: Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:42 pm  

I remember Jeff Probyn well, he was England prop when I started watching RU. His game was based around the set pieces and the ruck and maul, so he was a very union-oriented player. He probably never thought about crossing codes to turn professional in league because it wouldn't have suited his game, but he would have dominated amateur league players because he would have been far too tough and physically strong for them.

No doubt you think you're being a smartbooty by making the suggestion that league is better than union, because he wasn't a player suited to it, but your question is about as relevant as asking Mark Roberts and Mike Gregory if they would been able to win any lineout ball against a university union XV.

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:07 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

I remember Jeff Probyn well, he was England prop when I started watching RU. His game was based around the set pieces and the ruck and maul, so he was a very union-oriented player. He probably never thought about crossing codes to turn professional in league because it wouldn't have suited his game, but he would have dominated amateur league players because he would have been far too tough and physically strong for them.

No doubt you think you're being a smartbooty by making the suggestion that league is better than union, because he wasn't a player suited to it, but your question is about as relevant as asking Mark Roberts and Mike Gregory if they would been able to win any lineout ball against a university union XV.

Do not mention Mark Roberts and Rugby Union in the same sentence.

Re: Geoff Probyn : Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:21 pm  

Kol Witless wrote:

I am attending a dinner on Friday night where the guest speaker is the ex-England Rugby Union prop Geoff Probyn.

At the end of the evening the diners will be invited to ask Geoff questions.

I am considering askingGeoff "you played rugby union at the highest possible level. In all honesty do you think that you would have been good enough to have played amateur rugby league?"

Unless of course any of you have any better suggestions.

Sounds very disrespectful to me.

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:40 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

I remember Jeff Probyn well, he was England prop when I started watching RU. His game was based around the set pieces and the ruck and maul, so he was a very union-oriented player. He probably never thought about crossing codes to turn professional in league because it wouldn't have suited his game, but he would have dominated amateur league players because he would have been far too tough and physically strong for them.

No doubt you think you're being a smartbooty by making the suggestion that league is better than union, because he wasn't a player suited to it, but your question is about as relevant as asking Mark Roberts and Mike Gregory if they would been able to win any lineout ball against a university union XV.

He was a very staunch opponent of crossing codes in either direction.

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:47 pm  

sally cinnamon wrote:

I remember Jeff Probyn well, he was England prop when I started watching RU. His game was based around the set pieces and the ruck and maul, so he was a very union-oriented player. He probably never thought about crossing codes to turn professional in league because it wouldn't have suited his game, but he would have dominated amateur league players because he would have been far too tough and physically strong for them.

your so funny when you do that sarcasm stuff.......

: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:37 pm  

worthing wire wrote:

That's what props in union do.
He wasn't that fat.
And it's Jeff.

wow you took the words from my ex union props mouth lol

: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:39 pm  

worthing wire wrote:

Never - he's made it up.

It's true, soft lad. Can't remember the year and i don't even know if Jeff/Geoff Probyn was playing. They beat France 21 to something in the last game at HQ. It was on ESPN classic the other week. Er,....I was watching whilst waiting for something else to come on.

: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:47 pm  

Theres a few unpleasant places you dont want to be on a rugby field in either code, but, I reckon if you could ask every player from both codes the place they'd least want to be, most would say the front row of a union scrum. Jeff lived there, and cut it at international level to boot.

THE HOOF

: Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:55 pm  

Moe syslak wrote:

It's true, soft lad. Can't remember the year and i don't even know if Jeff/Geoff Probyn was playing. They beat France 21 to something in the last game at HQ. It was on ESPN classic the other week. Er,....I was watching whilst waiting for something else to come on.

To have not scored a try, their points total would have to divide exactly by 3 (pens and drop goals). In 91, which you're on about, they scored 83 points in total, ergo they must have scored a try. Similar story in 92 and 95 and 03.

You're wrong. Sorry.

: Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:06 pm  

Yeah, but i believe the one they got was a penalty from a collapsed scrum near the line. And they don't count in my book.