The key to any good rugby union team is a big, powerful pack to win the ball.

England's victory in the 2003 World Cup was built around one of the finest packs ever seen with the likes of Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio proving plenty of muscle.

The big men come in three basic shapes and sizes: the stocky ones in the front row, the tall ones in the second row and the more normal sized guys in the back row.

The following eight players are the finest examples of the big men whose power will play a major part in how the 2007 World Cup pans out.