Bill Young, the Prop all Countries Love to Hate!!!

Target me, challenges Young

By Wayne Smith, via Fox Sports
January 24, 2006

DISMISSED last season as a spent force in international rugby, veteran Wallabies and Brumbies loosehead Bill Young yesterday challenged rival teams to target him if they believe he is truly a weak link in the scrum.

Refreshed from his first off-season since 2000 after sitting out the disastrous Wallabies' spring tour, Young, 31, returns to the fray boosted by three intensive months of pumping iron.

Having played the last of his 46 Tests - against the All Blacks in Auckland last September - at 108kg, he now is the heaviest of his career, 115kg. "Hopefully the extra bulk will make it easier for me to manage situations," said Young.

With Springbok coach Jake White harping on relentlessly about Young's supposedly illegal scrummaging, he found himself in the situation of being caned by rivals before Test matches, by referees during them and by the media afterwards.

The subsequent announcement he was being "rested" from the Wallabies' tour was interpreted by most critics as a gentle nudge out of the Test arena.

It was only a few weeks later, when the Australia scrum was shaken by France and then shattered by England, that the realisation dawned that Young's guile and experience might have been the only things holding the whole sorry mess together.

Young admitted yesterday he was bemused that fingers were always pointed at him.

"I've had to work with about nine different tightheads during my tenure as the loosehead for Australia over the past six years," he said. "I haven't really had the opportunity to create any sort of combination."

Throw in the half-dozen hookers he also has partnered, and it is little wonder Young envies the partership forged by Ewen McKenzie, Phil Kearns and Tony Daly, who played 36 Tests as a front-row unit in the early 1990s.

"It can be difficult at times. I was the one who was always there so I was an easy scapegoat," he said. "That's fine. I've got to be accountable for my performances so by no means do I make excuses or say we scrummaged well last year, because we didn't."

Echoing views voiced by McKenzie, now Waratahs coach, and Reds coach Jeff Miller, Young is adamant that the blame for Australia's scrummaging woes should not be dumped entirely at the feet of the two props.

"I think we have to go back and look at the entire platform being set up by the back five and the three front-rowers and not just rely on the guys in the No.1 and No.3 jerseys to do the job," he said.

Young took no pleasure in watching the man who replaced him at loosehead, Matt Dunning, humbled along with tighthead Al Baxter and hooker Brendan Cannon in the Twickenham debacle.

His sympathy, however, will not extend to conceding the No.1 jersey to Dunning. Young is intent on winning it back this year. From there, he can set about restoring his and the Wallabies' scrummaging reputation before next year's World Cup.

"It can be done. There's at least 45, 50 first class games to be played between now and the World Cup. That's a lot of football for front-rowers to work out where the scrum scene is going."

I think Bill Young is one of the most under-rated looseheads in world rugby.
That doesn't mean he's the best, not by a longshot, but if you want someone who will give his all and do what is required to keep his team in the game then the old Caveman is the player.
He is the type of player that you can picture or know still playing for the "dad's army" XV at your local club, sharing his knowledge and grinding opposition tightheads into the ground and then leading the victory celebrations well into his forties! And if nothing else, as he is two days older than me, while he plays on at the top level I'm not officially old!!!
Bulking up to 115kg now puts him in the bottom end of the power props but he will keep the experience of being a work-horse prop as well.
If he is fully fit I would definately always have him in my Wallaby 22, if not starting, as you know you will not be left wondering if he has done all that he can and given 100%.
Rock on Caveman keep it going!

All jokes aside (yes even my own in the shoutout area) he's one of the best we've got.

How right you are guys. If he leaves he international rugby he will be sorely missed.

Mainy by the AB's, SA, England, Argentina etc etc

He is mediocre at his best. Unfortunately he probably was the best option at the time.

No where near being a world class player.

But you don't disagree he is one of the best options we have?

Yeah. No good throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Mind you, if the Force front row continues the way they started on Saturday, there could be some new names in the squad.

The question is "would you take him to the next world cup?" or Al Baxter for that matter.

If I were the coach, I'd chuck the whole front row out of the squad, go on a bender and get chatty with all the huge arse security gaurds who man the doors of the pubs. I'd get a solid front 3 don't you worry.

(re security guards)

But you're meant to be an Australian resident to play for the national team Sage ;)

Re taking him to the WC, if he's still the best we've got then of course however, as you mention Redbull, I think we are about to see some genuine props come through the system this season, in all four teams to varying degrees.
I think Baxter is still young enough to improve and become a genuine world class prop given the right technical coaching but I would find it hard to pick him in almost all S14 teams at the moment going on Spring Tour form.

Yeah Burgs I thought of that as I posted it, my whole ingenious plan came undone.

We've got some good young blood coming through, depending what happens in this year's S14, chances are I would be able to find 4 props better than Young. It's unlikely little Blocker Roach and guys his age will make it but some of the U21 squad was pretty solid.