Great second row pairings

[scaraby]

After my chat about Skelton and his future. I was wondering who everyone thought was the best second row pairing we have seen over recent years.
My first suggestions would be Eales, McCall?,Victor and Bakkies? and Colin Meades and ?.
Rather than include Lions,World 15s lets keep it to countries

 

[cyclopath]

Cutler and Campbell were good in the 80s for Aus, I thought.
Whetton and Ian Jones were classy, although short overlap in careers - 2 yrs I think.

 

[Braveheart81]

Whitelock and Retallick/Romano are becoming pretty formidable. It's hard to find a test where they don't dominate their opposition.

With the number of tests and the use of reserves now, you could almost look at locking combinations as groups of three.

 

[scaraby]

do we differentiate 4 from 5? It seems that specialization has only come in in the last couple of years. Always just seemed to be two big tall jumpers..ie Cutler and Campbell. Look at those guys compared to a Timani or Horwell?

 

[scaraby]

Need a kiwi here...who did Meads play with?

 

[Hairy Test Eagle]

The best I've seen was Bakkies Botha and Matfield. They complemented each other so well with Victors line out intelligence and Bakkies ruthless mongrel (sometimes it got the better of him). Victor had a great rugby brain.

 

[scaraby]

Cutler and Campbell were good in the 80s for Aus, I thought.
Whetton and Ian Jones were classy, although short overlap in careers - 2 yrs I think.

always thought Jones and Eales were stand outs for their countries...gee we had some good tall timber back then

 

[scaraby]

The best I've seen was Bakkies Botha and Matfield. They complemented each other so well with Victors line out intelligence and Bakkies ruthless mongrel (sometimes it got the better of him). Victor had a great rugby brain.

there is the classic case of the new tight and loose locks

 

[cyclopath]

do we differentiate 4 from 5? It seems that specialization has only come in in the last couple of years. Always just seemed to be two big tall jumpers..ie Cutler and Campbell. Look at those guys compared to a Timani or Horwell?

Cutler and Campbell were not just tall jumpers. Campbell in particular was a solid unit. Effective in scrums too.

 

[scaraby]

Cutler and Campbell were not just tall jumpers. Campbell in particular was a solid unit. Effective in scrums too.

Sorry I think I didnt describe my point very well. I was thinking of build rather than skill set. There is nothing "just" about a Wallaby, a point a few armchair experts on our beloved pages should remember sometimes(me included).
Don't you think there is more of a tall skinny +wider broader selection process nowdays?

 

[cyclopath]

Sorry I think I didnt describe my point very well. I was thinking of build rather than skill set. There is nothing "just" about a Wallaby, a point a few armchair experts on our beloved pages should remember sometimes(me included).
Don't you think there is more of a tall skinny +wider broader selection process nowdays?

Yeah, you're right (on both points!), but I would argue the current prototype goes back a way. NZ had locks like Whetton who were not hugely tall, but very solid. McCall was similar.
I think the current NZ pair is interesting - neither super tall for a lock / second row (compare to Bekker or Etzebeth) but highly effective players, tough, high work-rates and skillful. They will be the bane of many teams for years to come, I reckon.

 

[scaraby]

Yeah, you're right (on both points!), but I would argue the current prototype goes back a way. NZ had locks like Whetton who were not hugely tall, but very solid. McCall was similar.
I think the current NZ pair is interesting - neither super tall for a lock / second row (compare to Bekker or Etzebeth) but highly effective players, tough, high work-rates and skillful. They will be the bane of many teams for years to come, I reckon.

Sounds like Brad Thorn reincarnate.....sigh.. we were debating the other day whether the NZ 2s are the second best side in the world. Their depth is amazing.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think the current NZ pair is interesting - neither super tall for a lock / second row (compare to Bekker or Etzebeth) but highly effective players, tough, high work-rates and skillful. They will be the bane of many teams for years to come, I reckon.

Wikipedia lists Brodie Retallick as 6'8 1/2 or 2.04m which is 1cm taller than Whitelock or Etzebeth.

Andries Bekker is the one massive one. He is listed at 6'10 or 2.08m.

 

[scaraby]

Wikipedia lists Brodie Retallick as 6'8 1/2 or 2.04m which is 1cm taller than Whitelock or Etzebeth.

Andries Bekker is the one massive one. He is listed at 6'10 or 2.08m.

6'10 ??? as I say to my littlies ...just grab 1 leg and hang on....they'll trip over you eventually

 

[Antony]

Need a kiwi here.who did Meads play with?

Brian Lochore sometimes. I want to say Tiny White, but they might have missed each other.

 

[scaraby]

Colin Meads and Brian Lochore???..ok that could be hard to beat

 

[Antony]

Colin Meads and Brian Lochore???..ok that could be hard to beat

Lochore was mainly an 8 though, so they probably don't really count as a great locking combo.

Meads' brother Stanley was involved too. Stanley was a 6'3" packet of hate who punched his fair share of Springboks for his country, but by virtue of his older brother he was never even the best lock in his family, let alone Kings Country or the ABs. Classic Mark Waugh syndrome.

 

[RugbyReg]

Eales & Giffen greatly underrated.

 

[scaraby]

who played with Johnson early on....Paul Ackford? Wade Dooley?...cmon you northerners make a case.......... they were pretty tidy and Johnson was a protegy of Meads...well trained..

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

Simon Shaw paired Johnson a lot, as did Danny Grewacock. That's a pretty tough locking combination.

Hard to go past Victor & Bakkies though really isn't it?

Best combo I've seen NZ have is Ian Jones & Robin Brooke. Lots of potential in our current combo too.