The Six Nations is back, and each year it reminds us not only how brutal rugby is or how deep-seated rivalries can be, but also how vastly different players' body types are. While Welsh legend Alun Wyn Jones is a 6'5 leviathan, his compatriot Shane Williams – one of the greatest wingers of all time – is 5'7 and was 40kg lighter in his pomp. When it comes down to it: if you can hit, you can play.
But no matter your height, size or position, the sport is only getting more physical. “The game has certainly changed, so from our side of things, it's about being able to put the biggest, most physical men on the field as possible,” says Huw Bennett, Grand Slam winner with Wales in 2008 and 2012, and the current squad's Head of Physical Performance. “With the activity cycles in the game shortening, it's suited more to the bigger, powerful players. There's always that element of conditioning for the worst-case scenario, but the number of phases has come down.
“There are fundamentals you don't go away from. You need a good base of strength and rugby is a collision sport, whether that's ball carrying or in the tackle, so that's where the power focus comes in our sessions. We want big, strong men who can apply that force as quickly as possible.”
Despite this, specialist positions lend themselves to wildly different physiques – you can tell this from a cursory glance at the teams during national anthems. A fly half like England's Marcus Smith is a world away from a prop like France's Uini Atonio. How can coaches train for such varying body types and tactics?
“There are different types of fitness depending on your position,” explains Bennett. “A prop is obviously going to be on a different programme to a winger, where it's more of an emphasis on his strength qualities, for scrummaging and so forth. There are big discrepancies between positions, and that's why we love our game: it's a game for all shapes and sizes.”
With the release of Netflix's new documentary series Full Contact, we've never had more insight into how squads prepare for the Six Nations. Given unprecedented access to last year's tournament, the producers of Drive to Survive use it to treat us to some of the most gruelling battles in sport: cue pitchside footage of players absolutely piling into tackles, elbows on heads, visceral scrums, and Freddie Steward almost freezing his nipples off in a cryotherapy chamber.
There's no other sport that comes close to the controlled ferocity of rugby, and yet anyone can get involved. See yourself as a dashing Steward? More the flair-type of Finn Russell? Or fancy becoming a man mountain like Sebastian Negri or Ellis Genge? In their own words, here's how to emulate your favourite gentleman brutes.
“At full-back, you tend to clock a lot of kilometres of running – usually in that sort of mid-speed section – and because you're constantly tracking the play you have to be fit enough to last 80 minutes of the game. You also have to be able to incorporate sprints and some more long-distance stuff, and be able to get up off the floor, get down, get up again, so it's quite a varied amount of fitness.
“Typically my frame doesn't suit my position – you tend to see a lot of fullbacks who are a bit shorter and stockier – but I love the high ball and my height helps with that. And then my long legs are good with those strides and allow me to cover a lot of distance in the games.
“Recovery is massive for me. I love to sauna every day for about 20 minutes and use the ice bath and cryotherapy where available. Cryotherapy is definitely worth the pain. It is absolutely freezing in there but you come out feeling fresh as a daisy. I try to do it after training in the afternoon, so it helps me ease off getting ready for bed.”
“I’m constantly on the move and have to stay physically fresh throughout the game to make decisions and communicate with teammates. Being physically fit also helps me stay mentally fresh, which is a key part of my position.
“My usual day would change depending on the day of the week. Monday is mainly a recovery day with a gym session and a review of our previous game. Tuesday/Thursday are our main training days with meetings to preview our next opponent. Friday is our last session before the game, although this is generally a walkthrough of our plays to make sure everyone has the clarity needed for the game at the weekend.
“As a fly half I don’t need my frame to be the biggest, strongest or fastest. Although this would be handy, having good skills and rugby intelligence is more important – I have padding around the mid-section for the late hits [laughing].”
“In rugby, we call it having a good engine. For me, it’s more about repeat power and then on the odd occasion we have long passages of play where the engine gets tested. There are different types of fitness but ultimately it’s all very important.
“Internationally, you don’t have the privilege of being able to walk the dog or see your family but you do get a chance to really zone in on recovery and skills. Typically it will be wake up, sauna/ice bath, breakfast, meeting, gym, unit skills, team organisation, team training, sauna/ice bath, massage, dinner, sleep – repeat.
“Over the years my position has looked very different. They used to be very short and round, but as the game's developed naturally so have the players. I’m 6’1 and weigh 120 kg, and that fluctuates 2kg either side depending on how the week goes. It’s going OK at the moment!
“I'm always telling the backs, especially the wingers, that if I lost weight I’d beat them in a race – I think I’ve possibly missed the chance to switch positions now [laughs]. I would definitely look at getting into MMA/grappling too as it’s basically what we do now anyway.”
“I take a lot of hits. I like to be a little heavier for international games, just because they're a little more intense and physical. I like to add two or three kgs – I feel like I can go into a game a bit stronger, knowing I'm heavier. That helps me just because of the amount of contact I go through and the collisions.
“If you're a little bit heavier than your opponents, that helps. There's a balance to that, though, because you don't want to be slow and sluggish. You want to be powerful and have the energy and fitness to get around the field.
“I don't like to eat too much in the morning because I don't like to train on a full stomach. I prefer to get my protein and my creatine in after I train. Normally I wake up at seven, have a coffee and head into training. Then you do your gym work and get a protein shake straight after, with a little snack just before the field session.
“I'm a big sleeper, so whenever I can, I try to get a nap in – it really helps with my recovery. If there's a sauna and a swimming pool available I also like to jump in the sauna and do a bit of swimming in the afternoon for the same reason.”
Full Contact is available on Netflix now