Rassie Erasmus has transformed this Springbok side into one of the greatest teams of all time, and they don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Add to that the fact that this team has now won nearly everything available to them, and they become even more impressive. Following the conclusion of the 2024 Six Nations, we rated all the players who featured in the Championship, next up, fifth-placed finishers, Gonzalo Quesada’s Italy. A contender for player of the 2023 World Cup by the end of the group stage because of his barnstorming runs, power in the tackle and work over the ball.
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12 – Nick Tompkins – 4Struggled to provide any strike force through midfield. Also guilty for giving the ball away after a 24 phase move when he recklessly chucked an off-load from the ground. Worse perhaps was the custard-soft penalty he gave away when Adams kicked from his own in-goal area to gift England three points. 13 – George North – 5.5Was mostly quiet but had the most penetrating run of any Welsh back looking to punch through England’s line. Needed to have more of those impacts with ball in hand, but his larger frame was a weapon on the counter ruck. One shove in particular on 67 minutes procured a turnover against a possible overlap.
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If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. With the likes of Mark Telea and Will Jordan keeping him from returning to the All Black line up, Reece will be hoping to push his case to return to the national side – but he has a lot of competition. An effective kicker, dangerous in broken play and a strong finisher, the decision to re-sign him for two years is a strong indication of his potential as an attacking weapon.
Top 20 best rugby players list features no England players, two All Blacks and three Springboks
Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Fans will disagree on who they believe would make the top 10, with all manner of factors to consider – with trophies, scoring ability and leadership skills all involved.
- A host of rugby’s most gifted players will go head to head over the coming weeks in the 25th instalment of the Guinness Six Nations.
- Finally, a player is allowed to attempt a drop-goal in play for three points.
- Now a first-choice selection on New Zealand’s team sheet, another big year beckons for Jordan in 2022 as he looks to maintain his immaculate strike rate.
- Arguably his best try scored was against England in the 2023 Six Nations, where he beat five defenders and ran 55m.
- So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.
- A good friend of newest NFL recruit Louis Rees-Zammit, Varney has been a consistent player in Italy’s squad since 2020.
- The fastest player ever to reach 40 tries in Super Rugby, Sevu Reece, in partnership with former Crusader Leicester Fainga’anuku, was a major reason behind their team’s insane ability to score tries.
- Still just 27 years old, the 2019 Rugby World Cup star brings a nasty edge to an explosive England pack.
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“A former Edinburgh player, plays in Toulouse and he is tall – six foot three/six foot four – with a long stride, and seriously quick with ball in hand. We sought out the expertise of current Stade Francais defence coach Paul Gustard for what defensive attributes the perfect player has. Having consulted the experts to discuss the key attributes and a player who fulfils each of them, we have now asked Easter, ex-Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman and Wales great Adam Jones to select their perfect players.
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In this new reality, Andy Farrell, Warren Gatland and Steve Borthwick have the unenviable, yet exciting, opportunity to set the foundations of their respective squads as they build toward Australia 2027. He has been the man, the one, a king with headgear for a crown, the very best of this whole damn sport. There might be other stars on the day, and Cleary still has a fair claim to being the best player in the world, but this year has belonged to Hughes. This year, he hit a new level entirely and the other three have all found something close to their best, which is why the Storm are back in the grand final. Eli Katoa won second rower of the year on Wednesday night, in no small part due to his combination with Hughes, and he talks about his halfback like he’s a coach on the field, which he pretty much is at this point. He can hit holes as easily as he puts people in them, he can slice through the defence or straighten up and create the space for someone else to do it for him.
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Born in France, Capuozzo qualified for Italy through his paternal grandparents. He made his international debut at the 2022 tournament, where he scored a brace against Scotland. In the next game, he set up Edoardo Padovani’s winning try against Wales. Every year, the Six Nations showcases some of rugby union’s greatest players.
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He was once a good footballer who could play in the halves and slowly he turned himself into what he is now, which is a great half. He could have performed well in that role that way for the rest of his career and reaped plenty of spoils from it. Cameron Munster was a fullback during the years Slater lost to injury, until Slater got healthy again and Munster had to play somewhere, so he went into five-eighth as well and now he’s one of the best of his era. 16 – Ryan Elias – 5Hit first jumper but missed his most important throw when Wales had to chase the game.
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In response to these allegations, he FRU has disputed claims the bonuses weren’t paid or that players were left without their paychecks for long periods of time. They have also recently authorised an audit of player payments in response to the allegations made by its star players. List of England national rugby union players is a list of people who have played for the England national rugby union team.
France and Ireland dominate
- Forced to play in a dual playmaker role for an extended period under former coach Eddie Jones, the two players somewhat stifled each other on many occasions.
- A quasi backrow-cum-center in the front row, Toulouse star Mauvaka is a new hooker who would slot into any team in world rugby.
- There are not many 31-year-olds who would be referred to as a rising star, but when you are the man who has to fill the shoes of Dupont, it really is the opportunity of a lifetime.
- At just 20 years old, Cunningham-South is already forging a fierce reputation.
- An already established member of the All Blacks’ starting 23, Anton Lienert-Brown will be hoping to kick-start a stronger season in Waikato.
- There might be other stars on the day, and Cleary still has a fair claim to being the best player in the world, but this year has belonged to Hughes.
Leinster and La Rochelle once again met in the Champions Cup final, with the Irish side dominating the first half before La Rochelle staged a big comeback to retain their title once again. As we get ready to bid farewell to 2023 and welcome in 2024 – it’s safe to say it’s been quite the year in rugby. His leadership has brought about some of Italy’s best performances in their history and 2024 could be the year they take it to the next level. There are not many 31-year-olds who would be referred to as a rising star, but when you are the man who has to fill the shoes of Dupont, it really is the opportunity of a lifetime. As captain of La Rochelle, Gregory Alldritt is no stranger to being the leader of his side.
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Flanker Tommy Reffell must be a nightmare to play against, such is his disruptive influence at the breakdown. Followers of Reffell since his fledgling days with the U20s and Leicester will say it was ever thus, and won’t be surprised to see him atop the list of turnovers won. Fellow back rower Sam Underhill is making up for lost time in the England jersey and has five turnovers, with Maro Itoje and Gianmarco Lucchesi behind him on four. Most surprising, perhaps, is the presence of Reffell’s former Tigers teammate George Ford among these turnover titans. Bendon recently undertook the daunting task of ranking the top 100 rugby players in the world. His annual salary of $900,000 establishes him as the fourth highest-paid rugby player.
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The wing is truly prolific personified and a dangerous threat whether he crosses for a try or sets one up. Les Bleus are likely to win most of their games and Penaud is a shoo-in for top try scorer making him a very strong pick. Physically, the 26-year-old is a powerful defender and strong ball carrier, who, at the time of writing, looks to be the ultimate bench option given his versatility.
Joe McCarthy – Ireland – Secondrow
Aki possess the rare skill of being able to generate tremendous power from a standing start, even against defence as robust as South Africa’s. Ben Earl is far and away England’s main man when it comes to carries. So much so, in fact, that he’s the only Englishman in the top ten here, and is the overall leader with 42. Fellow back rower Aaron Wainwright for Wales has also underlined his exceptional Championship – in an otherwise disappointing year for his country – with 38. Welsh fans may also be heartened by the precocious presence of fullback Cameron Winnett, who for many will have come from nowhere and sits third with 37 carries (see below for another impressive Winnett-related feat). Captain of two-time European Cup-winning Stade Rochelais, Alldritt is a key leader for the French national side.
- He started on the Gold Coast, where he played Under 20s until he got one NRL game in 2013, before heading north to the Cowboys, where he eventually played another.
- It was revealed that FRU had been withholding payments to not just those three players but the entire team and their staff.
- Arguably only the second true utility player on this list alongside Levani Botia, former sevens specialty Smith is one of the best back row players in the world.
- Also guilty for giving the ball away after a 24 phase move when he recklessly chucked an off-load from the ground.
- Ioane also makes disrespectful gestures to the Irish crowd twice, which is a citable offense and misconduct under the same regulation that Sexton was disciplined for abusing Peyper.
The Wales side was also hit with the shock announcement that one of their star players, Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby union to try and play American football professionally in the NFL. In contrast with the other Six Nations teams, Ireland’s squad contains more experienced players and fewer new talents. At the top of Andy Farrell’s Six Nations players to watch list is talented centre, Garry Ringrose. The Leinster co-captain was previously referred to as ‘the next Brian O’Driscoll’, a claim that added undue pressure. A versatile and powerful forward who is comfortable in the second row, at blindside flanker or number eight, Cunningham-South will make his debut at the upcoming tournament. He will likely vie for pitch time alongside Alex Dombrandt, with Steve Borthwick adding both players to his Six Nations squad.
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Is there a team with more depth in world rugby right now than the Springboks? No team in the world can match the depth the Springboks have, and it was fully on display in the https://just-bet.org/ Rugby Championship, which they won after losing only once. The All Blacks are rarely second-best, let alone third-best, but this year they finished third in the tournament.
- Aki possess the rare skill of being able to generate tremendous power from a standing start, even against defence as robust as South Africa’s.
- “A former Edinburgh player, plays in Toulouse and he is tall – six foot three/six foot four – with a long stride, and seriously quick with ball in hand.
- Worse perhaps was the custard-soft penalty he gave away when Adams kicked from his own in-goal area to gift England three points.
- Lakapi Samoa, the nation’s rugby governing body, has not yet stated whether the head coach will continue in his current role.
- Ordinarily, Ross Byrne would have been the choice here, but the rock-steady Leinster stalwart picked up an unfortunate early-season injury and has yet to return to action.
- Five years later, at the close of 2023, he was finally granted French citizenship.
- If the All Blacks are to reclaim the World Cup next year, Savea will be pivotal to their chances of success.
Pieter-Steph du Toit was central to South Africa’s 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup campaigns. His consistency for club (Toyota Verblitz) and country is second to none, and he raised his game once again for the 2023 final – where he was named Player of the Match. Away from the Rugby World Cup, he was named World Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2019 and won the Rugby Championship the same year. Centre Bundee Aki is best known for his ability to get over the gain line and for his crunching tackles. His form is always consistent, and some may have thought he could not get any better, then his performances at the 2023 Rugby World Cup happened and he proved there is no limitation to his talents.
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The FRU have demonstrated some of the most disgraceful and disgusting management I have ever seen for a rugby team. Nayacalevu also said that during the team’s trip to England, the card that the team used to pay for excess luggage was rejected since there was no money on it at all. In addition, since there was no money on the card or no money given to the team, coach Mick Byrne had to pay for the laundry for the entire team out of his own pocket. On the other hand, France star Ramos is a strong contender for the top-point scorer in the Six Nations as he is in almost every competition he plays in. As a goal-kicker, there are few more reliable than the versatile playmaker who will not only create tries.
The towering second rower was at his physically confrontational best as he narrowed in on a century of test matches throughout 2021. Epitomising what it takes to be a hard man at the elite level of the game, no opposition forward was safe from Etzebeth’s wrath as he stamped his authority to remain among game’s the elite locks. One half of an all-star French halves combination, Romain Ntamack continues to emerge as one of rugby’s most promising young players. Still only 22-years-old, Ntamack has acted as a pillar of France’s recent rejuvenation in test rugby, having starred in a variety of matches from the No 10 jersey.
A position in parentheses indicates that the player debuted as a substitute. He’s earned 129 Super Rugby caps and 85 international caps for a reason. Second to one other hooker higher in the list, he looms as one of the All Blacks’ strongest competitors.
Clermont are the best sports fans in the World in any sport, never mind rugby. French fans generally are amongst the best in the World, so they are right up there. Anyone who has been to Buenos Aires will tell you how great Argentina is, with a real party atmosphere and passion that can’t be beaten. South Africa is always great and the vast majority of their fans are brilliant. I’ve been plucked from the crowd and invited into corporate boxes on several occasions.
The battle to sign former England captain Courtney Lawes appeared to be a straight shoot-out between Pro D2 promotion hopefuls Provence and Brive, but there is a potential spanner in the works. 5 – Adam Beard – 5A hefty presence at set piece, he couldn’t replicate that anywhere else on the park. Wales had the upper hand on a few metrics, but their engine doesn’t have the requisite torque to boss around the fringe.
Surrounded by other young exciting forward talent in the new England setup, Martin is perhaps the most exciting of the lot. Somewhat of a throwback in his style of play, Kremer is the enforcer in a gnarly Argentine pack that never takes a backwards step. A true headhunter on defense, the giant center smashes opponents with an unrelenting velocity, while in attack, he has the glint of the great Waisale Serevi about him.