Players say tall tight ends who play with more finesse than previous generations.
"In the league, the games are really tough to play - really tight, really intense, aggressive, with pace, " said Mendes.
During one four-play stretch, he hit tight end Chris Gragg in stride 20 yards up the right hash mark.
Somerville can play at loose-head or tight-head and has made 59 appearances for the All Blacks.
That means the situation at the top of the table is as tight as ever but with one game less to play.
Last year, Gaynor Sbuttoni, who provides counselling for children in London, said it was increasingly common for teachers to encourage pupils to play in large groups instead of developing tight-knit bonds.
Tight-head prop Van der Linde was initially picked to play against Fiji but pulled out on the eve of the match.
Both sides attempted to play rugby in the second half but the combination of tight defence and bad conditions meant it was never a realistic tactic.
Edinburgh's tight-head prop Cross joined the Scotland squad that travelled to play the Pumas last summer, but only now is he being given the chance to shine.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will surely instruct his players to keep it tight for 55-60 minutes and then you might see them play a bit more adventurously after that.
In an era of professional football defined by specialization defensive ends who play only on passing downs, running backs who only catch passes, tight ends whose lone job is to block the Patriots under Belichick have bucked conventional wisdom.
With his size and speed, he has the potential of being that third safety in New York's three-safety defensive package, the one who can play in the box and stop the run or cover those big, quick tight ends downfield.
They'd play for hours, fueled by drink and pills, and developed a hard, tight, leather-jacketed sound.
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