Strength only counts if you are trying to fight someone head on in something as ridiculous as a duel. In the Dreamworld, for example, strength in the One Power doesn't matter. In a fight to the death, where attack can come from any angle and the battlefield can be anywhere, strength is not as useful as tactical ability and fighting prowess.

When the Forsaken encountered mixed Circles and powerful single-sex Links with angreal or sa'angreal adding to their potency, their individual strength, though great, was irrelevant - they survived because of their skill.

Strength matters, but only if you have skill and the experience to make it count. Rand survived his early battles because of his prior memories - even though he was so strong, when you re-read his battles, he was often reeling and struggling to survive.