Bryan Habana’s 10.2 100m - Don’t Believe the Hype
The English media have launched a media blitz on Bryan Habana prior to the rugby World Cup final this Saturday. The English don’t have to worry about Habana, when the battle will be won or lost up front.
The public always love a fast rugby player. Simon Geoghan was until Keith Wood came along, Ireland’s favourite player. The Welsh adore Shane Williams so much so they forget he is very poor defensively. Philippe Bernat-Salles, Denis Hickie, Jason Robinson the list goes on. However while speed lifts a rugby crowd like nothing else, the public appetite for actual sprinting is at an all time low. Asafa Powell’s incredible 9.74 was barely reported last September.
(Basic image from Dailymail)
Rugby Speed Vs. Real Speed
As an athlete I find it insulting to hear people say that Habana is as fast as a sprinter or can run 10.2 for the 100m. I want to get the record straight that Habana can not run 10.2 or anywhere close to that. There is a big difference between being a fast rugby player and a fast sprinter. To quote my friend about these type of stats, Paul McKee, “yeah on a short track, from a flying start with your Dad timing you”
Considering Habana was easily outrun by Takudzwa Ngwenya in the SA against the USA game it is clear that he is not the fastest player in world rugby. Ngwenya is accredited with 10.5s handtime for the 100 when he was in highschool. Considering that he is now a rugby player and after putting on a bit of weight I think it is safe to say that he could run at best 10.70 electronic now.
Given that Ngwenya put at least 2m on Habana over the space of less than 50m it is safe to assume that Habana couldn’t break 10.90 for the 100. Personally I reckon the figure is about 11.1 but we’d have to see that against the clock and I doubt he’ll compete in any 100m races if that were the case. To put this in context the South African Championships were won in 10.54 this year. Do you really think he’d stand a chance against professional sprinters? I don’t.
He’s a quick guy in fairness, very quick for a rugby player but beside his speed, is he that much of a threat? I think that because he’s a marketable, nice guy the media are making out he’s superman. Maybe it’s nationally patriotism but I’d pick Brian O’ Driscoll or Brian Carney ahead of him (if I had to pick a player who’s name was Brian). Those two are guys who can work with slow ball and zero space. If open space play was that important I’d be playing rugby myself. Every 10.4 sprinter in the UK would be making a nice living instead of trying to make ends meet as athletes.
A favourite saying of mine is “It’s not fronting if you can back it up”. I’d love to see him back it up on the track.
Edit: I changed the title from “Bryan Habana - Don’t Believe the Hype” to “Bryan Habana’s 10.2 100m - Don’t Believe the Hype” due to South African viewers not reading the text fully. The thrust of the article is that rugby players 100m time’s are often pie in the sky. The hype referred to was the UK media preceding the World Cup Final who wrongly concentrated on the threat of Habana over the South African unsung heroes in the pack.
Also to clarify I enjoy watching Bryan Habana on the field and have nothing against him.
Posted 17.10.07
October 18th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
It’s not about the speed, it’s the whole package…how many tries has BOD scored ?????? and at what strike rate, actually, why don’t you check any other players strike rate in as many matches and compare it to Bryans …. the only player who can compete is Joe R from the All Blacks…nuff said..
October 18th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Thanks for the comment Marco. I think that if strike rate were the be all and end all in rugby you’d pick 15 backs and no forwards. I’m not arguing with his strike rate, my comments centre on the media hype when the RWC final is going to be won up front. That and the ludicrous statistic that he can run a 100 in 10.20.
A question would be how many tries has Habana assisted in (as the American’s say). BOD is forever laying off ball to his outside man and hits rucks like a seasoned number 7 and I would argue has the greater influence on a game.
December 29th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
That is the most bogus thing i’ve ever heard. Saying that Ngwenya has gotten slower and from a hand time is completely ridiculous. It is well known that college athletes are faster than their high school counterparts, so to base your entire argument on the fact that Habana got beaten by a Ngwenya and that Ngwenya got slower from his high school days is completely ludocrous. Secondly, the argument can be made that Habana was wrong footed when left for dead by Ngwenya. I do agree that a lot of questionable 100 meter times have been around for habana from 10.2-10.8. However, looking at american 40 times one can’t put the possibility of a 10.2 out of the question. The man is a professional athlete, trained by professionals, as are American football players for that matter(when considering 40 yard dash times). All this in mind, however, I do whole-heartedly agree with you that Habana is no Olympic Sprinter–to say as such is proposterous. Even though, consider Habana’s weight and lack of form(when compared to world-class sprinters). With that much ‘raw’(take that with a grain of salt…he’s obviously had some training) speed he should be given his do. As should Shane Williams who is hardly ever given that much fanfare(keep in mind I live in the States and get all my rugby from online-and from what little I get from Setanta Sports USA). Bottom line- Don’t believe the hype, but give credit to where credit is do.
January 14th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Just like American Football players 40yds times. It’s all nonense. Habana has done well for himself, but 10.2 is ridiculous. I blame Sky News for that one. Well that and running against a cheetah (but I suppose it was for charity)
Why do people think 11.1 is an insulting time, why don’t they try run it themself. It’ still very good. I’m sure Bryan Habana would be very happy with that time. He’s a rugby player not an Olympic sprinter!!!
January 15th, 2008 at 12:29 am
This page continues to get a lot of hits. Just to clarify, I like Bryan Habana, and he’s a very good rugby player. I am an international sprinter so I know what I’m talking about regarding speed training and dodgy times. By the way 10.90 is not slow. Maurice Greene had a season’s best of 10.84 this year!
My comments regarding hype are about his 10.20 and refer specifically to the pre World Cup Final hype by the English media who believed he was the major South African threat. I was dead right, it was won up front and their star player was Victor Matfield.
This article explains the BS that exists regarding 40 yard dash times for US football players - http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20050418-9999-1s18forty.html and backs up this post perfectly.
January 15th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
You guys say he got out ran,i say bull! Habana wasn’t even upright,and i as a 100 and 200m sprinter know that yr not near yr top speed when your not running upright! have you guys ever seen habana against the cheatah???guess not,because you can see habana’s excellent acceleration and consistend speed when starting from dead still going on to full pace! I say habana might even be possible to break 10.20sec in 100! AND YOU CAN NEVER COMPARE A GUY THATS ALREADY IN RUNNING MOTION TO A GUY HAVING TO TURN AROUND!
February 25th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
You’re probably right about the times etc … but you in a way that’s really negative - remember this is media hype, more importantly it’s UK media hype and nothing to do with the person that is Brian Habaana. The one I hated most whihc was repeated 50 times a day wsa that he once ran against a cheetah. He did. It was a total farce. The thing strolled along chasing a piece of meat while Brian sprinted next to it having had a head start. It was just a photo shoot, nothing more. To call it race is a joke, but the papers were making it out like some kind world record …
That’s why claiming Ngwenya wiped the floor with Habana without mentioning Brian was on the back foot is not really fair. And the final insult, arrogantly claiming you’d rather pick O’Driscoll or Carny show’s you are more interested in slating Habana and don’t know much about rugby - There isn’t a Coach in the world who’d agree with you on that one.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Hi Mike,
Cheers for the comment. Certainly a more intelligent analysis than many other ones.
People do forget that opinionated blog posts are only relevant for a moment in time but they still exist past that moment. For instance, discussing Tony Blair’s decisions was relevant a year ago but probably looks irrelevant now.
I would however pick O’Driscoll over Habana in a tight game any day of the week but yeah Carney is not playing as well as he was in his glory days so you have me on that one. Don’t forget I am a Munster and Irish support so I’m entitled to my bias
February 28th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Firstly, Habana has not made any claims as to what times he is capable of running and it is, therefore, unfair to make such an attack on the player. One cannot argue that Habana is blessed with great speed but to compair him to an athlete that trains specifically for sprinting is unfair. A sprinter trains solely for the purpose of speed and acceleration. The times they clock in are under near perfect conditions-flat track, starting blocks, light footwear and even lighter clothing. This immediately reduces their times! You claim your an athlete so this should, therefore, be common knowledge to you. I would be willing to bet that sprinters could not match Habana’s max bench etc.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I think Habana is the fastest man in world rugby because if you look at the video of Takudzwa Ngwenya Habana was wrong footed therefore Ngwenya had a bit of a head start and he was running on pace, Habana was on a standing start. I agree that he is not as fast as world class sprinters such as e.g. Asafa Powell who ran 100m in 9.74 seconds but not far off. I’d say he’s in the 10.4 - 10.7 mark which is very very fast for a rugby player. No doubt he is the best winger in world rugby and one of the best there has been even one of the fastest. But who knows we can only prove it if we saw him on 100m track. For my last word i agree with Andrew (who left the last comment) Sprinters have lighter footwear, lighter clothing, flat running track and starting blocks which give them at least 0.5 seconds less time. If you took that much time off Habanas time you would be looking at him running 100m in about 10.0- 10.3 which is hell of a difference in speed. Also a sprinter is trained all the time on speed and accelaration. So why is everone giving Habana so much greef on how fast he is he ver very fast end of and definetely the fastest man in world rugby and definetely in the timing of 10.3 - 10.7 no matter what anyone says. Habana you a legendary player you are the best =D
April 1st, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Im willing to bet quite a few sprinters could match Habana’s bench press.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
How much can he bench press ?
May 4th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I quite agree with your comments. Anything sub 11s is very quick. I’ve been reading numerous sites that claim Habana et al can run 10.2 etc. I just can’t believe it! Top sprinters who train for thoses opne off races can barelt run those times, so how can rugby players who only need speed as one aspect of the game (along with skills, endurance etc).
Nigel Walker could run 10.45 (10.38 wind assisted) - he played for Wales in the early 1990s having been a 110m hurdler. He got to the semi final of the Olympics in 1984. When e was about 33 years old he was running 10.95s for the 100m, he was NOTICABLY quicker than all other wings he played against - leaving them grasping air!
Dwain Chambers (9.87)has just had a trial with Castleford RL - should be interesting
July 20th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I love the quips about the RWC and how Bryan wont matter because the game will be won or lost by the forwards… Hmmm… Who won the RWC 2007 final again? Oh, right! South Africa. The Springboks. And Bryan Habana played a big role in that. So the US Eagle managed to score a try. Woo hoo!
You’re right, being an “athlete” isn’t what’s required. Being a rugby player is.
He’s fast enough. Nuff said.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Something else to consider. If a sprinter sprinter spent 70 mins running, tackling, defending, scrumming, getting tackled, getting dumped etc, could they then do 100m in even 11sec? i think not. As far as I can see sprinters spend months and months just to run 10-11 sec bout. In the tri-nations some players play six crushing games in less than 2 months. And before that was the World Cup, and before that the various comps. so even after all this to cinsider, even if it’s less than 11sec, Habana cab do it at a drop of a hat. and then smile and , be gracious and humble…rugby players are due a lot more respect that some bloke who trains 6 months just to run a one-off 10.3 sec. However, i love sprinting and rugby. This article is suggesting that sprinters and ruggers are opponents. should such hard working sportsmen not be standing together, instead of nit-picking.
Or is it becuse Habana is Not from UK, and obviously bothering some people. + rugby is a team sport and one of good ambassadors. Even when NZ and SA play each other you them genuinly speaking to and commending each other after a game.
+ please test a sprinter by letting him run, be tackled, tackle, etc for 70 mins, and then without notice let him sprint 100 metres in rugby gear…. I wonder if would be 10.2 …. think before speak…..makes you wonder just how fast Habana would be if he just trained on speed, and only ran after 6 months training….I bet some sprinters would prefer he played rugby, than come second to him…
September 16th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Bryan Habana is surely quicker than 11 on the 100!! nou doubt i am a sprinter and played rugby with him in high school for a couple of trials, i ran a 10.9 and as we played this game he was my inside centre and i clearly remember him leaving me in the dust every time he hit a gap! i dont know about 10.2 but around the 10.6 or 10.5 mark would make sense!! about the bench press it is a well known fact that any springbok back-line player must be able to bench more than 140kg’s its part of the criteria and the forwards have to bench 160kg’s. And if you are a winger in any pro rugby team you do sprint training with sprinting coaches how do u think rugby players train???
They work on acceleration and the correct posture, keeping speed!
Well thats all i know about this!
October 11th, 2008 at 2:07 am
I think it is fair to be critical of the media hype which surrounds great athletes, and which helps to advertise products and sell matches, and I would say Habana probably runs the 100 in a time of 10.8 (His high school time was 11.0, slower than that of Pierre Spies 10.7 who plays at number 8).
However, the fact that you have a vested interest in athletics, over and above rugby, is probably why you don’t appreciate the brilliance of the man. As mentioned his strike rate is superb, his acceleration off the mark is second to none(Ngwenya only beat him because he had a running start), he is amazing in defense and he has that rare ability to create something out of nothing, especially under pressure (look at how he actually wins the Super 14 for the Blue Bulls in the 2007 final). He doesn’t need space, he creates space, then he puts on the gas and scores.
As a final point I will use your own words against you ‘If open space play was that important I’d be playing rugby myself. Every 10.4 sprinter in the UK would be making a nice living instead of trying to make ends meet as athletes.’ Rugby is about a lot more than speed, perhaps you should consider that when evaluating why Bryan Habana won the International rugby player of the year award in 2007.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
its funny the english are always taking cheap shots at the boks but tym and tym again they fail to back their big mouths up with sum good rugby basically it doesnt matter wether bryan does 10.2 or not .he’s a world class winger hus constantly terrorising the opponents and is a majot threat in any bok game .he showed tht in the world cup final by constantly taking out england’s best hope ..paul sackey .bottom line HABANA is at the top of his game u juct cnt touch him
October 21st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
um saffa are you sure about the 140 kgs, because i doubt francois steyn can lift that.
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Thanks for the comments guys. I keep on having to state though that this is an old article and was aimed at the UK media focus on who was the big South African threat in the RWC. This is not an article knocking Bryan Habana and I won’t approve those comments knocking him.
Richard - I do appreciate how good Habana is, you just have to remember this thread is about 100m times not, ball handling ability etc. Rugby is a lot more than just speed - that was the pointI was making. You are agreeing with me not using my words against me.
Dams - I too be very impressed by that lift but he may well be able to do it as with any combination of proper technique, shortened range of motion or assistance from a lifting shirt it is very possible. There is about a 150kg difference in the world record from bench press between equipped and unequipped lifters!
October 29th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Dams - yes im sure he can lift that much, he allready weighs in at 100 kg plus and 191 cm tall. hes a big lad! all im wondering is what makes you think he cant lift that much. Just remember this he is a profesional athlete who trains all day every day with the best of trainers in the world.
December 17th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I am a sprinter. I train 7 days a week. I find it extremely amusing when I hear rugby-heads talking about player speeds. I would lover to see a 100m race against the fastest players in the world (with correct electronic timing). It would show everyone, and put this topic to rest finally, that speed on the field is nothing like speed on a track. I used to compete against Doug Howlett - he has a 10.68 100m time to his name - this is rubbish - at his best he may have run a high 10.8. He competed in a club meet while he was an All Black one summer (when he was leaving people for dead on the field). He came dead last in the 100m in a B-race against school boys and then ran 23+ for the 200m. Rugby training slowed him down something terrible. If you put me (a 10.5 100m runner) in a foot race against 100kg+ rugby players - I’m going to look like The Flash too. As far as other sprinters turned rugby players go - the longer they train for rugby, the slower they get…
December 17th, 2008 at 1:24 am
One other thing, I weigh 76kg and I bench press 135kg (we do bench press 3 times a week) - full range, no assistance. I imagine the majority of rugby players (who do a fair amount of weight training) would find 140kg fairly easy to do - even the small guys.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Guys….Yes Habana is not in the leage of world class sprinters,But is very much in a leage of his own. Habana has got the muscle strenghth and pace to run and accelirate fast,plus being able to take and give a firm and hard tackle………..yes i was harsh being so negative towards everyone.But Habana is fast and has got excellent accelaration and thats very importand. But guys listen to this: Usain Bolt gets smashed in a 50m sprint by so many 100m sprinters……but give him time to get upright and get to his top speed and he’ll outsprint so probably most!! But ya just give any fast man the space to run and not many will catch him…..because diffirence in top spead ain’t big at all.
February 1st, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Habana has only ever ran 100m officially, he has only ever ran 11.2 for the 100m which in all fairness for somebody who doesn’t specialize in the sprints is very good to say im a sprinter at the age of 17 only running 10.84 in my 3rd year in the sport. I will post you the website soon when I come across it again maybe tommorow because I am tired lol
February 17th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Well, I once ran 10.9 seconds for 100m, was in the junior sprinting ranks and I also played semi-pro rugby in the UK. We used to play Allied Dunbar premiership (as it was then) teams in the off season and I would have said that all the wingers at that level were fast and some of them were exceptionally fast. Their training wasn’t for sprinting, but I would have said quite a few had the raw potential to go under 11 seconds for 100m, and one or two were probably running those kind of times even without proper training!! Rugby at that time though was in its transition phase from amateur to pro - the players will be fitter now.
As to the question of why rugby isn’t full of sub olympic 10.4 second 100m sprinters earning a decent crust, I have a simple answer from my own experience of playing with a few athletics converts at semi-pro level - they aren’t TOUGH ENOUGH!!! Get on a rugby pitch (as I did, several times) with international rugby players like Lawrence Dallaglio and you can SEE the HATE in their eyes - there’s no other way of putting it, and they’re not bad athletes themselves either! If you had an exceptional athlete who was a bit soft and an OK athlete who could handle himself, you’d pick the latter for your rugby team every time.