Traditionally, a flanker would be considered limited if they weren’t tall in stature, dominant and generally no-nonsense. But how true is this? Some of the games best ever back-rowers have been under 6 ft tall.
Here are four of them!
1) Neil Back – 5ft 10in
Renowned for his passion, dedication and incredible skill on the pitch, Neil Back is a true sportsman. His tenacity and spirit guaranteed that he was an instrumental part of England’s 2003 world cup winning side and his unwavering dedication to the sport has continually reinforced his position as one of the most recognisable and influential players that the sport has seen in recent times.
His career has seen him play for some of the most formidable sides in the game and he captained both the Leicester Tigers squad and the England team to victory. With an incredible 18 years at the Midlands club of which 5 were spent coaching the team to success. Back played alongside fellow rugby legends such as Martin Johnson and was part of a team so successful that the 2000/01 season saw them collect trophies for the Zurich Premiership and Zurich Championship, as well as the Heineken Cup at Parc des Princes.