Deceptive runners

I like the look of this Hogg. Not to take him away with me, fatten him up and and have him as a Christmas ham. I mean the guy is in good form and is proving to be a real handful especially on the counter attack or running back the kicks. His running style is a very skidding style and reminds me of the 400m and 200m runner Michael Johnson. His upper body seems very rigid and he doesn't have much of a kick on him but he skids across the grass at a deceptively quick rate.

NZ has Conrad Smith who is no gym monkey and no track specialist. But when he runs it looks as though he's coasting and it's incredible how many times he is able to get round a player to make an offload or escape a tackle. He is quicker than what you think. Dan Carter is also very good at plodding across the park and then putting the hammer down.

Caucau was a different kind of runner. He reminded me of the road runner. His legs worked like pistons but his centre of gravity was so low to the ground he would just power his way through would-be tacklers.

So who else can you think of who is deceptively quick rather than the tradtional speedsters who everyone knows is quick. Or at least who runs a lot faster than what you think they should and you can add forwards to that lot.

I always thought Cullen was deceptive - looked moderately quick but then you saw him against a recognised speedster and he would be pulling away. Such an effortless style that he never looked to be really straining for the extra yard of pace. Guscott and early years BOD had something of the same about them - just looked to ghost into space without apparent effort.

dummy_half wrote:I always thought Cullen was deceptive - looked moderately quick but then you saw him against a recognised speedster and he would be pulling away. Such an effortless style that he never looked to be really straining for the extra yard of pace. Guscott and early years BOD had something of the same about them - just looked to ghost into space without apparent effort.

I'm guessing we're talking about Christian Cullen, and not Leo??

I got this quote wrong the other day, it was actually Will Greenwood:

hes deceptively quick, which means he's actually quite slow

[quote]

James Johnston has been known to chase down wingers

Matt Mullan! The chase down and tackle on Hook still resonates with me.

Gethin Jenkins and AWJ are pretty quick for big men.

bluestonevedder wrote:

dummy_half wrote:I always thought Cullen was deceptive - looked moderately quick but then you saw him against a recognised speedster and he would be pulling away. Such an effortless style that he never looked to be really straining for the extra yard of pace. Guscott and early years BOD had something of the same about them - just looked to ghost into space without apparent effort.

I'm guessing we're talking about Christian Cullen, and not Leo??

Obviously. Too much wind resistance from Leo's ears...

The much-ridiculed Gavin Henson had that way of ghosting along. He'd outpace defenders and it never looked like he was even sprinting.

Paul Sackey. Looked fast - wasn't.

Tommy Bowe.

Always ridiculed in Ireland after the Farce in France for not being quick enough but the boy has gas... The try he scored in the GS game vs Wales was lightning!

dummy_half wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:

dummy_half wrote:I always thought Cullen was deceptive - looked moderately quick but then you saw him against a recognised speedster and he would be pulling away. Such an effortless style that he never looked to be really straining for the extra yard of pace. Guscott and early years BOD had something of the same about them - just looked to ghost into space without apparent effort.

I'm guessing we're talking about Christian Cullen, and not Leo??

Obviously. Too much wind resistance from Leo's ears...

Touche.

Jared Payne...the guy looks as slow as a carthorse but man does he just ghost past defenders.....

Stephen Jones and Iestyn Harris both looked like they were wading through a knee deep bog, but actually covered the ground pretty sharpish.

That reminds me Sexton can fair shift too....

John Rutherford was one of those blokes who never seemed to be going that quick until you saw people struggling to catch up with him. Ghosted along, he did. Stirling Mortlock was someone whom I always thought of as a big lummox until I realised that he was quite capable of outpacing, as well as outmuscling, a lot of his opposition.

Today, Tom Croft is ridiculously quicker than he seems. Perhaps it's his physical frame, but he seems to shift far faster than it appears from the stands.

I'm pretty sure Croft is one of, if not the fastest player in the Tigers squad. His speed combined with his long stride beats player like Youngs, Morris, Tait, etc

Topsy Ojo. Everyone know's he's quick but his running style is deceptive.

He made a break vs the All Blacks and had to run at least 60m for the try. He looked really slow to the point where i and others were yelling at the tv for him to put his foot down. But obviously he was quick because no one got anywhere near him.

Still 2 tries on debut vs the ABs away and never seen again.....

bluestonevedder wrote:I'm pretty sure Croft is one of, if not the fastest player in the Tigers squad. His speed combined with his long stride beats player like Youngs, Morris, Tait, etc

It used to be commonly stated FACT that he was the second fastest in the squad behind Varndell. Whether hes lost some of that pace with time, injuries, bulking and new grizzled image has yet to be determined.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

bluestonevedder wrote:I'm pretty sure Croft is one of, if not the fastest player in the Tigers squad. His speed combined with his long stride beats player like Youngs, Morris, Tait, etc

It used to be commonly stated FACT that he was the second fastest in the squad behind Varndell. Whether hes lost some of that pace with time, injuries, bulking and new grizzled image has yet to be determined.

Knew I'd heard it somewhere, but didn't want to state the FACT since I wasn't sure of the reference.

He still looked pretty rapid taking his try against France last year, but as you say, with the bulk he's apparently added (not that I can really see from his last 2 outings) he might have slowed.

Matt Dunning with a burger dangling in front of his face.

100m in 9.37 seconds.

Foxy Davies for Wales is a deceptive runner - appears slow but moves into space with ease - its his style of running

Balshaw was like Cullen (Christian not Leo), a real glider. Remember a long range effort against Italy years where he looked like he was jogging (he probably was). Launchbury covers the ground very well, have seen him make some great tackles on centres/wingers who thought they could go round him.

Jamie Roberts is deceptively slow.it looks like he is moving slowly but is actually standing still.

I was a bit of a deceptive runner (for a prop), my favourite move was to drop my leading shoulder and then as the tackler readied for the impact I would pirrouette and fly by.




















It never worked, as I fell over my own feet.

Ryan Jones, seen him chase down a few wingers.

2nd the Bowe nomination, was so annoying when Hook used to claim he was slow, he just never looked like he was going flat out, but was the perfect example of 'deceptively fast'.

Had to laugh when Bowe ran the length of the field v the Italians and Hook decided he must have found some pace after moving to Wales. Just another example of 'ulsterblindness'

Biarritz hooker Romain Terrain had a good claim to having deceptive pace, this was a year or two ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKzlA0XXT8w

One of the best deceptive runners around right now is Cuthbert, he has the ability to curve at such a high speed. I wish I could coach that ability, but it is nigh on impossible!!!

He ain't much of a rugby player, but he does some good stuff at high speeds, and I would suggest part of his football backround played a part.

Biltong wrote:I was a bit of a deceptive runner (for a prop), my favourite move was to drop my leading shoulder and then as the tackler readied for the impact I would pirrouette and fly by.




















It never worked, as I fell over my own feet.

You're funny.

Biltong wrote:

Biltong wrote:I was a bit of a deceptive runner (for a prop), my favourite move was to drop my leading shoulder and then as the tackler readied for the impact I would pirrouette and fly by.




















It never worked, as I fell over my own feet.

You're funny.

I try.

Did you really just reiterate your own point? How sad.

thebluesmancometh wrote:Did you really just reiterate your own point? How sad.

Not really, commenting on the fact that it was funny, somtimes my humor is unappreciated.

Take the hint....

thebluesmancometh wrote:Take the hint....

I did, you have no sense of humor

Kenny Logan always appeared to be running in slow motion, not deceptively though, he was actually very slow.

Serge Blanco was a very good runner. It all ways looked like he was gliding of the pitch... Gavin Henson also had the same type running pace.

JD2 I've found to be deceptively quick, he doesnt look like hes running very fast yet he glides passed defenders, perhaps more so for the Scarlets than Wales, but his try against Ireland in last years 6Nations shows hes no slouch

A lot of defenders were deceived by Jonah's running...