RugbyRebels

France have named the heaviest pack on record for tomorrow night.

How long are these guys going to be able to keep going?

it's a monster group....

Jefferson Poirot (6ft, 19st 6lbs)
Guilhem Guirado (5ft 11in, 17st 2lbs)
Uini Atonio (6ft 6ins, 24st 6lbs)
Sebastien Vahaamahina (6ft 8in, 19st 12lbs)
Paul Willemse (6ft 7ins, 21st 4lbs)
Wenceslas Lauret (6ft 2ins, 16st 2lbs)
Arthur Itturia (6ft 6ins, 17st 6lbs)
Louis Picamoles (6ft 4ins, 18st 4lbs)

Are you sure that's not their tug-of-war team?

Bastareaud will be crucial as to whether he can slow ball down, anyone who can keep the ball alive will score plenty against that lot

Digby wrote:Bastareaud will be crucial as to whether he can slow ball down, anyone who can keep the ball alive will score plenty against that lot

I thought he’d been dropped?

That would be a brilliantly French move. Start picking all their fast, agile backs and then a monsterous forward pack that can’t keep up.

yep - n'tamack is in for Bastareaud

Crazy thing is our U20's have players that are roughly that height and weight
Heyes 19 stone 12
Kpoku 19 stone 12
Hill 17 stone 6
Willis 17 stone 3

Mikey Brown wrote:

Digby wrote:Bastareaud will be crucial as to whether he can slow ball down, anyone who can keep the ball alive will score plenty against that lot

I thought he’d been dropped?

That would be a brilliantly French move. Start picking all their fast, agile backs and then a monsterous forward pack that can’t keep up.

Then their plan for slowing ball extends as far as winning contact. And in fairness they probably will win contact but will enough attacks they face seek that?

They'll need games to play out within specific parameters to win

Dull dull dull. I hope Wales thrash them.

Steady on, no need to lurch that far towards the crazy

I reckon that Eddie, and quite a lot of England fans, with some notable ex-posters on here, are going to be looking at that with a touch of jealousy.

Big case of Will Skelton Effect?

16th man wrote:I reckon that Eddie, and quite a lot of England fans, with some notable ex-posters on here, are going to be looking at that with a touch of jealousy.

Where has Beefeater gone?

16th man wrote:I reckon that Eddie, and quite a lot of England fans, with some notable ex-posters on here, are going to be looking at that with a touch of jealousy.

I always think that it's a really lazy stereotype that england has "big forwards". It hasn't been true for at least the last 15 or so years. We are consistently out weighed by other teams.

We are completely dwarfed by the SA and french packs.

Gloskarlos wrote:France have named the heaviest pack on record for tomorrow night.

How long are these guys going to be able to keep going?

it's a monster group....

Jefferson Poirot (6ft, 19st 6lbs)
Guilhem Guirado (5ft 11in, 17st 2lbs)
Uini Atonio (6ft 6ins, 24st 6lbs)
Sebastien Vahaamahina (6ft 8in, 19st 12lbs)
Paul Willemse (6ft 7ins, 21st 4lbs)
Wenceslas Lauret (6ft 2ins, 16st 2lbs)
Arthur Itturia (6ft 6ins, 17st 6lbs)
Louis Picamoles (6ft 4ins, 18st 4lbs)

Mako - 19st 1lbs
George - 17st 2lbs
Sinckler - 18st 1lbs
Itoje - 18st 3lbs
Kruis - 18st 1lbs
Wilson - 17st 6lbs
Curry - 16st 7lbs
Billy - 20st 5lbs

4 of our players comparable, it's really Atonio and Willemse adding the additional girth.

Yep. Their tighthead and locks are the big difference. Otherwise, it’s pretty similar other than Billy being 2st heavier than PIcamoles.

Never heard of Willemse. Seems to be quite a theme to these highlights though.



I struggle to believe Maro is that heavy along with some of the other stats.

You struggle to believe he is 18 stone? That isn't that heavy for a lock.

He looks significantly shorter and less bulky than Kruis, just as a comparison, but that may be well out of date. Obviously some people are, err, denser than others.

One wonders who are densest player is? Probably Ben Youngs coming out above some strong competition

It's interesting now you mention it to compare some of these stats for players competing in each position. I wonder how much this affects EJ and his predecessors' selections? Particularly with this idea in everyone's heads that England are one of the biggest teams.

Danny Care - 5'7" 13st 6lbs
Dan Robson - 5'8" 12st 13lbs
Ben Youngs - 5'10" 19st 3lbs
Richard Wigglesworth - 5'9" 12st 9lbs

I don't know how reliable those stats are but they're the first ones that come up. It's amazing how much the club/country stats differ too.

lol.

But even his actual list weight of 14st7 is heavier than the other options. He might even be closer in weight to his brother than to Wigglesworthless.

Mikey Brown wrote:He looks significantly shorter and less bulky than Kruis, just as a comparison, but that may be well out of date. Obviously some people are, err, denser than others.

I've seen him in person it's no exaggeration. He is "ripped" as the kids say (as in no body fat). That might make him seems more slight than the lads carrying a bit more timber but he is definitely that height/weight.

twitchy wrote:

16th man wrote:I reckon that Eddie, and quite a lot of England fans, with some notable ex-posters on here, are going to be looking at that with a touch of jealousy.

I always think that it's a really lazy stereotype that england has "big forwards". It hasn't been true for at least the last 15 or so years. We are consistently out weighed by other teams.

We are completely dwarfed by the SA and french packs.

We had a bigger pack than SA in June. I remember when they put the combined weights up and being stunned, as I don't remember ever seeing a Bokke pack that was smaller than anyone.