I was at the Waratahs-Cats game and before the match happened to be at the end of the field where the visitors were doing their warm-up. They are quite a tall team and looked very fit but something didn’t look right. Then it struck me – their builds were closer to the body builder prototype than that of the rugby player. In general they were quite broad across the shoulders but had relatively narrow hips. Most of them seemed to have well developed pecs but less than prominent glutes. Even Lawrence Sephaka, who has huge quads, doesn’t have big glutes. Then when you look at the Waratah players you notice that they tend to be relatively heavy in the lower body.

I’d be prepared to bet that the Cats do plenty of bench press – the rugby player’s most useless exercise – but wonder whether they are into heavy squatting.

I can’t help thinking that when the ratio of width-across-the-shoulders to width-across-the-bum is excessive your body type is sub-optimal for rugby. Ours is the ultimate leg drive sport.

It is quite an eerie feeling seeing a South African side out-muscled across the paddock by an Australian team. Are the Cats, and possibly other Southern African sides, going too far in trying to move from the traditional lumbering type of player to the lean athletic build?

Regards
Bruce

They came last in the official draw for the S14

Now their play confirms that

Send Ricky Jacque Fourie and Wikus to the Cheetahs- they will be cooking again

Habana must be laughing his ass off.