A good big ’un will always beat a good little ’un, so the old saying goes. For all the clear importance of size and muscularity in such a confrontational sport, it is not quite so simple on a rugby pitch, where mobility and technical skill will always be part of the picture. Yet Fabien Galthié, the France head coach, clearly believes in the value of sheer heft in his forward pack.
Uini Atonio, the tight-head prop, weighing in at a croissant under 23 stone, has long been among the heaviest players in the game since making his way into the France team a decade ago. Behind him in the scrum for the first time last weekend was Emmanuel Meafou, who was 25½ stone when he
