Six Nations Fantasy: The top-ranked superstars for the 2024 championship : Planet Rugby

Clearly you don’t have the ability to feel shame, but dude know I feel sad for you. It’s a question every rugby fan has an answer for, but rarely are any two answers the same. Edinburgh have confirmed they expect to be without full-back Emiliano Boffelli for a large chunk of the season as the Argentine star prepares for further surgery on a longstanding back problem. Updates from the world of sport on TV, including news, views and how to watch it all live.

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The 25-year-old was England’s starting fly-half on the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand and will have an opportunity to retain the No 10 shirt for the autumn campaign that George Ford is likely to miss with a torn quad. The Wallaroos are hoping to celebrate Ashley Marsters becoming the equal most-capped Australian women’s Test player with a victory in the WXV2 tournament against South Africa. 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. Australia’s women’s rugby sevens team was on the brink on winning bronze. The 21-year-old arguably is Borthwick’s most viable long-term option, given his ability to combine what the England coach traditionally has favored with a strong running game. 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.

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“He’s up for renewal at Christmas and we are in negotiation about extending to the World Cup – there have been positive tones, I might add,” Sanderson said. The Wallaroos flanker will match the record for the most appearances, set by Liz Patu with 33 caps, this weekend in Cape Town. Ashley Marsters will become the equal most-capped Australian women’s Test player this weekend. 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 on to the Test arena. With the U.S. trailing 12-7 in the game’s final seconds, Sedrick broke away from the Australia defense for a game-tying try.

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George has been picked by the England head coach for his tactical nous, ability to build relationships, and emotional intelligence. 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. 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.

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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 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.

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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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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.

25 Premiership Rugby

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.

• 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.
• The wing is truly prolific personified and a dangerous threat whether he crosses for a try or sets one up.
• A tenacious openside flanker, van der Flier’s work rate and breakdown prowess are his standout traits.
• One half of an all-star French halves combination, Romain Ntamack continues to emerge as one of rugby’s most promising young players.
• 10 –  Ioan Lloyd – 7.5Dallied on the ball and, like a sacked quarterback, was monstered by Maro Itoje under his own sticks.

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Should Ford be ruled out then Smith will need to hold off his namesake Fin who has started the season in impressive fashion for Premiership champions Northampton. Borthwick is also sweating over the fitness of scrum-half Alex Mitchell who has no return-to-play date on his recovery from a neck injury. Prop Joe Marler and centre Henry Slade also have not played so far this season due to foot and shoulder injuries respectively. A versatile back, Barrett’s impressive boot, aerial skills, and positional awareness offer versatility to the All Blacks.

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Once he gets back on the park, expect him to make an impression quickly. 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.

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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.

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The following players have received the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Month award during the 2024–25 season, as selected by a panel of media commentators, in addition to monthly public polls. 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. 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. 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. Sharing the record with Telea with 12 tries last season, Codie Taylor is a formidable veteran at the head of a dangerous Crusaders pack.

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Lowe has «rapidly become one of the most exciting wings in international rugby», said Rugby All Star. His performances for Ireland have been marked by «blistering pace, deft handling, and an uncanny ability to find the try line». And, as his impressive attacking stats prove, he is a player who can «turn a game on its head with a single moment of brilliance». Usually, the best rugby players in the world only gather in one place every four years when the Rugby World Cup tournament begins, but as the international rugby season is underway, it’s good time to get them together. Dragons wing Rio Dyer is proving himself to be a favourite with Wales head coach Warren Garland, and it’s not hard to see why, when he plays every game like it could be his last.

TOURNAMENTS

• A surprising amount of people were happy when the Irish team beat the All Blacks as it was good for the game.
• 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.
• Not to mention Louis Rees-Zammit, who has departed the squad for a career in the NFL.
• He showed maturity and composure, looking up with the intent to impact the game.
• 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.

Crusaders have found an experienced playmaker to aid the development of their young players. Having just carried up-field a minuter before half-time, he got up, carried again, stepped, off-loaded and found Williams on his inside. Was also a menace at the breakdown, coming up momentum swinging steals in both halves, and made more tackles than any other Welshman. 6 – Alex Mann – 6.5Scored his Test second try after as many matches thanks to lovely supporting run for Williams after Tommy Reffell bust through a gap. Was too easily brushed off by Earl and perhaps needed a bit more grunt at times. 1 – Gareth Thomas  – 6Won a big scrum penalty after a stodgy sequence when the game was scoreless, allowing Wales to scratch out a foothold.

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.

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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.

• Stephen Varney was brought up in Wales but opted to represent Italy to honour his grandparents.
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• 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.
• Slotting into a star-studded Toulouse backline, the diminutive dynamo is one of the most exciting attacking talents in the world.
• 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.
• His performances for Ireland have been marked by «blistering pace, deft handling, and an uncanny ability to find the try line».
• He was then named in the 2023 Six Nations squad and he made his first start against Scotland.
• A powerful duo assume the responsibility of being the top-ranked players in 2024 with Antoine Dupont unavailable.

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.

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.

This includes rugby legends like Jonny Wilkinson, Alun Wyn Jones and Ronan O’Gara, whose names remain synonymous with the championship. 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. However, if the occasion calls for it, he is a more-than-able option in the centers or on the wing, making him a prized asset to the South Africa setup. Bestowed the crown of World Rugby Player of the Year in 2021, the recent renaissance of French rugby has largely centred around halfback Antoine Dupont. While France are currently blessed with a raft of talented youngsters who have thrust Les Bleus back to the peak of their powers, few wield the influence Dupont has on both his team and the matches he plays in. Being central to such a significant comeback after years of dormancy deserves recognition, hence why Dupont has claimed top spot in the RugbyPass Top 100.

It was also a major reason behind their exhilarating victory over the All Blacks on the Gold Coast, as was his exceptional defensive and breakdown work. It’s hard to imagine if the Springboks would be the world’s top-ranked side without Kolisi, who will no doubt be instrumental in their World Cup title defence next year. In a year where the All Blacks struggled to reach the lofty goals they expect of themselves, Ardie Savea stood head and shoulders above his peers as the best New Zealand had to offer.

After celebrating their tournament-opening win over Wales, the Australians have turned their focus to the host nation. After going 2-1 in group play, the Americans will square off against Morocco in the quarterfinals on Friday. Morocco finished atop its group after beating Argentina and Iraq, while losing to Ukraine. Djordje Mihailovic opened for the scoring against Guinea with a world-class free kick from just outside the box in the 14th minute.

Quite possibly, the most talented 20-year-old in professional rugby, Sam Prendergast dominated the U20 circuit for the past few seasons. Like Crowley, Cian Frawley is a versatile operator who can play fly-half, center and fullback to a high standard. However, he has looked best when wearing the No. 10 shirt and has been in Andy Farrell’s thinking regarding the fly-half berth. 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.

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.

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.

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. https://becric.co.in/ 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.

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. This will, of course, not be the role he wants to occupy long term, and he likely will push Crowley, if given an opportunity. The competition will feature the same 10 teams from the 2023–24 season.

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 top spot should come as little surprise after Antoine Dupont led Toulouse to both Investec Champions Cup and Top 14 title. Ford had started all of England’s matches during this year’s Six Nations but missed the summer tour after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon.

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. Others are preparing to represent their countries at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris in the rugby sevens tournament.

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.

Eight players started in all five matches with two – Maro Itoje and Ben Earl – playing in all 400 minutes. Nineteen had featured at Rugby World Cup 2023, seven were previously capped players who were recalled after being overlooked for that campaign in France, while there were five new caps. Following his recent move to Lyon, Monty Ioane is also one of this year’s Six Nations players to watch. The same goes for Lorenzo Cannone, another up-and-coming player whose powerful tackles have cemented his place in the Italian squad. In contrast with the other Six Nations teams, Ireland’s squad contains more experienced players and fewer new talents.