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England winger faster than Usain Bolt

Jonny May faster than Usain Bolt

As England get set to face Australia in Twickenham this Saturday, head Coach Eddie Jones will be happy knowing he has selected possibly the fastest player in test rugby, maybe even the world, Jonny May.

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May revealed this week that during a rehabilitation run at the weekend he clocked in at 10.49 metres per second in a 40-metre speed test. This would transfer to 9.53 seconds over 100 metres, which bettered ‘Fastest Man Alive’ Usain Bolt’s 9.58 seconds when he set the record in 2009.

“I was gobsmacked,” said May. “I didn’t think I would go anywhere that fast. I knew I had to run flat out to test it. I was pretty nervous. And I ran quick as well, it was a bonus.”

May who joined Leicester from Gloucester at the start of the season has scored nine tries in eight games for the Tigers and just missed out on the clash against Argentina due to a hamstring strain. May puts the quick turnaround from leg injury to ‘record breaking’ run down to more emphasis on his stretching.

“I’ve always done stretching from my teenage years. The more you train, the more you need to look after your body and respect it. I spend at least three or four times as much time warming up and warming down as I do on the training pitch. It’s almost like an OCD routine.”

May has come under a lot of criticism in recent times for his performances, not least his scrummaging abilities, but one thing’s for sure with speed like his he will be a threat to the Wallabies.

 

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SK 1 hour ago
The times are changing, and some Six Nations teams may be left behind

If you are building the same amount of rucks but kicking more is that a bad thing? Kicks are more constestable than ever, fans want to see a contest, is that a bad thing? kicks create broken field situations where counter attacks from be launched from or from which turnover ball can be exploited, attacks are more direct and swift rather than multiphase in nature, is that a bad thing? What is clear now is that a hybrid approach is needed to win matches. You can still build phases but you need to play in the right areas so you have to kick well. You also have to be prepared to play from turnover ball and transition quickly from the kick contest to attack or set your defence quickly if the aerial contest is lost. Rugby seems healthy to me. The rules at ruck time means the team in possession is favoured and its more possible than ever to play a multiphase game. At the same time kicking, set piece, kick chase and receipt seems to be more important than ever. Teams can win in so many ways with so many strategies. If anything rugby resembles footballs 4-4-2 era. Now football is all about 1 striker formations with gegenpress and transition play vs possession heavy teams, fewer shots, less direct play and crossing. Its boring and it plods along with moves starting from deep, passing goalkeepers and centre backs and less wing play. If we keep tinkering with the laws rugby will become a game with more defined styles and less variety, less ways to win effectively and less varied body types and skill sets.

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