Second rows have gone from dockyard brawlers to lovely locks

Where once the second rows were an odd couple of beanpole and bruiser, now they’re amongst the game’s elite - Retallick, O’Connell, Matfield. And their impact on the World Cup will be considerable, says an original of the species

WELCOME in from the cold. As a former card-paying member, I’m thrilled to see the value of the second row forward soar to top of the class in the modern game. Any side with serious aspirations of winning the 2015 World Cup will require at least one dominant, worldclass, presence locking the middle row of the scrum.

No longer the piano shifter, the giants of the modern game have not only been elevated to the role of orchestral concertmaster, they are vying for the conductors baton with the pretty boys at half-back.