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The sight of strapping Fijian players muscling their way to the top of the Sevens Series table emphasises a long-running trend in rugby.
Around the world, especially in New Zealand, Australia and France, coaches seem to have decided that “big is better”. This has led to the phenomenon of dreadnought wingers being picked to wreak havoc out wide.
Many of these human battering rams are Fijians, as coaches seek the amazing ball and running skills of the islanders – and they are hard to stop close to the try line.
It seems every team wants a Jonah Lomu – the imposing All Black who made such an impact at the 1995 rugby World Cup.
Lomu, weighing in at 120kg and standing at 1.96m, was considered a freak when he arrived on the scene.
Rugby’s first truly global superstar was as big as most forwards and also possessed genuine speed as well as the swerving and stepping normally associated with smaller, nippier runners.
Much was made of Lomu’s size and ability to shrug off or simply trundle over would-be tacklers (think England’s Mike Catt in the 1995 rugby World Cup semifinal), but he was also hard to contain because he moved so quickly.
These are the attributes of current Fijian Sevens players and it seems every team now wants a big crash-baller on the wing.
There have been many instances of oversized runners doing well in the 15-man game, such as Joeli Vidiri, Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Joe Rokocoko, Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor.
A recent addition who is making an impact is a man mountain with a tongue twister of a name, Taqele Naiyaravoro.
Naiyaravoro comes in at 1.96m, weighs 120kg and has been labelled “the new Lomu” since breaking into the Waratahs side.
He was born in Fiji but left the islands to seek his rugby fortunes in Australia. The 23-year-old started his career by playing in the rugby league but, having been schooled in his country’s Sevens culture that is an offshoot of the union, he jumped at the chance to join the Waratahs.
Naiyaravoro is hoping to resolve visa problems that might impede his possible inclusion in Australian national teams and perhaps prevent him from touring South Africa with the Tahs towards the end of Super Rugby.
But he has now provided administrators with an interesting dilemma.
Naiyaravoro has been offered a contract by Edinburgh containing a clause that he cannot be picked for an Australian team.
In other words, the Scots want him – but not if he is selected for the Wallabies because that would make him ineligible for Scotland.
Nemani Nadolo (1.94m, 125kg) of the Crusaders – arguably the biggest of all the musclemen – was joint top try scorer (with another big bloke in Israel Folau) in last year’s Super Rugby competition.
Coach Todd Blackadder described Nadolo as his team’s “game breaker” but must have been surprised when the Highlanders, the Crusaders’ south island neighbours, produced a blockbuster of their own.
Waisake Naholo, at 1.86m and 98kg, is smaller than some of his countrymen but is currently the top try scorer in Super Rugby with eight (before this weekend’s matches). He makes up for his smaller stature by having a low centre of gravity, speed and strength.
The Highlanders have another massive Fijian, Patrick Osborne (1.89m, 105kg) on the other wing.
Naholo has also held back from accepting a Fiji cap and recently signed with Clermont Auvergne, where he will join up with another XXL Fijian, Napolioni Nalaga – the French apparently having waived any pretence of nationalism in the interests of club success.
Other Fijians Waisea Vuidravuwalu (Stade Français) and Isikeli Davetawalu (Perpignan) are also plying their trade in France.
The All Blacks’ Julian Savea, considered by many the best wing in world rugby, has been compared to Lomu but has been at pains to try to shake off the mantle.
He is not as big as some, but at 1.93m and 108kg, his prolific try scoring has often been superb because he is so hard to stop.
The Welsh have a pair of Goliaths on either wing in George North (1.94m, 109kg) and Alex Cuthbert (1.98m, 105kg) while South Africa’s JP Pietersen (1.90m, 98kg) is bigger than most realise
