Bench Press...top 47 rugby players

A few surprises here:

(Top is Gajion ex Moldovan player who played for Ospreys)

Eben comes below Itoje, Will Genia, David Pocock, Beast and Paul O'Connell.

Gheorghe Gajion (Ospreys) 230kg
Aled de Malmanche (Stade Francis, retired) 220kg
Biyi Alo (Wasps) 220kg
Leo Halavatau (Soyaux Angoulême XV) 217.5kg
Andrew Sheridan (Sale Shark, retired) 215kg
Alfie To’oala Vaeluaga (Samoa) 210kg
WillGriff John (Sale Sharks) 210kg
Max Lahiff (Bristol Bears) 210kg
Nicky Smith (Ospreys) 200kg
Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) 200kg
Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons) 200kg
Tom Court (Ulster, retired) 200kg
Jack Whetton (Highlanders) 200kg
Ben Tameifuna (Racing 92) 190kg
Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers) 190kg
Siate Tokolahi (Highlanders) 190kg
Cian Healy (Leinster) 190kg
David Kilcoyne (Munster) 187.5kg
Jackson Wray (Saracens) 187.5kg
Maro Itoje (Saracens) 187.5kg
David Pocock (Panasonic Wildknights) 185kg
Ugo Monye (Harlequins, retired) 185kg
Joe Moody (Crusaders) 180kg
Pouri Rakete-Stones (Hawk’s Bay) 180kg
Will Genia (Rebels) 180kg
Digby Ioane (Glendale Raptors) 180kg
Mike McCarthy (Leinster, retired) 180kg
Tendai Mtawarira (Old Glory) 180kg
Gareth Denman (Coventry) 180kg
Tom James (Scarlets) 180kg
Paul O’Connell (Munster, retired) 179kg
Nemani Nadolo (Montpellier) 175kg
Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) 175kg
Jaycob Matiu (Northland) 170kg
Ben Funnell (Crusaders) 165kg
Pierre Spies (Montpellier, retired) 165kg
Matt Vaai (Counties Manukau) 162.5kg
Pete Samu (Brumbies) 160kg
Sam Whitelock (Panasonic Wildknights) 160kg
Matt Todd (Crusaders) 150kg
Caleb Timu (Montpellier) 150kg
Andy Goode (Newcastle Falcons) 150kg
Dan Carter (free agent) 145kg
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) 140kg
Jim Hamilton (Saracens, retired) 140kg
Sonny Bill Williams (ex-Blues) 140kg
Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders) 137kg

Bench press has little value in determining functional strength as a human being very seldom has to perform challenging tasks while lying static on their back. Unless you're a mechanic and the jack just gave in.

Sonny Boy way down at the bottom of the list?

Nobody mentioned functional strength but arm and shoulder strength obviously does have value as does other exercises like squats etc, otherwise why would they do it.

Also Genia could well push more than bigger guys, I've seen and observed huge strength in some small men, but it's not the point, it's just a point of interest and not a scale of measurement of the whole.

I’m guessing the Beast….he shoulder pressed Bakkies.

"Unless you're a mechanic and the jack just gave in"

LMAO.... just picture it

Schalc Burger highest weight was 90kg, that was in his own words during an interview. Just laughed at the thought of the gym, but yet one of the greatest flankers in the Modern era, 

I believe your genes play a big factor. It probably just give you nice pecks for your team to cry on when they lose.

Of course it's not a gauge of a players ability...just interest. I never insinuated that or said that.

If it's an ego thing amongst players which I suspect it could be amongst some characters perhaps they keep mum about it. The easiest way would laugh at it and shrug it off or not try or maybe it's slightly out of date but it is possible that smaller guys out push than bigger guys and yes it does happen quite often. Have you seen the size of some power lifters and the weights they lift above their heads in relation to their body weight? It's unbelievable and technique is involved.

But gym obviously plays a big role today amongst rugby players.

How about just pasting the results.

Dear Chips what a man says is NOT set in stone. Ask conditioned, well drilled players what importance gym is.

No, it's not a contest to prove anybody better or stronger than anybody else but just to individually  strengthen certain areas of developement. Why are posters more concerned to prove some poster wrong than see the CONTEXT to what he implies. Huge problem here and sets off huge ramblings of guff by those too thick to understand.

I think that rugby players have gone to the other extreme. Players in almost every position has gained 20% bodymass as to what we use to see back in the 90s. You had your Islanders that were the exception due to their genes and probably why they did so well in good teams. 

But on the other side, we see far more injuries, especially ACLs and neck injuries. If you have a player with that mass coming down on your or trying to step or shift your frame, your ACL won't hold up. 

Substitutes has allowed players to have a higher impact on the game without lasting the full game. These days the oaks get a dead  leg and they come off. 

If they went back to reducing substitutes, players would stay on longer, carry less bulk and try to preserve their energy. Only the true athletes would manage. Thiking of Kieran Read, Mcaw, Burger, PSDT to name a few that could play an entire game. 

So maybe if the reduce the tactical substitutions we would see less injuries and less over gymed apes on the field

I agree with your point Corn. Under Harrassmiss substitutions have devolved into 40 minute games  for the front rows. That way you can have slabs of beef that aren’t super fit, but have optimized strength. 

Here’s a thought….why not exclude subs until the 60th minute unless a player has to go off for medical reasons. And if he does that,  he cannot play the following week.

The lack of fitness catches up with the team. Against Argentina, with their double cut pass shape, but 55 minutes the whole team was straining to get into position. In the end, it was cut to a dump off to a forward.