Notorious kicking run-ups
Kicking for the posts can be one of the most nerve-racking parts of rugby. Whether being in front of 80,000 people at Twickenham, or in front of your mates in the grassroots game.
With kicking percentages getting more and more of a focus, every kick matters.
Kickers tend to be superstitious types, with their routine remaining the same for every kick.
Here we take a look at the Top 5 most notorious place kick run-ups:
5) Owen Farrell:
One of England’s greatest ever playmakers, Owen Farrell has always been ruthless from the kicking tee.
One will often spot his pre-kick technique being rather unique though.
Farrell tends to swipe his right leg across his body multiple times, one assumes to prepare for his range of motion. Before moving his head in the same direction as he glances from the ball to the posts.
Farrell has been a true stalwart of England Rugby. Having made his Saracens debut at the tender age of 17, he has gone on to become the permanent captain of the England national team and taken part in three British and Irish Lions tours.
4) Jonny Wilkinson:
Arguably the greatest kicker of his generation.
Jonny Wilkinson had a very unique kicking stance, which was copied by enthusiastic young players all over the world.
Wilkinson would tap his toes behind him and then bend his legs. Following that he would cup his hands in front of him, blocking out all the external noise. Before going on, more often than not, to blast the ball over the posts.
Wilkinson scored over 5000 points in his 17-year professional career. One of the most decorated rugby players of all time, Wilkinson has the Rugby World Cup, 2 Heineken Champions Cups, the English Premiership, the Top 14, and multiple Six Nations Championships to his name.
3) Gavin Henson:
Gavin Henson made his name for Wales Rugby after his huge long-range effort to beat England in 2005. His run-up technique was unique to say the least.
Running low to the ground it was immortalised in EA Sports Rugby 06 video game.
How he achieved such power from such an unorthodox run-up is anyone’s guess, but it was certainly great to watch.
Henson became quite the journeyman during his 19-year professional career, playing for no less than ten different clubs.
Since retiring he has tried his hand at Rugby League and taken over as the landlord of The Fox and Hounds in St Brides Major in the Vale of Glamorgan.
2) Dan Biggar:
A quality kicker with multiple Wales and British and Irish Lions caps, Dan Biggar boasts a huge kicking percentage.
His run-up has changed over the years. But once upon a time, it did rather resemble a Saturday night dance.
With a shake of the legs, a brush of his hair, and a stroke of each shoulder repeated multiple times, Biggar would spend half a minute preparing for his kicks.
The talented fly-half spent the majority of his career at the Ospreys, before moving to English premiership outfit Northampton Saints in 2018.
Capped over 100 times for Wales, bigger has always been known as a particularly vocal player which has enabled him to effectively captain the national side at times.
1) Rob cook:
Although the least known on the list, Rob Cook takes the top spot due to his truly bizarre kicking stance.
Standing wide legs wide apart, backside pointing out and hands held out in front of him, there is no other kicker in the world that gets such a humorous response from the crowd. Wolf whistles, jeers, and laughter erupted when Cook stepped up to nudge the ball over the posts.
A talented full-back, Cook played in the premiership for Gloucester for over four years. Last seen performing for level 7 side Malvern, he is now a Level 3 RFU coach offering 1-1 and group coaching sessions.
If you fancy a laugh, do check out some of the best and most entertaining place kick run-ups ever in this video:
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments