OoP (Out of Position) Players

DerTierarzt · 10-06-2012 2:12pm #1

Watching the fairly intense Toulouse - Toulon Top 14 Final yesterday, I couldn't help but notice the erstwhile Australian flanker George Smith playing at 11. It got me thinking...

How many other players can people think of that were noticeably played out of position? So I'm not talking locks swapping 4 for 5 or vice-versa, even scrum halves playing as 10s is less impressive with the prominence of Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvilli...

I'll get the oval rolling:

John Smit switching from hooker to prop
Denis Leamy filling in at 12 for an injury ravaged Munster towards the end of a Magners League season

.ak · 10-06-2012 2:16pm

I think D. Wallace was tried at 12 as well. Failed tho.

Fishooks12 · 10-06-2012 2:17pm

Bergamasco at 9 has to be the biggest failure

WeeBushy · 10-06-2012 2:19pm

AFAIR Niall Ronan was tried out a couple of times at scrum half in his last season at Leinster.

.ak · 10-06-2012 2:20pm

Speaking of the Eye-talians, using Botes at 10 was a failure too, he's an excellent SH.

.ak · 10-06-2012 2:20pm

Isa Nacewa makes an excellent flanker to pack down the scrums.

Fishooks12 · 10-06-2012 2:22pm

R Samo played on the wing and at 8 for Australia during the last world cup

GerM · 10-06-2012 2:23pm

.ak wrote: »

I think D. Wallace was tried at 12 as well. Failed tho.

Played wing once, if not twice, for Munster. Niall Ronan played 9 and 12 also for Leinster A. Andy Farrell played flanker, outhalf and centre at Sarries. Cian Healy played hooker throughout schools and with Ireland schools as well as centre for Clontarf once or twice. Ben Foden spent a spell playing 9 a few years ago. Radike Samo has played both 8 and wing for Australia. Richardt Strauss has played at openside and hooker at professional level. I'm sure there are plenty more!

irishbucsfan · 10-06-2012 2:27pm

Mike Tindall is another one, played flanker.

sydthebeat · 10-06-2012 2:30pm

isnt there a super 15 hooker who starter out as a winger?? the name aludes me.

irishbucsfan · 10-06-2012 2:34pm

I remember Agen had a player who played loose head and on the wing. That's was the most extreme one I've ever seen.

Of course Munster fans would fancy Marcus Horan as a bit of a winger

jacothelad · 10-06-2012 2:36pm

Nigel Brady sent on as loosehead prop by McLaughlin.
Niall O'Connor sent on.

finatron · 10-06-2012 2:37pm

.ak wrote: »

Isa Nacewa makes an excellent flanker to pack down the scrums.

Douglas Howletit did it a few years ago with munster

Fishooks12 · 10-06-2012 2:37pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I remember Agen had a player who played loose head and on the wing. That's was the most extreme one I've ever seen.

Of course Munster fans would fancy Marcus Horan as a bit of a winger

He was almost better on the wing for us than Dowling!

Will23 · 10-06-2012 2:45pm

DerTierarzt wrote: »

Watching the fairly intense Toulouse - Toulon Top 14 Final yesterday, I couldn't help but notice the erstwhile Australian flanker George Smith playing at 11.
[/LIST]

Kiwi David Smith played at 11 for Toulon yesterday afaik...

chupacabra · 10-06-2012 2:53pm

Pierre Spies played a few games at wing for the Bulls a few seasons ago

Fishooks12 · 10-06-2012 2:53pm

chupacabra wrote: »

Pierre Spies played a few games at wing for the Bulls a few seasons ago

He should have stayed there

TheKeenMachine · 10-06-2012 4:00pm

Isaac Boss and Piri Weepu have played back three

Flincher · 10-06-2012 4:11pm

Will23 wrote: »

Kiwi David Smith played at 11 for Toulon yesterday afaik...

Yep, George Smith was with Stade as a medical joker. But he played centre for them against Toulon in the Amlin a few weeks ago.

GerM wrote: »

Ben Foden spent a spell playing 9 a few years ago.

Foden started off as a 9, and Sale moved him to wing and fullback. I was looking through some old magazines a while back and found an interview with him as he moved to Northampton and he said a large part of his reasoning for moving was so he could play at scrumhalf. I think the move to the back 3 was very much under protest until he realised he was actually fairly handy there.

I think it is only in the last few seasons he has started working on his fullback game.

.ak · 10-06-2012 4:13pm

TheKeenMachine wrote: »

Isaac Boss and Piri Weepu have played back three

I'm seeing a trend here...

So basically Kiwis can play 1-to-15.

Fishooks12 · 10-06-2012 4:17pm

.ak wrote: »

I'm seeing a trend here...

So basically Kiwis can play 1-to-15.

Weepu could easily "fit in" at 1, 2 or 3 I'd say too

twinytwo · 10-06-2012 5:42pm

Fishooks12 wrote: »

R Samo played on the wing and at 8 for Australia during the last world cup

i wonder why....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLaSAxYQmns

sandyfordboi · 10-06-2012 10:01pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

isnt there a super 15 hooker who starter out as a winger?? the name aludes me.

schalk brits maybe he plays as a hooker for saracens maybe was a wing in super rugby?

Michalak scrum half that plays as fly half for the sharks and france when he plays!

errlloyd · 10-06-2012 10:14pm

Thomas O Leary was a full forward Hurling player who kept getting put at scrum half by Ireland.

Morf · 10-06-2012 10:21pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

isnt there a super 15 hooker who starter out as a winger?? the name aludes me.

Craig Burden for the Sharks it seems.

matthew8 · 10-06-2012 10:28pm

chupacabra wrote: »

Pierre Spies played a few games at wing for the Bulls a few seasons ago

Was he good? Because he seems far more suited there than at 8.

Clearlier · 10-06-2012 11:49pm

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Bergamasco at 9 has to be the biggest failure

He also played on the wing several times for Italy before he told whoever the coach was that he had had enough.

errlloyd wrote: »

Thomas O Leary was a full forward Hurling player who kept getting put at scrum half by Ireland.

IIRC TOL has also played 10, 13 and both wings for Munster

Fishooks12 wrote: »

R Samo played on the wing and at 8 for Australia during the last world cup

Jim Williams was another who was a winger before he was a 6/8.

I remember Jeremy Davidson making his debut against Fiji on the flank - not an experiment that was ever repeated....

The English prop (loads of strength, a little less technique) whose name escapes me was a flanker before he was a prop.

BOD played at fullback for the lions in a couple of the warm up games on his first tour - like a fish out of water. He also played a European pool game at outhalf against Toulouse and in Toulouse - pretty sure that the score was >50 and he never played there again.

Eric Miller filled in at fullback on a couple of occasions for Ireland - actually looked pretty handy but he hated it.

There are loads of examples of players moving from the back row to the second row.

Neil Jenkins at fullback for the lions in '97. He may have kicked the lions to victory but I've rarely seen a more uncomfortable fullback!

John Hayes played in the 2nd row before he moved to prop (around the time that lifting was allowed IIRC).

Christian Cullen playing 13 when he was the greatest 15 in the world.

Umaga made a successful switch from winger to 13.

twinytwo · 11-06-2012 8:22am

Clearlier wrote: »

He also played on the wing several times for Italy before he told whoever the coach was that he had had enough.

IIRC TOL has also played 10, 13 and both wings for Munster

Jim Williams was another who was a winger before he was a 6/8.

I remember Jeremy Davidson making his debut against Fiji on the flank - not an experiment that was ever repeated....

The English prop (loads of strength, a little less technique) whose name escapes me was a flanker before he was a prop.

BOD played at fullback for the lions in a couple of the warm up games on his first tour - like a fish out of water. He also played a European pool game at outhalf against Toulouse and in Toulouse - pretty sure that the score was >50 and he never played there again.

Eric Miller filled in at fullback on a couple of occasions for Ireland - actually looked pretty handy but he hated it.

There are loads of examples of players moving from the back row to the second row.

Neil Jenkins at fullback for the lions in '97. He may have kicked the lions to victory but I've rarely seen a more uncomfortable fullback!

John Hayes played in the 2nd row before he moved to prop (around the time that lifting was allowed IIRC).

Christian Cullen playing 13 when he was the greatest 15 in the world.

Umaga made a successful switch from winger to 13.

i woud have paid a large sum of money to have seen that:D

geotrig · 11-06-2012 8:29am

Shane Williams played scrum half before he moved to the wing

pickarooney · 11-06-2012 9:12am

Clearlier wrote: »

The English prop (loads of strength, a little less technique) whose name escapes me was a flanker before he was a prop.

Andrew Sheridan played in all three rows. He was always just the wrong size fro each position I felt. Too tall to scrummage, too heavy too lift, too immobile to break.

Clearlier · 11-06-2012 9:19am

twinytwo wrote: »

i woud have paid a large sum of money to have seen that:D

To be fair it was far from being BOD's fault. It was very early on his career when Leinster hadn't learned how to compete away from home. However he was never suited to playing out half. His kicking technique even for a centre is pretty average.

Just remembered that Austin Healy played every single position in the backline (as well as referee).

OoP (Out of Position) Players

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