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2024 Guinness Six Nations
2014 Six Nations: France vs England (Round 1)
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<blockquote data-quote="Peat" data-source="post: 620819" data-attributes="member: 42330"><p>Strength and power will always be key attributes in rugby but those things are not size. They are heavily related, but they're not the same. Look at David Pocock, incredibly effective and hugely strong, he's only 104kg. Keep looking, other examples will crop up. O'Driscoll and O'Connell. Dusautoir himself, not big, but highly effective and capable of tackling 34 men in a match.</p><p></p><p>There are so many other attributes of vital importance as well. Speed. Fitness. Agility - the ability to step, the ability to bounce back to your feet quickly, to get over the ball. Technical ability. All the mental attributes - the ability to make good decisions quickly, the discipline, the willingness to work, composure under pressure, huge competitiveness. Chris Robshaw is far from the most blessed of players. He does not have outstanding pace or strength. His height makes him at best a good lineout operator. He's England captain though - why? Because he's worked really hard. Because he's an excellent technical player and his top 4 inches, his rugby mind, are incredible. It's difficult to play rugby without guys like Vunipola or Picamoles but equally it's difficult to play rugby without your Robshaws and Smiths. The dream of course is 15 guys who are excellent in all aspects - I don't think you could create a team like that from everyone in the world.</p><p></p><p>More importantly... England's pack, not so big. Vunipolas are huge and give our average weight a big boost. Lawes and Launchbury aren't big men. Lawes is listed as 17st 6lb on his RFU profile and 18st 8lbs on his wikipedia. Don't trust given weights too much, for they lie. Tom Wood is tall and rangy, not tall and huge. Marler, there's bigger guys... they look very well conditioned though. As strong and fit as can be.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Peat, post: 620819, member: 42330"] Strength and power will always be key attributes in rugby but those things are not size. They are heavily related, but they're not the same. Look at David Pocock, incredibly effective and hugely strong, he's only 104kg. Keep looking, other examples will crop up. O'Driscoll and O'Connell. Dusautoir himself, not big, but highly effective and capable of tackling 34 men in a match. There are so many other attributes of vital importance as well. Speed. Fitness. Agility - the ability to step, the ability to bounce back to your feet quickly, to get over the ball. Technical ability. All the mental attributes - the ability to make good decisions quickly, the discipline, the willingness to work, composure under pressure, huge competitiveness. Chris Robshaw is far from the most blessed of players. He does not have outstanding pace or strength. His height makes him at best a good lineout operator. He's England captain though - why? Because he's worked really hard. Because he's an excellent technical player and his top 4 inches, his rugby mind, are incredible. It's difficult to play rugby without guys like Vunipola or Picamoles but equally it's difficult to play rugby without your Robshaws and Smiths. The dream of course is 15 guys who are excellent in all aspects - I don't think you could create a team like that from everyone in the world. More importantly... England's pack, not so big. Vunipolas are huge and give our average weight a big boost. Lawes and Launchbury aren't big men. Lawes is listed as 17st 6lb on his RFU profile and 18st 8lbs on his wikipedia. Don't trust given weights too much, for they lie. Tom Wood is tall and rangy, not tall and huge. Marler, there's bigger guys... they look very well conditioned though. As strong and fit as can be. [/QUOTE]
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2024 Guinness Six Nations
2014 Six Nations: France vs England (Round 1)
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