Aki possesses the rare skill of being able to generate tremendous power from a standing start, even against a defence as robust as South Africa’s. At times erratic but invariably brilliant, Penaud is already one of the greatest finishers of all time and is just three tries short of equalling the national record of 38 held by Serge Blanco. There are quicker wings but few with the try-scoring finesse of the electric 27-year-old. To round off the Perfect Player series, we tasked Easter, Bernard Jackman and Adam Jones to select their perfect player, a star who ticked all the above boxes. But from the 2024 Six Nations crop of players, Gustard highlighted one of his club players, France lock Paul Gabrillagues.
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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 https://just-bet.org/ 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.
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They will have to do so without the “talismanic figure” of Johnny Sexton, who has retired. Jack Crowley looks likely to take over as the new playmaker at No. 10 and experienced Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony is the new captain, reported Sky News. And with the key games against France and England being away from Dublin, back-to-back Grand Slams would be a “real achievement”, said the paper. Scotland also won the Calcutta Cup last year – the oldest trophy in international rugby is presented to the winner of the Six Nations England vs Scotland match.
Jahrome Hughes’s thrilling Dally M win capped by impromptu haka
There is a lot of opportunity for Emoni to excel in the back three for Waikato in 2024, and he looms as probably the most exciting bolter of the whole competition. Scoring eight tries in the 2023 season, this flying Fijian went on to earn his first cap for the All Blacks, as they demolished Los Pumas in Mendoza to kick off their Rugby Championship campaign. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists. What was most remarkable was how, despite rotating and changing the team almost weekly, their efficiency remained incredibly high. The Springboks have an established way of playing that continues to yield results. The emergence of young loose forwards like Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight was a huge plus, while the growth of Harry Wilson was impressive.
Joe McCarthy – Ireland – Secondrow
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. So, as the rugby world awaits the imminent squad announcements, here are three fly-half options for each nation who should get the first crack at the whip in 2024. But now it is Hughes who stands tallest, Hughes who leads the way, Hughes who the Storm turn to the most. He does not crave the spotlight and he has never chafed at not receiving the same headlines, but the glory is upon him now because he has earned it many times over. He doesn’t play State of Origin, which means he misses out on the shine afforded to that arena and despite playing some great football for New Zealand that’s often not celebrated as much as it should be.
Andrew Porter – Ireland – Prop
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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- Aki has won two Six Nations titles with Ireland and the Pro12 with club Connacht.
- Head coach Warren Gatland has been forced to pick one of the youngest squads of his career following retirements, transfers and injuries to key players.
- Previous captain Owen Farrell is unavailable, saying he wants to “prioritise his mental wellbeing”, so Jamie George takes over the role, leading the squad as the new captain.
- FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from July to September.
- He has been the man, the one, a king with headgear for a crown, the very best of this whole damn sport.
- Close to the end of this I realised I was wincing while reading your rants.
8 – Aaron Wanwright – 7Wales’ best player last week continued his form here. Rangy runs, athletic grabs under high balls, he also offered a target at the line-out. Having just carried up-field a minuter before half-time, he got up, carried again, stepped, off-loaded and found Williams on his inside.
South Africa – Simply Unmatched
Will Jordan has lit up the rugby stage for years, and added to his list of achievements at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He finished the tournament with eight tries, equalling the record for most tries at a Rugby World Cup. The other two players to have achieved the feat are legends Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana. The versatile back, who has won the Super Rugby title multiple times with the Crusaders, has at least one more Rugby World Cup cycle in him to add to his points tally. Before the World Cup even started, Fiji had gone undefeated in the Pacific Nations Cup and had beaten England for the first time in history. They also defeated Australia for the first time in 69 years, a major reason why the two-time World Cup winners didn’t make the quarter-finals for the first time.
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- 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.
- The list, compiled by British newspaper The Telegraph, has snubbed Steve Borthwick’s charges in their top 20, with France and Ireland players dominating the best of the best.
- Potentially the best scrum-half in England at the moment after an incredible season with Northampton, Alex Mitchell could really come into his own at this tournament.
- Second to one other hooker higher in the list, he looms as one of the All Blacks’ strongest competitors.
- Dafydd Jenkins will make history in 2024 by becoming the second youngest player to captain the Wales rugby team.
- As for Ireland, “there was and is something brutally mechanical” about them, said The Telegraph.
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.
- A ruthless finisher, Reece is still no less of a threat out on the wings for Canterbury, and many backlines will have their work cut out just trying to shut him down.
- As a result, Meafou is now eligible to represent France on the international stage for the first time at the Six Nations.
- Although it gives a team a great chance of overall success – winning the Triple Crown doesn’t always mean you win the Six Nations.
- 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.
- Unless you’re a London Irish or Harlequins fan, then Chandler Cunningham-South is a name you might not know.
- However, he has looked best when wearing the No. 10 shirt and has been in Andy Farrell’s thinking regarding the fly-half berth.
- An already established member of the All Blacks’ starting 23, Anton Lienert-Brown will be hoping to kick-start a stronger season in Waikato.
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Although he only played five tests this year, the class and quality of the Les Bleus star catapults him high up the rankings in an indication of his influence in the French set-up. A core member of South Africa’s 2019 World Cup-winning side, Lukhanyo Am continued to blossom into one of the game’s most dependable midfielders this year. Rock-solid on defence and supremely adept with ball in hand, Am has become a staple of the Springboks backline and has formed a tired and trusted midfield combination with Damian de Allende. With the World Cup just a year away, Am is set to play a crucial role in South Africa’s chances of retaining the Webb Ellis Cup. The top spot should come as little surprise after Antoine Dupont led Toulouse to both Investec Champions Cup and Top 14 title.
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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.
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.
Loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff is ranked 19th overall in the world, with hooker Malcolm Marx just ahead in 18th place. Australia managed to equal the All Blacks’ tally of two players in the top 20, with centre Samu Kerevi ranking 17th and his captain Will Skelton at sixth. The list, compiled by British newspaper The Telegraph, has snubbed Steve Borthwick’s charges in their top 20, with France and Ireland players dominating the best of the best. Hopefully NZ will respect us enough to do likelwise without abusing Irish players or abusing our amazing supporters again. NZ are responsible and accountable for the conduct of their players. He obliquely referenced Sexton’s incident with Peyper seemingly unaware that Ioane was citable under the exact same offence.
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With Manly bowing out of the premiership race, Woods enjoyed his last ‘Mad Monday’ as a professional rugby league player recently. It was “pretty tame” compared to when he first entered the NRL world. With game time now under the belt, ALB will be perfectly primed for a strong year as Waikato look to go one better, and will plenty on the line to play for with positions in the All Blacks starting XV open. Sharing the record with Telea with 12 tries last season, Codie Taylor is a formidable veteran at the head of a dangerous Crusaders pack. With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, the league’s true insiders made their voices heard.
While this has, at times, counted against him starting, his world-class ability has made him a British and Irish Lion, as well as a staple in the Irish match day 23. His performance against the All Blacks in the 2019 World Cup semifinal is up there with the best individual showings of all time. Rugby in countries like the US has a long way to go to catch up in spending. The sport continues to gain popularity and may eventually land players on the list.
Cam Winnett for Wales, Johnny Matthews for Scotland, Ciaran Frawley or Calvin Nash for Ireland, Nocolas Depootare for France and Feyi-Waboso or Cunningham-South for England. A link player of the highest order, Am’s eye for a gap and top notch skills to either finish or put a teammate away has revolutionized Springboks Rugby from an attacking standpoint. Finally you have lost the respect of a lot of the Irish rugby community.
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- Smith shows “an instinct for attack and courage to play beyond any of his rivals for the jersey”, said the sports site, “but he must also prove he can guide England through choppier waters”.
- With the eyes of the sport turning from the recently ended United Rugby Championship, Top 14 and Super Rugby seasons, it’s time to look at who the best players in the world are in 2024.
- One tier two player also makes the final cut, with Fiji’s outstanding centre-come-back-rower Levani Botia ranking 15th.
- The Springboks have an established way of playing that continues to yield results.
- Rampaging second row Federico Ruzza is a cornerstone of the Italian pack, and he is evidently their target man at this set-piece, taking 17 lineouts in three matches.
- The return of Len Ikitau also provided much-needed defensive strength and attacking creativity.
- But first they’ll get to experience some seminars this week which will help with this next phase of their lives.
- List of England national rugby union players is a list of people who have played for the England national rugby union team.
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.
The Leinster player has also shown his abilities down the wing during the 2024 Six Nations, including with a fast-paced try against Italy in round two – which also displayed his power. He has cemented himself into Andy Farrell’s side and has already won a Grand Slam title. No. 8 Ardie Savea was named World Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2023 after picking up a silver medal at the Rugby World Cup. Savea’s standout performance in the tournament held in France came in the quarter-final, where his scoring prowess aided his team to victory over Ireland. He has also added his leadership skills to the All Blacks, captaining the team on multiple occasions.
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.
