Rugby: Moody wrestles his way in

Joe Moody
Joe Moody
The All Black coaching panel are pretty excited by Joe Moody -- the loose-head prop who will make his first test start at Ellis Park.

But there have been plenty of other occasions over the last decade that there has been excitement about an emerging prop.

Rarely have any of them proved to be keepers.

There was Saimone Taumoepeau in 2004 who fizzled as fast as he arrived. Campbell Johnstone back in 2005 was touted as having the best right shoulder in the land, which he may have done, but no one was sure why or even if that was relevant. Clarke Dermody and John Schwalger are other short-lived All Blacks, as was Jamie Mackintosh.

Ben Afeaki and Jeff Toomaga-Allen are props also stranded on one cap and while they should both come again, their current status adds to the perception that prop has been a position with a higher miss than hit rate.

There is something about the 26-year-old Moody that has convinced the coaches that he's different.

"He's a former New Zealand wrestler so he's got really good understanding of his body movements and scrummaging is a lot about that," says All Black coach Steve Hansen.

"He is immensely strong. He's pretty raw. We picked him of course to take him on the end of year tour last year and he broke his ankle. He's probably not as advanced as we thought he would have been had he gone on that tour and played most of Super Rugby.

"But he's certainly a rough diamond. Someone who we think has got a big future."

Rough diamond is exactly what he is. Moody didn't focus seriously on rugby until he was 21. Up until then, wrestling had been his bag and he was good at it. Good enough to win a bronze medal at the Junior Commonwealth Games and good enough to consider relocating to Eastern Europe where the sport is big news.

Rugby felt like it was more him, though, so he hung about, cracked a spot with Canterbury and graduated to the Crusaders last year where he impressed enough to win selection for the end of year tour before injury struck.

This year, he was restricted to just 65 minutes of action in total for the Crusaders. But that didn't put the All Blacks off. Moody, at 1.88m and 118kg, is a seriously big unit and with his core strength and agility honed by years of wrestling, he plays above his weight.

The raw material is all there, but there are a few others who have that, too. The difference with Moody, and what has earned him his first start, is his attitude and capacity to improve quickly.

"He's handled everything so far," says Hansen. "He's got an attitude that says he wants to be there. He wants to be the best. That will take time but once you have got that attitude and you work hard which he is, then you are halfway there.

"He's not taking it for granted, that's for sure."

To back Hansen's claim are the three All Black appearances Moody has made. When he has come off the bench, he hasn't necessarily made a notable impact -- but nor have the All Blacks regressed.

Moody has done his bit and learned a little bit more each time he's played. Starting will be a significant step up for him, but it is apparent he's spent a bit of time analysing his South African opponent, Janie du Plessis.

"Scrummaging against Janie is a little bit different to what we come across in New Zealand," says Moody. "He often likes to attack the hooker a lot more. He comes in.

"Back home we are used to them [tight-heads] scrummaging straight and almost out.

"It is a little bit different but I have come up against him a couple of times now and we have done our homework."

- By Gregor Paul of the Herald on Sunday in Johannesburg

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