IN THE MODERN game, it isn’t unusual for a forward to have a well-rounded set of skills similar to that of a back, but there is definitely still some novelty attached to seeing a member of the pack kick the ball.
There have been some instances of forwards excelling in that area – legendary Australian second row John Eales kicked 34 penalties and 31 conversions during his international career while former All Black Zinzan Brooke famously nailed a monster drop goal at the 1995 World Cup.
And Keith Wood loved the occasional hack down field and sometimes he was very effective with the boot.
We almost saw a repeat of Brooke’s World Cup heroics in the Aviva Premiership last weekend after Saracens second row Alistair Hargreaves sent a wobbler between the posts against London Irish.
Unfortunately for Hargreaves the referee had already blown his whistle, but you still have to salute his effort.
Drop goals are one thing, but it definitely looks strange to see a 6 ft 7 international second row kicking off the tee.
