Forget protein, players need shrinking pills!

When it comes to progress, rugby stands on the brink of herd immunity. The only sector not in a state of arrested development is strength and conditioning – something of a growth industry, if you’ll pardon the pun – and that brings problems that may prove insurmountable.

- CHRIS HEWETT

Are the players now too big for the game they are meant to be playing? It’s a serious question. And if they are, what can be done about it, short of replacing protein shakes with hourly shots of Alice’s magical shrinking potion? (Don’t mention the idea to World Rugby, who spend quite enough time in ‘Wonderland’ as it is.)

The 15-man code is hardly the first major sport to worry about becoming a victim of its own advancement: cricket, golf and tennis have all been here at one time or another. The batteries of great West Indian fast bowlers prompted discussions about lengthening the pitch; mega-hitters off the tee generated a debate about scrapping par-5 holes; modern racquet technology led some to argue for the eradication of the second serve.

But rugby is in a more precarious place, with the power-to-weight ratio of the average professional having obvious implications for health and safety while leaving the core principle of a “game for all shapes and sizes” on life support.

Back in the early 2000s, your columnist travelled to Swansea to talk with the Australian coach John “Knuckles” Connolly, who had just taken charge at St Helen’s. The conversation turned to Arwel Thomas, the elfin No.10 blessed with all the God-given gifts except one. Size.