Big men add powerful dimension to battle

Giant Wales wings will provide some heavyweight opposition for Julian Savea.

At 1.93m and about 106kg, Julian Savea is a big man, but he will come up against bigger when he faces giant Wales wings George North and Alex Cuthbert, both of whom are the size of many locks.

In the case of these three, the collisions could be spectacular, an example of an irresistible force striking an immovable object.

North is slightly taller than Savea, at 1.94m, and also slightly heavier at around 110kg. An enduring rugby image from last year was an incident in the third Lions test against Australia in Brisbane, won by the visitors, in which Wallabies fullback Israel Folau attempted to tackle the charging North, only to be picked up by the Welshman and taken for a ride on his back.

Cuthbert is taller than the other two at 1.98m, but slightly lighter at 104kg. The battle of the big men, with the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and Jamie Roberts thrown in, could be one of the highlights of a test between two nations wanting to make strong statements, but for different reasons.

The All Blacks will be desperate to put together a quality 80-minute performance against a tier-one nation after managing it only once this year - the demolition of Australia at Eden Park. Wales, who haven't beaten the All Blacks since 1953, are desperate to get that particular monkey off their backs along with atoning for the poor performance against Fiji last weekend and yet another close defeat to Australia the week before.

Savea is aware of the size of his two opposites, and remembers well North's remarkable feat of strength against Folau.

"He's very powerful and elusive and he runs hard. He looks like an exciting player. If we don't look after him properly he's going to cause havoc in our defence," Savea said.

He might also consider himself due for a try. During Savea's remarkable streak, he has never gone more than two tests without scoring. He last crossed the line (twice) against the United States three weeks ago. He missed out against England and Scotland, although at Murrayfield he was a second-half substitute and his opportunities were limited.

North said during the week of Savea, who is shortlisted for the IRB's player of the year award: "He's a brilliant example of how to impose yourself on a game. He pops up left, right and centre and is everywhere. You have to watch to work out what to do but learn from him as well."

The fourth starting wing in the mix is All Black Charles Piutau, who will look to make an impact not with his size, but with his pace, work rate and powerful leg drive. He showed at Murrayfield that he is a hard man to put down.

The ingredients are there for an explosive mix. Savea said of the All Blacks' backs' mindset this week: "We want to go out and show our stuff and get it across the backline as much as we can."

Heavy hitters
Julian Savea - Age: 24; Height: 1.93m; Weight: 106kg; Tests: 32; Tries: 29
Charles Piutau - Age: 23; Height: 1.86m; Weight: 95kg; Tests: 13; Tries: 4
George North - Age: 22; Height: 1.94m; Weight: 110kg; Tests: 47; Tries: 21
Alex Cuthbert - Age: 24; Height: 1.98m; Weight: 104kg; Tests: 29; Tries: 15