Forwards in the backline - Munster's short lived 2005 experiment
Mathieu Bastareaud’s decision to move from centre to Number 8 when he plays for his new club Lyon rather unsurprisingly drew headlines this week.
For years the running joke was that the former Toulon midfielder is built like a prop – the sheer mass of the man screams forward – and there’s an understandable excitement at the prospect of a top tier international making the switch.
For many rugby fans however, a bright line between forwards and backs remains.
While the physiological difference between rugby’s two most basic positions continues to narrow, there’s a quasi-religious separation of backs and forwards deeply rooted within the culture of the sport, as if the two sub-sets were two entirely different species of rugby player that shouldn’t be confused or intermingled.
This sacred gap has been bridged recently with alarming regularity. Fiji’s Semi Kunatani and Levani Botia both moved from wing and centre (respectively) to the backrow, and are prospering there.
There have been cases of failure of course. Infamously Italian openside Mauro Bergamasco attempted to play scrumhalf in a 2009 Six Nations match against England, a doomed experiment that will be remembered – sadly – for his laughable incompetence in the position.
More recently Sam Burgess, who was already tasked with handling the considerable challenge of a league to union conversion, was effectively forced to move position by Stuart Lancaster from Bath’s blindside – where he was having some considerable success – to the England midfield – at the Rugby World Cup. It was a move that would ultimately see the 6’5, 116kg Burgess break-off his Bath contract a year early and return to the NRL.
Sam Burgess at RWC2015
Richie Vernon won 24-caps for Scotland in the backrow before converting to the centre in his latter years at Glasgow Warriors before retiring at the end of last season at London Scottish.
Going the opposite direction, England hooker Tom Youngs made the switch to hooker from the centre relatively early in his career thanks to advice from Heyneke Meyer. It was a good call too. He went on to win 28 England caps and three British and Lions caps in the position.
Yet it was some 14-years-ago that then Munster coach Declan Kidney flirted heavily with selecting Irish forwards in the backline – albeit with an injury crisis forcing his hand.
David Wallace in 2009 (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Kidney selected Irish David Wallace and Denis Leamy in the backs in two separate and consecutive games.
Wallace, one of the most explosive athletes to be produced by the Irish system, started on the wing against Border Reivers at Thomond Park in the opening game of the season in 2005.
“I’m very much looking forward to the challenge,” the then 29-year-old Wallace remarked. “I’ve played (on the wing) a few times, although I’ve never actually started a game in the position.”
Kidney reflected after the game that: “David was asked to play there (wing) for the good of the squad. And we must recognise his selfless attitude. I was very happy with the way he played in what was an unfamiliar position. But he is a very, very good wing-forward and it’s only fair that he gets time in that position.
And so it was a week later that Kidney returned Wallace to the pack, and started the 6’2, 108kg Denis Leamy at 12 for a Musgrave Park clash with the Ospreys.
Leamy, who would ultimately win 57 caps with Ireland in the backrow, was more than happy to start at 12. “I’d play anywhere for Munster. I have played in the backs at underage so I m familiar enough with it, and I’ve been training there all week so I m happy to give it a go. Looking forward to it really.”
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments