Influential players the countdown continues
Who are the most influential rugby players in the world?
We assembled a panel of nine who each provided their top 50. Then we awarded 50 points to each No 1, 49 to each No 2, and so on, and tallied up the results.
Today, players 21-30.
30. Anton Lienert-Brown New Zealand, centre, seven votes, 124 point
Lienert-Brown has played more than 80 Super Rugby matches and
49 tests since his All Blacks debut in
2016, all before turning 26 on April
15. The Chiefs midfielder, who is equally adept at second five-eighth or centre, is a class act, excellent at offloading and carrying, and a reliable rock who shores up his team’s midfield. His composure and quality make him the first name on the team sheet. 29. Duane Vermeulen
South Africa, No 8, four votes, 128 points
Given this guy’s influence and form, could easily have been ranked a lot higher than this. At 34, might be nearing the end of a remarkable career, but showed at the World Cup, and then again in South African domestic rugby in 2020 (where he was crowned player of the year), that he remains a formidable and fearsome competitor. The 1.93m, 117kg Bulls captain is arguably the premier No
8 on the planet.
28. Malcolm Marx
South Africa, hooker, five votes, 131 points
The 26-year-old former Lions (SA) star, currently plying his trade in Japan, has emerged as one of the premier modern hookers, mixing toughness and power with attacking skills and breakdown influence. Has a superb engine and outstanding mobility, but also more than capable of mixing it in the rough stuff close in.
27. Handre´ Pollard
South Africa, first five-eighth, seven votes, 133 points
The latest in a long line of
influential South African No 10s, Pollard showed his value in the World Cup final in Yokohama when he not only navigated the Boks to an outstanding victory, and tactical masterpiece, but scored 22 points with a fine display of goalkicking. More than just a superboot, though, this 27-year-old, who has
48 test caps, has a running game that demands respect.
26. Tom Curry
England, loose forward, five votes, 142 points
Curry, alongside fellow loose forward Sam Underhill, was one of England’s ‘Kamikaze Kids’ in their run to the 2019 World Cup final, according to coach Eddie Jones. Only 21 in Japan, Curry was one of the stars of the tournament and has already played 33 tests as a
22-year-old. An expert in turnovers, with a massive engine and a breakdown menace, Curry is wise beyond his years and has been compared to Richie McCaw.
25. Taniela Tupou Australia, prop, seven votes,
142 points
The Wallabies prop with the treetrunk legs caused the All Blacks a few problems last year, particularly with a massive shift off the bench during the All Blacks’ loss in Brisbane. Tupou has developed into one of the world’s most destructive tightheads, at both scrum time and around the paddock. With ball in hand he is almost impossible to stop.
24. Michael Hooper Australia, flanker, eight votes,
144 points
The Wallabies captain and tireless No 7 is playing alongside Kieran Read in Japan, but he will return for the test season later in the year. His remarkable ability to avoid injury means that he has already played
152 Super Rugby games and 105 tests, and he is still only 29.
23. Emily Scarratt England, centre/fullback, five votes, 172 points
Scarratt, who won bronze at the Rio Olympics with the Great Britain sevens teams and was named World Rugby’s women’s player of the year in 2019. Scarratt is not just a potent attacker with an eye for the try line, she is also an excellent goalkicker.
22. Manu Tuilagi England, centre, six votes, 173 points
Tuilagi became an international superstar when he smashed through the All Blacks in England’s famous win at Twickenham in 2012. The 29-year-old has struggled to consistently string test matches together because of multiple injuries since his England debut in 2011, but is still one of the world’s most dangerous midfielders.
21. Eben Etzebeth
South Africa, lock, six votes, 183 points
One of the premier locks in the modern game, the 2.03m and 123kg colossus has cemented himself as a key member of the South African pack and formed arguably the most formidable second-row pairing at the 2019 World Cup alongside Lood de Jager. Big, strong, with a ferocious commitment and physicality, this guy leaves nothing in the tank.