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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. FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from July to September. 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. Bristol and a number of other clubs remain in the market for a fly-half.

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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. 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. From there, the cumulative lists were averaged out to create the RugbyPass Top 100, an overall list of the 100 best players on the planet based primarily on test rugby performances in 2021. In doing so, five members from our editorial team – split between the northern and southern hemispheres – compiled their own lists of the top 100 players on the planet.

• «To reach 50 caps by the age of 25 and the way she is playing at the moment, I take my hat off to her [Hannah],» Red Roses captain Marlie Packer said.
• Like Crowley, Cian Frawley is a versatile operator who can play fly-half, center and fullback to a high standard.
• Fresh from his mid-season break, Alldritt is expected to lead from the front for France, his power and commanding presence in the pack giving his side confidence.
• 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.
• We continue our countdown of the the 50 best players set to have a significant impact this year, based on previous form, talent and the potential impact they can have on their team’s season.

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This is not meant to disparage Farrell’s contribution to English rugby, but his presence no doubt has hampered Ford. A master tactician with a sublime passing and kicking game, Ford is an old-school game manager in the best sense of the word. With his long-term teammate and friend now unavailable and seemingly on his way to the Top 14, Ford could prove to be both the first-choice fly-half and English captain this year. Despite featuring against Italy and France in the tournament, Williams did not crack the Welsh World Cup squad. Making his senior debut for Leinster last season in the URC, he has begun to get more first-team opportunities this season.

Wales player ratings vs England 2024 Guinness Six Nations

• He showed maturity and composure, looking up with the intent to impact the game.
• A surprising amount of people were happy when the Irish team beat the All Blacks as it was good for the game.
• Their most impressive performance was their win in New Zealand, closely followed by their dominant victory over Australia.
• Not to mention Louis Rees-Zammit, who has departed the squad for a career in the NFL.
• 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.
• Unless you’re a London Irish or Harlequins fan, then Chandler Cunningham-South is a name you might not know.
• 16 – Ryan Elias – 5Hit first jumper but missed his most important throw when Wales had to chase the game.
• He’s the only other player on the list to earn over $1 million a year for his services.

Kevin Paredes then added a pair of insurance goals as the U.S. secured a second straight lopsided victory. The USMNT snapped a two-decade-plus drought by reaching the knockout rounds of the 2024 Olympics. The Americans used a 3-0 victory over Guinea to advance to the knockout stage for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Games, where they finished fourth. Lee earned the fourth medal of her career, while Carey and Chiles each made the podium for a second time. Like Ford, Smith is a sharpshooting kicker, both with his tactical and goal kicking, and like Ford, he is a great passer of the ball. His wonderful performance against Argentina at the World Cup will go down in English Rugby history as one of the best individual performances in a white shirt.

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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. One of the most exciting talents in the game, Russell is a magician of a fly-half with the skills to unpick any defence. Being named co-captain signals an end to his stormy relationship with head coach Gregor Townsend and he has been revitalised by his move to Bath, who are flourishing as a result of his arrival. A powerhouse winger, van der Merwe’s size and speed make him a lethal attacking threat. His ability to break tackles and finish tries, combined with his strong defensive efforts, adds a dynamic edge to Scotland’s backline.

Hugo Keenan (Ireland) & Finn Russell (Scotland) – 19.0 stars

Clear yellow card and the latest in a long line of dumb plays by the All Blacks who, let us not forget, collected two red cards for dangerous head contact in the last four games they played against the Boks. Antoine Dupont needs no introduction, and few would disagree that he is the best player in the world right now. Not only can he display his skills on a 15s stage, but he has also started his 7s career with a bang, scoring a try on his debut for France. So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse. Eben Etzebeth is one of the first players that comes to mind when fans think of the Springboks jersey.

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Bendon recently undertook the daunting task of ranking the top 100 rugby players in the world. The best players can earn lofty wages in the most popular rugby leagues worldwide. Owen Farrell, fly-half of Racing 92, tops the list as the highest-paid rugby player in the world for 2024. Given the hoopla in NZ over O’Mahony sledging Cane, if Ireland had simlarly abused NZ players and supporters after one of the matches in the test series we can assume the uproar would have been heard from space. «Kolbe running into props and pretend to have been flattened.» Tyrel Lomax changed his line and took Kolbe out.

Best Rugby Players In The World: Here’s The Full List

• He finished the tournament with eight tries, equalling the record for most tries at a Rugby World Cup.
• Owen Farrell, fly-half of Racing 92, tops the list as the highest-paid rugby player in the world for 2024.
• 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.
• Dafydd Jenkins will make history in 2024 by becoming the second youngest player to captain the Wales rugby team.
• So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.
• Bristol and a number of other clubs remain in the market for a fly-half.
• 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.

Sinned when he went early on another scrum when Wales had the feed on England’s line. 15 – Cameron Winnett  – 8Didn’t merely catch high balls and hoof them back. He showed maturity and composure, looking up with the intent to impact the game. And when fielding under pressure he demonstrated the strength to keep the ball alive. Gets extra points for a one-on-one tackle on the much larger Tommy Freeman that saved a try early in the second half. 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.

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Russell is «a fly-half known for his attacking instincts», said Rugby World. He can produce a host of «kicks, flicks and tricks to create try-scoring opportunities for himself and his team-mates». And being named co-captain with Rory Darge signals an end to his previously stormy relationship with head coach Gregor Townsend. Every year, the Six Nations showcases some of rugby union’s greatest players. As a result, several of the sport’s finest have cemented their reputation at the tournament.

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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 former Scotland centre turned schools coach is taking a holistic approach to developing young players. Similarly, the impact that experienced Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth provides to South Africa cannot be questioned, especially given his output at international level last year. The towering second rower was at his physically confrontational best as he narrowed in on a century of test matches throughout 2021.

Owen Farrell’s absence presents an important moment to one of the brightest talents in English rugby, who should now be given an extended run at fly-half. Smith shows an instinct for attack and courage to play beyond any of his rivals for the jersey, but he must also prove he can guide England through choppier waters. Here we take a look at five stars expected to grab the headlines when the tournament kicks off on February 2nd.

In addition to Ringrose, Irish supporters will be excited to watch new captain, Peter O’Mahony. Farrell will be hoping that O’Mahony can fill the void left by behemoth Johnny Sexton, who retired after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Unless you’re a London Irish or Harlequins fan, then Chandler Cunningham-South is a name you might not know. However, he could become a familiar face following the 2024 Six Nations. Somewhat of a throwback in his style of play, Kremer is the enforcer in a gnarly Argentine pack that never takes a backwards step.

Born in Auckland and raised in Australia, Meafou has lived in France since 2018. Five years later, at the close of 2023, he was finally granted French citizenship. As a result, Meafou is now eligible to represent France on the international stage for the first time at the Six Nations. Sadly though, he may have to wait until after round one to make his debut. Unfortunately for him, he sustained an injury during Toulouse’s victory over Bath in the Champions Cup.

A good friend of newest NFL recruit Louis Rees-Zammit, Varney has been a consistent player in Italy’s squad since 2020. There has been a lot of change in the Italy camp heading into this tournament and so Michele Lamaro will want to be the consistent, guiding force as they look to try and finally avoid the wooden spoon. With Louis Rees-Zammit making the shock decision to leave rugby and pursue a career in the NFL, there is no better time for Rio Dyer to cement https://becric.co.in/ himself as Wales’ fast man. With Owen Farrell opting to take a break from international duty and then signing for French side Racing 92, the time came for England to turn to someone new as their full-time captain. The current line-up is missing many of the team’s biggest names, with Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric retiring in the last 12 months. Not to mention Louis Rees-Zammit, who has departed the squad for a career in the NFL.

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Seemingly unstoppable, Italian fans have high hopes that he will soon become one of their best Six Nations players of all-time. Ringrose achieved new heights at the 2023 Six Nations, scoring Ireland’s winning try against France. Commenting on his performance, O’Driscoll praised Ringrose’s ability to disrupt and halt oncoming attacks. But which players could make their mark at this year’s Six Nations?

• The Springboks have an established way of playing that continues to yield results.
• He will likely vie for pitch time alongside Alex Dombrandt, with Steve Borthwick adding both players to his Six Nations squad.
• We are the leading rugby union news and content network delivering you the latest news, views and all the moves in Rugby Union.
• The All Blacks are rarely second-best, let alone third-best, but this year they finished third in the tournament.
• Owen Farrell’s absence presents an «important moment to one of the brightest talents in English rugby», said Rugby Pass.
• He backed up his good performance against the old enemy in the 2024 Six Nations, scoring a hat-trick – with each try coming from some individual brilliance.

Nothing too flashy, he continued to find his close-in runners and – mostly – his areas when box kicking. As the Barrett brothers have proven time and time again, it is hard to keep any of them down (especially when playing together). With Scott Barrett also captaining the Crusaders, Jordie will also be desperate to get his hands on a Super Rugby title. One of the standout All Blacks of 2023, Roigard is looming as the perfect successor to Aaron Smith in Scott Robertson’s starting side.

Dyer has a chance to make the position his own and show Wales fans that the loss of LRZ has given them a chance to see Dyer shine. At the Six Nations, we will see if he can meet the challenge of blending youth, experience, and managing players he has played alongside for a long time. Like Reed, Scotland’s Six Nations squad features three other uncapped players. Most noteworthy is loosehead prop Alec Hepburn, who earned six caps for England in 2018. Additionally, Will Hurd and Harry Paterson will make their debuts.

• As a result, several of the sport’s finest have cemented their reputation at the tournament.
• Flanker Tommy Reffell must be a nightmare to play against, such is his disruptive influence at the breakdown.
• 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.
• That didn’t change in 2021, a year of which he earned a World Rugby Player of the Year nomination, and one could argue Hooper can feel hard done by that he wasn’t the outright winner of the award.
• Any match that is not a full international between two member countries does not count at all.
• Additionally, with Antoine Dupont absent, Grégory Alldritt will steer the 2024 Six Nations squad.
• Standing at 6 foot 8 and weighing 145 kg, this commanding lock is a firm favourite amongst Toulouse fans.

As a goal-kicker, there are few more reliable than the versatile playmaker who will not only create tries. 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. 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.

Five-eighth Arabella McKenzie, who missed last week’s victory after suffering a concussion during training, remains sidelined and will be monitored ahead of the side’s final game of the year against Scotland. 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. 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.

Sexton was banned for abusing/disrespecting Peyper in what was the identical version of this for the Chamions League competition. He was as fast as Christian Cullen, had a pass on him as good as Quade Cooper’s and a Roger Gould boot. His telling off of Sacha was very much the right thing but hopefully not too late.

He reportedly earns $1.2 million as a key position player in sparking attacks. The high-profile Englishman had spent his entire career at Saracens in the English Premiership. 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.