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49ers eager to see rugby player Jarryd Hayne in pads

Jarryd Hayne knows how to give and take a hit. But he hasn’t done it in pads.

Hayne, the Australian rugby player who is trying to make it as a running back on the 49ers, has shown impressive athleticism in offseason work. But running backs coach Tom Rathman says that until they can see him in pads, the 49ers really won’t have any idea whether Hayne can play American football.

“I don’t think he’s really going to be able to do anything about it until he starts playing real football, until they start playing ‘bang,'” Rathman told the Sacramento Bee.