One England player named in the world’s top 10 best rugby players

Tuesday, 29 September 2020 at 09:54

bySteven Smith

Wales Online scribe Simon Thomas has ranked the best rugby players in the world right now, and only one English player was deemed good enough to make it in...

Players from Wales, New Zealand and world champions South Africa all made the list, and we'll run down and give our thoughts on what have been deemed the world's best rugby players.

Best rugby players

10. Justin Tipuric (Wales/Ospreys)

What they said: "In terms of the best all-round rugby player in the world, there are few who can match the Ospreys and Wales flanker."

Our thoughts: It's hard to argue with what Simon has said. The 31-year-old has a 96.9% tackle success rate in Test rugby since his debut in 2011, the best rate of any Tier 1 back row in that time. Only Jonny (97.4%) & Richie Gray (97.1%) boast better rates of any Tier 1 players in that period (100+ tackles).

9. Faf de Klerk (South Africa/Sale Sharks)

What they said: "He’s a terrier-like presence who just always seems to be involved in the game, hurling himself into tackles or escaping down the narrowest of channels."

Our thoughts: Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant. The scrum-half is the heart and soul for club and country. In our opinion, the playmaker is unlucky to not be further down the list.

8. Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)

What they said: "A towering presence in every sense, he is able to deliver the gnarled grunt up front one minute and then gallop into open space the next."

Our thoughts: The second-row has become infamous for both his moustache and naked aggression on the field. A brilliant lineout jumper and maul defender, his offloading and rangy ball-carrying are often overlooked. One of the best rugby players of the last decade.

7. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa/Toulon)

What they said: "Has the physical edge and abrasiveness you expect from a South African second row, while he’s a real lineout technician at 6ft 8ins tall. But he also possesses startling pace and is comfortable with ball in hand."

Out thoughts: We'd actually have Lood de Jager in the top ten rather than Etzebeth.

6. Antoine Dupont (France)

What they said: "He is the classic livewire French scrum-half and you give him space at your peril, such is his running ability in broken play. Take your eye off him and he’s gone."

Out thoughts: An incredible talent, but we're not sure he'd be above Faf de Klerk in our ranking. We don’t like to use the term ‘golden boy’ too much, but for the 23-year-old we will make an exception. A superstar in the making.

5. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand/Blues)

What they said: "Not many people can lay claim to being among the very best in two positions, but that’s the case with Barrett who has proved himself to be equally accomplished at both fly-half and full-back, lighting games up with his individual brilliance."

Out thoughts: The playmaker is now third on the All Blacks all-time Test points-scoring list. With devastating speed, a laser-like boot and smart game management, Beauden Barrett has been in electrifying form for the All Blacks in recent seasons, winning back-to-back World Rugby Player of the Year Awards in 2016 and 2017.

4. Maro Itoje (England/Saracens)

What they said: "Just the full package, with the ability to wrap himself around opponents at the maul and around the ball at the breakdown, while also leaping at the lineout, rampaging upfield as a carrier and scything down anything that moves."

Out thoughts: The best English player since Jonny Wilkinson. The 25-year-old is almost. the perfect player. A future England or Lions captain? Why not?

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3. Pieter-Steph Du Toit (South Africa/Stormers)

What they said: "A tireless workhorse, he has the size and physicality of a second row, where he used to play, plus the dynamism and speed over the ground which makes him such an effective loose forward, while he made more tackles than any other Springbok on their way to World Cup glory and was a one-man counter-rucking destroyer at times."

Out thoughts: A true team player, we'd have him ranked at no.2 at the very least. Hopefully, we'll see him in the Gallagher Premiership in 2021.

2. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa/Toulouse)

What they said: "Possesses the kind of wizardry that gets people out of their seats and gets them talking about this game of ours. Just has the X-Factor."

Out thoughts: Wouldn't have him this high up the ranking, but hard to argue he's not one of the best players in the world. He can create something out of nothing with his magic feet.

1. Semi Radradra (Fiji/Bristol Bears)

What they said: "He is able to change a game single-handedly like no other player in the sport, single-handed being the appropriate term given his conjuror-like off-loading out of the side door. You just expect something to happen every time he gets the ball and it generally does."

Out thoughts: A standout individual across both rugby codes, Radradra averaged 100m a game at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, lighting up the competition pool stages with a string of sensational displays, including a brace against Georgia. Simply the best.