Wales captain Wyn Jones tops list of the world’s 100 best rugby players
Alun Wyn Jones has been named the world’s best player by Rugby World magazine.
The 33-year-old Wales captain and second-row forward has topped a list of 100 of the world’s current leading players compiled and voted for by Rugby World’s expert panel.
New Zealand stand-offbeauden Barrett and England prop Mako Vunipola were placed second and third respectively.
The panel included Fiji’s Olympic gold medal-winning sevens coach Ben Ryan, Wasps Ladies director of rugby Giselle Mather, broadcaster Ross Harries and Kiwi writer Liam Napier as well as the magazine’s editorial team.
On their choice of Jones as No 1, Ryan said: “He’s like superglue for any team he plays for – unbreakable in the toughest of moments – and that simultaneously elevates those around him too. He leads from the front with the highest level of guile, intellect and bravery that is a rarity even among the greats.”
Jones guided Wales to a Six Nations grand slam earlier this year, while there has been speculation over his future with Guinness Pro14 side Ospreys with whom he has yet to sign a new contract.
Pauline Bourdon, the France scrum-half, is the highestranked women’s player in the top 100 at 11th.
New Zealand have the highest representation of players on the list, with 21, followed by England (17), South Africa (12) and Wales (10). There are also nine Irish players and five Scots including Finn Russell who is ranked eighth and Stuart Hogg (16th). beat them in the Heineken Champions Cup quarterfinal at BT Murrayfield last season.
The draw is based on 2018-19 finishing positions and allows for an equal spread of teams from each nation. Pro14 organisers say the new conferences will stay in place until the end of the 2020-21 season.
Teams play each other in their own conference home and away over the course of the season, with additional cross-conference ties and an extra third derby game against clubs from their own nation.