THEN AND NOW: BRENDAN GALLAGHER LOOKS AT HOW THE GAME HAS EVOLVED OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, POSITION BY POSITION

FIFTY years ago, British rugby was atop of the pile after the 1974 Lions tour but how has the game changed in that half century? Are the demands and responsibilities of each position the same as the mid70s or have they changed radically? Is it even possible to reasonably compare the two eras? What are the skills that have been lost or abandoned and what are the new skills that have been developed and refined along the way? Do we, broadly speaking, have the same kind of athlet...