But don't forget that in the developing elite game youngsters are being selected for progression based on body types. Take a prop for example. In the team I coach the props we play now have been props since U11, some earlier. You can tell an endomorph a mile away, especially if you also know their parents, and they are unlikely to end up as wingers. An endomorph doesn't need fancy pills, potions or extra hormones to put weight on, and with the right mix of diet and training you can build a prop from the ground up. My lad is a meso/endo hybrid, taller than yer average prop for his age, in fact he started on the second row as he was head and shoulders above the rest at age twelve, thirteen. Now "only" six foot tall and 17st 8lb or so his hours of work in the gym mean he packs massive amounts of muscle. Loosehead at club level, but a hooker for the District team. County U17 props this year are all 6'2" or so. We know one of the county centres. He's 6'5" and superbly built. He puts in a huge amount of training to remain fit enough to play at that level, and has diet and fitness mentors through his academy.
I'm not saying there isn't the possibility that some are tempted to use steroids, but the players we see progress to representative level all have huge amounts of drive, heart and most importantly, balls. They love the physical aspect of the game, and are conditioned warriors, collision-ready, thriving on contact and aggression. You can't get that through a syringe.
