The Top 14 has long been thought of as the land of giants in a rugby union context and here we test the theory with a look at the average physical make-up of a player in each squad.
In just a few days another season of the Top 14 kicks off with the likes of Owen Farrell, Siya Kolisi, Josua Tuisova, and Davit Niniashvili making the numbers of the overseas players ready to make the headlines and wrestle for the title.
The decision is believed to be based on results at Rugby World Cup 2023 and has been met with some surprise.
Samoa brought their World Cup to an end with comfortably their best performance of the tournament, as they narrowly fell to England 18-17 in Lille.
Samoa have made nine changes to their team to play England this Saturday in Lille following last week’s Rugby World Cup pool loss to Japan.
The result meant England will top Pool D – the winner between Japan and Argentina next week will join them in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Japan boosted their quarter-final hopes with a hard-fought 28-22 Pool D victory over Samoa at Stadium de Toulouse, ensuring England are the second team to qualify for the knock-out stages.
In a scrappy affair in Saint Etienne, Samoa have fallen to a 19-10 loss to Argentina. How did the Manu Samoa players perform in defeat?
Samoa will turn to one of their “Pacific brothers” for both “inspiration and confidence” when they take on a desperate Los Pumas outfit in a decisive Rugby World Cup Test on Friday.