There are quicker wings but few with the try-scoring finesse of the electric 27-year-old. The 23-year-old has won only eight caps “but this could be the campaign where he really makes a name for himself”, said Wales Online. The Scarlets’ playmaker “remains a work in progress” but is “highly regarded” by the Wales management, and seen as a player with an “extremely bright future on the international circuit”. Owen Farrell’s absence presents an “important moment to one of the brightest talents in English rugby”, said Rugby Pass. 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”.

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Now that the 2024 squads have been announced, here are the Six Nations players to watch from each team. The captain of South Africa’s Rugby team, Siya Kolisi, makes the list at fifth. Kolisi plays for the French club Racing 92 for an estimated $800,000 to $850,000 a year.

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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.

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She then made the subsequent conversion to stun medal-favorite Australia and give the United States its first-ever rugby medal. The final handful of medal triumphs that pushed the U.S. to the Olympic milestone came across gymnastics, rugby and swimming, with Simone Biles, Bobby Finke and Ilona Maher among the Team USA stars making the podium. Far and away the most experienced option on this list, the 91 times capped George Ford likely would have been in a shootout with Farrell for the 10 shirt, had the England captain not stepped down. The biggest obstacle he is facing is a lack of consistent game time in the 10 shirt for Leinster, which has both Byrne brothers (Harry and Ross), as well as the next man on this list, Sam Prendergast. Jack Crowley took full control of the backup position at the 2023 Rugby World Cup; the uber-talented Munster star already has shown all of the hallmarks required of a top-quality international.

Wales

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. Veteran centre Cecilia Smith has returned to the run-on side following a strong performance off the bench in the 37-5 win, with vice-captain Trilleen Pomare moving back to the reserves. 10 –  Ioan Lloyd – 7.5Dallied on the ball and, like a sacked quarterback, was monstered by Maro Itoje under his own sticks. The young fly-half was brave and skilful, showing great ambition in his play when kicking or running. Could have benefited from more punch through the rush, but didn’t need a midfield thanks to his sniper-accurate cross-kicks.

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When I look at Goosen for example, he was overplayed badly back in his younger days and IMHO never really reached the heights he should have done. My guy this has to be one of the most embarrassing comments threads I have ever seen. Close to the end of this I realised I was wincing while reading your rants.

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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.

• French fans generally are amongst the best in the World, so they are right up there.
• Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists.
• Here is the full list of the highest-paid rugby players of 2024, compiled using data from Yahoo News, GQ Australia, and The Scotsman.
• Like Reed, Scotland’s Six Nations squad features three other uncapped players.
• So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.

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While he is no slouch, De Allende is the first player to volunteer himself to run into a brick wall to create space for his flashy teammates. Shining whenever given the opportunity, the little magician will return the All Blacks attack to scarily good levels this season. Points are doubled during the World Cup Finals to recognise the importance of this event, but all other international matches, friendly or competitive, are treated the same across the world.

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Australian rugby is clearly feeling the effects of a disruptive tenure under Eddie Jones.Joe Schmidt has a massive job ahead of him. The Wallabies are in the doldrums and need a significant boost in quality in their forward pack, particularly in the tight five, as well as finding a flyhalf capable of controlling the game. The 2024 Rugby Championship was filled with thrilling encounters between four of the top rugby nations. Bet Central takes a look at how all the teams fared in this year’s competition.

Scotland climb up to sixth in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini

Despite representing England at age group level, Arron Reed will make his debut for Scotland at the upcoming Six Nations. The Sale Sharks winger had reportedly garnered the interest of Steve Borthwick before being snapped up by Gregor Townsend. Additionally, with Antoine Dupont absent, Grégory Alldritt will steer the 2024 Six Nations squad. Widely regarded as one of the finest number eights in the modern game, fans will be eager to see how Dupont’s replacement performs.

• 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.
• “It is great that we have the opportunity to play the world champions again within a few weeks.
• Despite featuring against Italy and France in the tournament, Williams did not crack the Welsh World Cup squad.
• This includes rugby legends like Jonny Wilkinson, Alun Wyn Jones and Ronan O’Gara, whose names remain synonymous with the championship.
• His annual salary of $900,000 establishes him as the fourth highest-paid rugby player.
• Prop Joe Marler and centre Henry Slade also have not played so far this season due to foot and shoulder injuries respectively.
• Another pair of players that are unsurprisingly right up near the top of the most valuable list given how significantly they influence the clashes they feature in.

“She has had a few knockbacks in her career and picked up some big injuries, but she has taken that all in her stride and has really grown.” “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. “You saw last week that Holly [Aitchison] moved to 12, Scaz [Emily Scarratt] can also play 12.

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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. Singled out as one to watch by Italy great Sergio Parisse, the uncapped Izekor is a colossus of a back row who stands 6’5 tall and weighs well over 17 stones. A force on both sides of the ball, the 23-year-old will be looking to transfer his impressive form for Benetton onto the Test arena.

• The Wallaroos flanker will match the record for the most appearances, set by Liz Patu with 33 caps, this weekend in Cape Town.
• The Leinster co-captain was previously referred to as ‘the next Brian O’Driscoll’, a claim that added undue pressure.
• He has cemented himself into Andy Farrell’s side and has already won a Grand Slam title.
• Five years later, at the close of 2023, he was finally granted French citizenship.
• Ashley Marsters will become the equal most-capped Australian women’s Test player this weekend.
• A good friend of newest NFL recruit Louis Rees-Zammit, Varney has been a consistent player in Italy’s squad since 2020.
• The emergence of young loose forwards like Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight was a huge plus, while the growth of Harry Wilson was impressive.

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.

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• 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.
• The captain of South Africa’s Rugby team, Siya Kolisi, makes the list at fifth.
• Rugby in countries like the US has a long way to go to catch up in spending.
• The winger is so often Ireland’s trump card when one is required, and his seven line breaks are the most in the Championship this year.

It wasn’t a campaign to hang in the Louvre but, collectively, these players can feel pleased with what they achieved. Now, if he impresses new head coach Gonzalo Quesada, Varney could be the danger man as Italy look to fire in attack like they never have before to challenge the likes of Wales, England, and Scotland. When England played to his style at the latter end of the World Cup it worked wonders and his kicking game could be pivotal in the Six Nations.

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His ability to play fullback, wing, or center, coupled with his goal-kicking prowess, makes him a valuable asset to the New Zealand squad. Japan’s Rugby League One and France’s Top 14 have two players each among the top five highest-paid rugby players. Hopefully NZ will respect us enough to do likelwise without abusing Irish players or abusing our amazing supporters again. “They also are producing a steady stream of positive drug tests.” No ‘They’ are not. A few players outside the Bok squad like Jantjies and Nkosi have tested positive and often players are testing positive once they’ve moved to another country to play club rugby. Meanwhile, the ABs seem to have no problem turning a blind eye to wife beaters.

England player ratings The 31 players capped in Six Nations 2024

It was a shame that Salesi Rayasi endured such mixed form in 2023, being kept out of the Hurricanes’ side due to injury for much of the year. While he hasn’t yet excelled at an international level, with only seven All Black caps, he is one of Super Rugby’s strongest attacking weapons. Along with Fraser McReight and Jordan Petaia, Tate McDermott is set for a critical season at the Reds. 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.

Any match that is not a full international between two member countries does not count at all. There will absolutely be a fear of losing, thats why you guys choke all the time. The reason they were not made accountable is that Ireland did not bother to cite Ioane. Are you suggesting that we have a weakness at 10 because Manie has a problem place kicking? A kicker without a game is like going to a great restaurant and having nothing but a slice of white bread. However, in essence, the RugbyPass Top 100 is a celebration of the stars who shone the brightest on rugby’s biggest stage last year.

The lock has won more than 100 caps for his country, and continues to be one of, if not the best lock in the world. He has won the Rugby World Cup twice, and in the 2023 campaign he was key in turning momentum in South Africa’s favour in their quarter-final against hosts France. Handrè Pollard is the definition of a clutch player – always there to depend on in the tough moments. She played in England’s two warm-up wins for the tournament, but Zoe Harrison was preferred for last weekend’s victory over the United States. With Biggar now retired from international rugby, and Gareth Anscombe playing his club rugby in Japan, Costelow is the last remaining fly-half option from Wales’ 2023 Rugby World Cup squad.

His 73 was a No1 effort, and he wielded nuisance without the ball as well as his 46 defensive rucks were fifth best behind Reffell. His impact has changed England’s thinking away from having a Billy Vunipola-like hulk at No8. Planet Rugby have been going through the ‘Top 50’ over the last few weeks and they’ve finally named their all-important ‘Top 10’ with one Irish player making the cut. Born in France, Capuozzo qualified for Italy through his paternal grandparents.

• The sport continues to gain popularity and may eventually land players on the list.
• 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.
• Rounding out the top players are two more outstanding selections and stars that will likely be selected by a lot of fantasy players.
• But which players could make their mark at this year’s Six Nations?
• 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.
• Respect for team-mates, opponents, match officials and those involved in the game is paramount.
• 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.

Aki has won two Six Nations titles with Ireland and the Pro12 with club Connacht. Our round-up of the finest rugby union players in the world right now. Prop Hannah Botterman, one of 10 changes to the starting line-up, wins her 50th cap in the front row. Bath flanker Sam Underhill, who has started every match for England this calendar year, has also been declared fully fit for the West Country derby against Bristol following ankle surgery. Last year, Smith held advanced talks with Racing 92 about a move to the Top 14, where he retains suitors but would render him ineligible for international selection.

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. But a distinct lack of quality, as well as enough heft, meant they couldn’t get the better of England’s rush defence. Red runners were smothered by white shirts and when the match coalesced into a struggle of will, the team with more nous won out.

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 https://becric.co.in/ 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.

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. Respect for team-mates, opponents, match officials and those involved in the game is paramount. The captain behind South Africa’s World Cup success in 2019, Siya Kolisi’s influence and leadership within the Springboks squad was a significant reason behind their series triumph over the British and Irish Lions.

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. Nicknamed the ‘Italian wonder kid’, Ange Capuozzo will compete at his third Six Nations in 2024.

Add to that the fact that this team has now won nearly everything available to them, and they become even more impressive. Their most impressive performance was their win in New Zealand, closely followed by their dominant victory over Australia. Winning away from home against a team that hadn’t lost up to that point was mighty impressive from Felipe Contepomi’s side. 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.

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.

Showed that last week’s tricks weren’t just a consequence the hopeless situation. An already established member of the All Blacks’ starting 23, Anton Lienert-Brown will be hoping to kick-start a stronger season in Waikato. Walking into their starting side with the likes of Lalomilo Lalomilo and Alex Nankivell departing the team, 2023 felt like like Lienert-Brown was still finding his feet again after an injury-ridden 2022 season.

• Russell had been making about $800,000 a year from Saracens, his home club since he was a teenager.
• Having just carried up-field a minuter before half-time, he got up, carried again, stepped, off-loaded and found Williams on his inside.
• 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.
• “Last week’s win was a good start to the tournament and it’s important we grow from here and put in another strong performance,” Yapp said.
• 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.
• 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.

Emmanuel Meafou will be looking to make a statement at the 2024 Six Nations. Standing at 6 foot 8 and weighing 145 kg, this commanding lock is a firm favourite amongst Toulouse fans. At just 20 years old, Cunningham-South is already forging a fierce reputation. As well as regularly appearing for Harlequins in 2023, he crossed the line during England’s win against Scotland at the U20 Six Nations. He followed this by scoring a try during England’s semi-final against France at the World Rugby U20 Championship.