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

[bernie]

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

[KLJ]

[ 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

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree.

Julius Peppers, TO, a bunch of RBs

[prohornblower]

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

[Butcho22]

Anyone saying no is just a rugby fanboi.

[Pudge714]

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.

[bismillahno]

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.

[POKEROMGLOL]

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.

[prohornblower]

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.

[PartyGirlUK]

Jonah Lomu > LT

[tarheeljks]

[ QUOTE ]
Jonah Lomu > LT

[/ QUOTE ]

hah yeah right