace hes a hard man to stop.

Faletau, when playing at for the Dragons anyway, has made some amazing line breaks and setup a few tries from his own 10 metere line.

Johnathan Davies and North smashed through the Irish line this Six Nations.

Loads of the Irish boys have been superb in the Heino though

Sean O'Brien- agreed, always breaks the gain line.

I'd pick another Irishman and say David Wallace too- he always gains yards with ball in hand, and is particularly strong off the base of rucks. Great Player.

am shocked that nobody mentionned Paul Sackey !

Maybe not many of us watch the French league ?

BOD is still up there IMO

munkian wrote:Maybe not many of us watch the French league ?

tbh, I think he was much better (and fast) when he was playing in England. he's still has kept some of his side steps that make go round defenders without being even running.

maestegmafia wrote:Matthew Morgan is the best around at the moment. Amazing pace off the mark and creates a gap where there is none.

He's got some potential, but that's a really overblown statement in terms of where he is now. He's nowhere near "the best around". Nowhere near. Miles away.

O'Brien is the best I have ever seen at breaking the line and beating defenders. Hasn't been as effective in that area lately (though he shown glimpses against Clermont), but I think he will be back doing what he does best soon enough!

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Matthew Morgan is the best around at the moment. Amazing pace off the mark and creates a gap where there is none.

He's got some potential, but that's a really overblown statement in terms of where he is now. He's nowhere near "the best around". Nowhere near. Miles away.

he's the best around Swansea

mckay1402 wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Matthew Morgan is the best around at the moment. Amazing pace off the mark and creates a gap where there is none.

He's got some potential, but that's a really overblown statement in terms of where he is now. He's nowhere near "the best around". Nowhere near. Miles away.

he's the best around Swansea

That's more like it! I'll also agree that he's probably the smallest

Line-breaks aren't the same as getting across the gain-line. Back row players wouldn't be the best at line-breaks.

O'Driscoll would be an obvious one.

In case you missed, here is the game highlights I was watching where you can see Fruean burst through on speed, also bust a line and make a great SBW off load at the line finally show good balance to sneaking in down the close. This is what I based my mind on.

There is no highlights of his defending as mention by someone already here. But these other points on his downside show to shame by these proofs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVH2krUjfzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR6kUzhvt9o#t=01m13s

Watch for ~10 seconds. That is incredible

when you watch O'Connor because he does so many brilliant things on his feet,its easy to miss how perfect his timing is when does pass,also when he ran down Tommy Bowe last year in a beaten team in the 79 th minute told us alot about this kid.

I think I have a crush on JOC.

He's also very interesting to watch doing his pre game warm ups,he just goes about it on his own,when Robbie goes over to talk to him he carries on in his own little world barely giving Robbie the odd nod as to what hes being told,Robbie gives up,and decides his time is better spent talking to someone else.

mckay1402 wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Matthew Morgan is the best around at the moment. Amazing pace off the mark and creates a gap where there is none.

He's got some potential, but that's a really overblown statement in terms of where he is now. He's nowhere near "the best around". Nowhere near. Miles away.

he's the best around Swansea

The best a lot further a field than Swansea mate.

The lad has plenty of other facets of his game to work on, but his natural ability to beat players and creat breaks is far and above the best I've seen since David Campese retired.

Any videos to peruse?

Matthew Morgan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhKUG8nv49g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Matt Stevens broke a few lines in his time

RubyGuby wrote:Matt Stevens broke a few lines in his time

aucklandlaurie wrote: when you watch O'Connor because he does so many brilliant things on his feet,its easy to miss how perfect his timing is when does pass,also when he ran down Tommy Bowe last year in a beaten team in the 79 th minute told us alot about this kid.

Totally agree, he reminds me a lot of a young O'Driscoll actually.

Get that kid an Irish passport! .....

maestegmafia wrote:

mckay1402 wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Matthew Morgan is the best around at the moment. Amazing pace off the mark and creates a gap where there is none.

He's got some potential, but that's a really overblown statement in terms of where he is now. He's nowhere near "the best around". Nowhere near. Miles away.

he's the best around Swansea

The best a lot further a field than Swansea mate.

The lad has plenty of other facets of his game to work on, but his natural ability to beat players and creat breaks is far and above the best I've seen since David Campese retired.

Blimey!

James Simpson-Daniel. Next.

Whan we say break the line what do we mean?

There are players that hit the line at a hundred miles an hour and have targeted a gap/Parks.

Then there are fleet footed dancers who beat men around them.

Then there are the |Tonguhuia types who realise when theres no pillar defence and pick up at the base well.

Then there are trail running backs who receive the offload and have too much gas to finish.

All of which are important and there are none who can do all, infact there are none that can do more than one facet really.

The likes of JOC will not take a huge crash in the 12 position without a gap being there.

Tuilagi will not dance around people.

Ashton won't beat a man with anything except a 10 metre headstart.

You get my point!

JOC ball in hand is a joy to behold, must be a nightmare to defend against as he always beats the man.

I could defend against him no problem at all... Down the 5 metre channel anyway, with 2 other defenders to help me, while he's only allowed on his knees, blindfolded, and drunk!

Can still him making a bit of ground Blueman

thebluesmancometh wrote:Whan we say break the line what do we mean?

There are players that hit the line at a hundred miles an hour and have targeted a gap/Parks.

Then there are fleet footed dancers who beat men around them.

Then there are the |Tonguhuia types who realise when theres no pillar defence and pick up at the base well.

Then there are trail running backs who receive the offload and have too much gas to finish.

All of which are important and there are none who can do all, infact there are none that can do more than one facet really.

The likes of JOC will not take a huge crash in the 12 position without a gap being there.

Tuilagi will not dance around people.

Ashton won't beat a man with anything except a 10 metre headstart.

You get my point!

Yes some times the point of vague is to encourage many paths of thoughts which help enrich a discussion. My first mind was about Fruean so big and powerful is break the line well but is not making the all blacks and compare it against roberts and north an cuthbert who are all big and hit the line with powerful and break the line too. But of course there is lots of ways across the gain line as you mentioned so well alredy. Some mix of fast and big and strong and dancing balance and pace. Maybe like a Lomu or without the big like Shane Willams. Now here is some thing that I met with Shane Willams one time and can tell you he is not so small actually. But this is another point. Maybe Wales become a single dimension with all these big straight runners and will miss the ideas of Willams on attacking phase?

Just from the recent 6Ns, Ireland had most linebreaks. Keith Earls was 2nd for the number of linebreaks made. Can't remember who was first - just surprised (and remembered) Earls as he missed the Welsh game.

Well there were a lot of things missed in the Welsh games this year

If you look at the AB's we have had Nonu and Smith in the centres. They are very different players. Both make lots of line breaks but it's very clear who it the better and more important player.