sport news France's one-ton, eight-headed monster: The secrets behind the Six Nations' ... trends now
England will have to cope with a tonne of trouble in Lyon on Saturday, as a potent mix of genetics, ethnic diversity, overseas recruitment, Gallic rugby culture and law variations mean France will be armed with a monster pack.
It will be 'Le Crunch' in a very literal sense. The visitors face the daunting prospect of a ferociously physical onslaught in the last game of this year's Six Nations.
Their opponents can unleash a handful of forwards who are among the biggest in the world game.
Last Saturday in Cardiff, France pounded the gallant Welsh into submission by making use of the brutal firepower at their disposal up front, in a starting eight with a combined weight of 153 stone.
Their first-choice tighthead prop and lock, Uini Atonio and Emmanuel Meafou, contributed a whopping 46 stone between them.
England face the daunting prospect of taking on France's monstrous pack in their Six Nations finale this Saturday, with the starting eight weighing in at a combined 153 stone
23st Posolo Tuilagi smashed his way through Italy's defence during their encounter last month
After the break, head coach Fabien Galthie was able to rotate his giants by sending on the similarly imposing Georges Henri Colombe – who scored a debut try – and Romain Taofifenua.
In the previous round of the championship against Italy, Galthie selected Manu Tuilagi's massive cousin, Perpignan lock Posolo Tuilagi, all 23 stone of him, for a first Test start.
Much was made in the build-up to England's win over Ireland at Twickenham last weekend about how the return of Leicester's George Martin in the second row would give the Red Rose pack some additional clout.
The hard-hitting Tiger certainly provided that extra physical edge, but he is more than four stone lighter than Meafou.
Steve Borthwick has noted during this campaign how English rugby is not delivering the sort of huge specimens which other countries do – and France are an extreme example. There are many reasons for this contrast.
Former England head coach Stuart Lancaster, now in charge at Racing 92 in Paris, offered an insight into the reasons behind the cross-Channel size contrast, saying: 'Not all of them are French by birth – Meafou and Atonio and guys like that have come from other countries and established themselves in the French game.
'The French system, from a recruitment point of view, is geared to finding talent outside of France; players who are big and can become JIFFS (academy-trained players).
'They get them young and get them JIFF-qualified, like Meafou, so they become eligible to play for France.'
Romain Taofifenua goes over to score against Wales in France's last Six Nations outing
Uini Atonio (L) and flanker Paul Boudehent put in a crunching tackle on Italy's Danilo Fischetti
The RFU have sought to learn from and emulate the success of their Gallic counterparts in tapping into the oval-ball potential in their ethnic-minority communities. That has been a factor in the production of such powerful players.
'The genetic profile of France as a country is another reason,' said Lancaster. 'It is very multi-cultural, so as a result you get guys like Georges Henri Colombe coming through and someone like Jordan Joseph – a big back-rower who we have at Racing.
'There are just a lot of big athletes in French rugby and genetics do play a part in that.
'Compare that to Irish people, for example. They are very much white and Irish – there are not many different ethnicities in Ireland. So, there is a cultural and genetics dimension to it.'
Castres prop Henry Thomas, who has represented both England and Wales at international level, has plenty of experience of playing in France's Top 14 league, following a successful stint at Montpellier.
He picked up on the theme of how French rugby has made the most of attracting players from different countries and backgrounds – notably, in one case, from a famous rugby dynasty.
'France is a very multi-cultural place, with its proximity to Africa and Eastern Europe,' he said.
'On top of that, there's the Tuilagi blood line now established in France. Henry Tuilagi was an absolute monster in his playing days and so is his son (Posolo). He is going to be a very, very good player.
France's Georges Henri Colombe tries to break through the Welsh defence in Cardiff
Emmanuel Meafou (right) helps bring down Sam Costelow of Wales in the last game
'The guys at Perpignan tell stories about how Henry basically has the keys to the city – and if he is not happy with what is going on, he will come into the changing-room at half-time, to give the players a talking-to, or at least to give his son a talking-to.
'That is how highly regarded he is in Perpignan. That would be unheard-of anywhere else, but in France it is quite normal.'
As well as the multi-culturalism factor, there is a rugby culture across the
