Strongest Ball Carriers

Just watched this little nugget on Rugby Club and they put the question to a number of players who came up with:

Trevor Leota
Manu Tuilagi
Sean O'Brian
Willem Alberts
Scott Gibbs

They're all pretty good but what would other people choices be?

Here are two from me

soane tonga'uiha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOUVNyxXkp0

Jonah Lomu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuHTHed2uFg&feature=related

Jaque Fourie.

Keiran Read, Rocky(in his Leinster days),Henry Tuilagi, Cian Healy and Kaino

Dave Denton - already a massive ball carrier and still only 22/23

Jamie Roberts, Bradley Davies, Nonu, Ben Morgan, Ferris, Richie Gray, Sisa Koyamaibole, Picamoles would be up there

Picamoles is a good shout, an absolute beast of a carrier.

Mamuka Gorgodze
for me the ultimate forward when it comes to sheer power but also ball carrying ability.

Spoiler:

Gorgodze is an interesting and good shout

Do you prefer him at flank, 8 or lock?

ChequeredJersey wrote:Do you prefer him at flank, 8 or lock?

sorry mate, didnt see your post before !
8 is where he can be the most destructive, he makes a good 2nd row as well. think he would be wasted on the flanks though (dont think he plays there a lot) as rucking and counter rucking is not his speciality.

Any young French players (aside from Picamoles) making a name for themselves in the new T14 season, whocares?

The orginal list is a very odd one, this is obviously not a current best as scott gibbs and trevor leota are retired, so in which case this must be a best ball carriers of all time in which i think having manu tuilagi and sean o brien is a bit odd at this stage of thier careers.

Alot of good ball carriers appear on the stage each season and they make yards because defenses haven't heard of them, the mark of real ball carrying great is making the yards when defenses are aware of your capibilities year after year.

Names that spring to mind for me are guys like Zak feauati for bath and leeds who topped the most metres carried for a number of seasons, not immensley tall at 6ft 2 for a number 8 but so so solid. Other guys are scott quinnell, the tuilagi's with henry topping the charts, Chabal in his prime was immense, Jamie Roberts when fit is one of the strongest IC ive ever seen.

As far as the best ball carriers of all time Lomu has to be up there as the best back, in his pomp he was simply unstoppable.

Was Chabal every THAT good?

Scott Quinnel as a 23 year old back in 1994 when Wales won the five nations.

Maybe it was a 'players you've come up against' in which case that could bridge a wide time span (hence Gibbs and Manu in same list)

Scott Quinnel, Lomu and what I have seen of Gorgodze, for me. To choose the number 1 will be Lomu at his prime, he was unstoppable, as well as committing just about a whole team to stop him.

And the bok's Alberts I think may be the up and coming ball carrier to watch

The try I recall best for Lomu for this type of carry was the French one in 99 when he literally carried 4 or 5 players 10-15 yards with him to the line.

People do tend to forget he was often not even touched and thats got nothing to do with size (other than those too scared to tackle him I guess).

The same match he scored a 40 meter try untouched as well at the other end, picked up from a missed touch kick and ran it back, over the line, from memory.

JDV has to be up there, even his teammates can't get the ball off him.

Sione Lauaki could truck it up. But Lomu, omg, just watched some highlights on YouTube. You'd be doing well to find a better carrier of the ball than the big fulla.

Galted wrote:JDV has to be up there, even his teammates can't get the ball off him.

You're right, the opposition struggles as well, hence all the penalties he concedes when he goes to ground.

Think some of the best have been named already; SOB, Gordoze, Picamoles...


One that I think was always underrated was David Wallace. The WC warm up game where he injured his knee was a great display of his carrying power. I remember the phase before he was injured, he took on Manu and two others, and won. Excellent all round player.

Andrew Merthens was incredible with ball in hand. The only reason it didn't stand out in his game was all his aggressive work in tight on defence.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Andrew Merthens was incredible with ball in hand. The only reason it didn't stand out in his game was all his aggressive work in tight on defence.

It all comes a distant second to his counter rucking ability.

Currently playing :-

Crash bang ball carrier in forwards - SOB, Read, Tonga'uiha,Waldrom
Running forward - Croft, Spies

In the backs Digby Ioane, SonnyBill

Currently its Sean O'Brien.

Other that stand out -
Chabal
Powell - Made a lot of yards when first broke onto scene, problem was he invariably got isolated and then turned over.
Dan Wasrd-Smith - guy was a machine when he played premiership for Bristol. Unfortunate with injury when with Wasps and England trials.

propdavid_london wrote:Currently its Sean O'Brien.

Other that stand out -
Chabal
Powell - Made a lot of yards when first broke onto scene, problem was he invariably got isolated and then turned over.
Dan Ward-Smith - guy was a machine when he played premiership for Bristol. Unfortunate with injury when with Wasps and England trials.

Great shout propdavid. He was an immense player. Such a shame that injuries niggled his international career. He put big hits in too, as well as carrying like a juggernaut.

Nearly scored a try in that tour game against NZ maori in the dying moments!
Great player, and I always thought that Wasps signed him as LOL's replacement - such a shame that it never came off.

Cau Cau

That is all!

Chris Hala'ufia