"Relentless" - Collins and Etzebeth ranked among the '10 hardest' rugby players EVER
Rugby NewsMonday, 01 January 2024 at 09:23
Wales legend Graham Price has named the 10 toughest rugby players of all-time.
The Wales and Lions legend packed down 41 times for his country and was first-choice on Lions tours to New Zealand (1977 and 1983) and South Africa (1980), playing in every game.
Price, named the toughest player in Wales history by former England fly-half Stuart Barnes, had a go at picking his own list of real, real rugby tough men
The 10 hardest rugby players in history:
#10. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
Price says: "Etzebeth is another who never took a backward step. He learned so much from watching Botha and they used to say he was ready to fight anyone - including the referee."
#9. Bakkies Botha (South Africa)
Price says: "In an era when it has been more difficult to 'assert yourself' as a hard man because there are so many TV cameras around these days, he was still able to stand out as the Springboks' enforcer for a decade."
#8. Jerry Collins (New Zealand)
Price says: "Another modern-day great to make my list. He intimidated with his ferocious tackling and fearsome ball-carrying.
"If you want evidence of just how hard as nails Collins was, just ask Colin Charvis, who was knocked out cold by one of his tackles in a New Zealand v Wales game."
#7. Wayne Shelford (New Zealand)
Shelford, born on December 13, 1957, is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Renowned for his powerful performances as a number 8, Shelford captained the All Blacks in the late 1980s. He symbolizes the team's toughness, famously playing on despite losing several teeth in a brutal match.
#6. Fran Cotton (England)
Price says: "A great player, a fierce opponent and wonderful team-mate of mine with the Lions in 1977. If you went into battle, you knew Franny would watch your back.
"We played the three Tests in the front row against New Zealand on that '77 tour and they had a newspaper called The Truth, which was their equivalent of the News of the World."
#5. Frank Oliver (New Zealand)
Oliver, born on January 27, 1948, was a formidable New Zealand rugby player and coach. Known for his tenacity as a lock, Oliver earned 43 caps for the All Blacks from 1971 to 1978. Post-retirement, he transitioned to coaching, contributing significantly to New Zealand's rugby development.
#4. Colin Meads (New Zealand)
Price says: "The best out and out player in my selection, a legendary second row, but another who took no nonsense."
#3. Alain Esteve (France)
Price says: "Legend has it that Esteve once caught another man with his wife and threw him out of the first floor bedroom window."
#2. Michel Palmie (France)
Price says: "He seemed to be frequently banned for dirty play - which was extra dirty even by French standards of the time. In one match he whacked me so hard on the head I had a four inch gash."
#1. Gerard Cholley (France)
Price says: "Cholley was a loosehead so I directly came up against him several times, able to vouch first hand for his hardness.
"He used to be heavyweight boxing champion in the French services, the Paras I think, and there's a great story about how he started in rugby that says everything."
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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