@akan004 said in NZ U20 v France U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):
@Nepia said in NZ U20 v France U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):
@akan004 said in NZ U20 v France U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):
I know we tend to opt for mobility over size in NZ, but I do think we have to start to look at bigger athletes as well. That's where the game is heading, especially in the NH. Would players such as Tuilagi, Skelton, Meafou etc have been persevered with in NZ? Probably not.
Tamaiti Williams has just been selected as an AB. So maybe yes.
He's an exception rather than the rule due to his skill and mobility. We don't generally see too many big men in NZ rugby.
Our forwards certainly haven't lacked size. While our backline has been the 2nd heaviest in the world behind France since the last World Cup.
It's also been amusing hearing people continue to perpetrate the myth of our 'undersized' forwards against the much vaunted NH packs - the coaching wasn't the problem - it's cause our players are simply too small & weak to overpower those MASSIVE northern hemisphere packs.
The ironic thing is NZ's forward pack has consistently been either the heaviest or 2nd heaviest pack in the world during Foster's 4 year tenure. He just had them playing lateral helter-skelter rugby instead of utilizing our big men effectively, thankfully Schmidt & Ryan have got them playing more a lot more direct and varying the point of attack now.
Netherlands living the dream after qualifying for World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 | World Rugby
