If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

...and paid them enought money to make them drop everything and train daily in rugby for 6 months, could they win the Rugby world cup?

I just tend to think that LT, LJ, Ray Lewis, etc...are better athletes then the guys I've been watching in the RWC the past few weeks. Faster, more agile, etc...

Some of my Irish friends have violently (literally) disagreed with these sentiments.

Thoughts?

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

As someone who has never watched a rugby game, I would say yes.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

Athletically its not really close but idk bc those Rugby players have prob been around the game their whole lives.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

6 months? lol, no. And I know almost nothing about Rugby.

Also, those dudes don't wear pads or helmets = LT crying to mom.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

It'd take more than 6 months. They are vastly better athletes but I imagine there are instinctual/tactical/etc. things that LDT et al. wouldn't get. They'd dominate the rugby guys physically but get out executed.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

rugby requires a huge amount of stamina and endurance that nfl players dont have

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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rugby requires a huge amount of stamina and endurance that nfl players dont have

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this wouldn't take long to fix.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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Also, those dudes don't wear pads or helmets = LT crying to mom.

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LOL, you're an idiot.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

michael johnson and carl lewis are better athletes than anyone in the nhl yet i wouldn't back them to win the stanley cup

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

wtf are u talking about...

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rugby requires a huge amount of stamina and endurance that nfl players dont have

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Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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rugby requires a huge amount of stamina and endurance that nfl players dont have

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this wouldn't take long to fix.

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seriously. it's not debatable that they are better athletes.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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michael johnson and carl lewis are better athletes than anyone in the nhl yet i wouldn't back them to win the stanley cup

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This is a bit different don't you think?

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

i think rugby union sucks, i think the players are unskilled, and am forever infuriated by the fact that no one spreads the ball out wide.

having said that there is no possible way that you could form a winning team in 6 months. plus you guys are talking like they are on a different planet with regards to athleticism. there are fast men in rugby also!

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

http://www.arielbravy.com/photoblog/...5206_rugby.jpg = LT crying to his momma

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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http://www.arielbravy.com/photoblog/...5206_rugby.jpg = LT crying to his momma

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lol

he takes harder hits 20times a game in the NFL

plus the size difference is huge, it'd be like making a boxer fight up 2-3weight classes

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

The NFL players might be able to win through a war of attrition. They would be injuring the hell out of the rugby guys.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

I don't know man, that kid's mouthpiece is about to fly out his mouth.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

I think 6 months, but what do I know. They look tough, but like bar guy tough, not NFL tough.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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plus the size difference is huge, it'd be like making a boxer fight up 2-3weight classes

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hahaha

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

A team full of strong fast guys like Adalius Thomas (6'2" ,270lbs, 4.6 40 yrd dash)and a couple lightnight fast LT type guys...

Give them a month of practice and learning the rules and they win easily


imo

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

If rugby guys were really that great, both physically and mentally, they'd be playing in the NFL where it would pay them more.

6 months is a little soon for them to dominate. It would take them a bit to learn all the ins and outs strategy-wise. But eventually, they'd beat their ass.

b

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

[ QUOTE ]
A team full of strong fast guys like Adalius Thomas (6'2" ,270lbs, 4.6 40 yrd dash)and a couple lightnight fast LT type guys...

Give them a month of practice and learning the rules and they win easily


imo

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Agree.

Julius Peppers, TO, a bunch of RBs

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

Who trains/coaches them, though?

Jason Taylor? lol.

Or do they get a world-class Rugby coach for 6 months? This makes a difference IMO

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

Anyone saying no is just a rugby fanboi.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

They would, but 6 months is way too short a time period.
There are lots of very specific Rugby skills and NFL players would need to unlearn a lot of skills which they have that are intuitive. The NFL teams would probably rarely have possession of the ball as they would rarely win scrums or lines.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

They would get destroyed with only 6 months to prepare.

The two games are just way too different, and 6 months is just nowhere near enough time to prepare. The backs could maybe get competitive, though I think they'd have a hard time learning defensive lines and developing a kicking game. They could score some spectacular tries though.

The forwards are the biggest difference though. Theres a reason rugby players tend to top out at around 130kg and you don't see the kind of enormous guys you see in US football. They have to be very strong, but also capable of running around a field for 80 minutes, and guys beyond that size just can't mantain it for that long. Bear in mind there is very little downtime in rugby by comparison, and you can only make 7 replacements, which are permanent.

Scrummaging and lineout techniques are also a lot more complicated. Just about any US player who is tall enough and athletic enough to be a good lock is playing basketball, not football. I can't see a team of NFL players being able to have more than about 25% possesion with that little preparation time, and you can't win games like that.

Give them a few years and yes they could win the world cup, but there are definitely guys playing rugby who could be successful NFL players if they'd been brought up in that system too. Brian Habana, Rupeni Caucau and Jerry Collins come to mind.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

this seems like a good thread to interject the fact ladanian tomlinson used to pull over on the side of the road and run up bridge embankments for hours at a time in the texas heat during college.

Also he bench pressed 430 pounds and squatted 600. And obv runs a 4.4x40.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

I change my mind then. US football players win the World Cup in 6 months. I didn't know LT used to run uphill in the heat. Man. That is crazy.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

Jonah Lomu > LT

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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Jonah Lomu > LT

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hah yeah right

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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Jonah Lomu > LT

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hah yeah right

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he is obv a good athlete, but there are plenty of defensive ends who are bigger and faster than this guy

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

this discussion has happened a few times on this board in the past


I believe the rugby 'experts' said the NFL team could be really good with LBs, Safeties, RBs recrafting their bodies for the sport....how long that takes is the question

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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Jonah Lomu > LT

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hah yeah right

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he is obv a good athlete, but there are plenty of defensive ends who are bigger and faster than this guy

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Bigger than 265lbs yet able to run 100 metres in less than 10.9 + also super well coordinated?

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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6 months? lol, no. And I know almost nothing about Rugby.

Also, those dudes don't wear pads or helmets = Ray Lewis murdering some bitches

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Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

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Scrummaging and lineout techniques are also a lot more complicated. Just about any US player who is tall enough and athletic enough to be a good lock is playing basketball, not football

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I don't know rugby, but I would be stunned if this was true. There are many highly athletic NFL players that are at least 6'4" (Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow, Randy Moss, Jevon Kearse) and an occasional 6'7" super freak like Julius Peppers.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Scrummaging and lineout techniques are also a lot more complicated. Just about any US player who is tall enough and athletic enough to be a good lock is playing basketball, not football

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I don't know rugby, but I would be stunned if this was true. There are many highly athletic NFL players that are at least 6'4" (Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow, Randy Moss, Jevon Kearse) and an occasional 6'7" super freak like Julius Peppers.

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yeah i was thinking peppers and kearse would be the nuts in rugby. Still think it would take a lil longer than 6 months tho.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

i'd take the under.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Scrummaging and lineout techniques are also a lot more complicated. Just about any US player who is tall enough and athletic enough to be a good lock is playing basketball, not football

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know rugby, but I would be stunned if this was true. There are many highly athletic NFL players that are at least 6'4" (Antonio Gates, Kellen Winslow, Randy Moss, Jevon Kearse) and an occasional 6'7" super freak like Julius Peppers.

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I'll concede this, and thinking more, suspect a lineout capable of winning their own throw ins might be possible in 6 months. I still think the scrums would be a disaster though.

There are a couple of positions where experience is just so important too. Richie McCaw and George Smith aren't great open side flankers through pure athleticism, its because they know the game, and get to the right place at the right time.

Same for fly half, Wilkinson and Carter are good athletes, but its experience and field vision that makes them great. There are probably a few quarterbacks who would be great fly halfs with time, but it'd take a lot more than 6 months to get there.

A NFL pro bowl team would [censored] on the all blacks as far as athletes go, but I can't see them beating them with only 6 months to learn rugby.





except if it was the only way they could choke a world cup of course...

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

[ QUOTE ]
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he is obv a good athlete, but there are plenty of defensive ends who are bigger and faster than this guy

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Bigger than 265lbs yet able to run 100 metres in less than 10.9 + also super well coordinated?

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Lomu ran a 10.89 100m at his peak, which translates to about a 4.75-4.80 in the 40.

A guy 6'5", 265lbs, running a 4.8 in the 40 can be found on every NFL roster, and even more of them left in the unemployment line after the final cutdown day, because it just isn't that impressive on it's face.

In fact, a 265-pounder running a 4.8 is considered "slow", and would need to bulk up to keep his job, because he just won't cut it as a "speed guy" with those times.

Consider Tommie Harris is 295lb, and ran a 4.68 at the combine, that's like asking Lomu to put on a 30 pound rucksak, and then suddenly be able to run 5 or 6 steps faster than he's ever done in his life.

I mean, Rugby is great and all, but let's don't get ridiculous.

Re: If you got Ladanian Tomlinson and a few of his closest friends...
 

I know nothing about rugby. Explain to me how a rugby team is going to score against guys that are 20 pounds heavier and five steps faster on average? Those guys in the photo are puny. Imagine Ray Lewis making that hit?

Let Ricky Williams play the position of the guy in the white shirt. He'd probably smoke a doobie while he carried those munchkins to wherever he needed to carry them.