The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In 2022 Ireland beat England, Wales and Scotland but didn’t win the Six Nations tournament overall. Ireland were crowned Six Nations Grand Slam champions in 2023 thanks to a bonus point win against England in Dublin. One of the most important rules of the sport is that the ball can only be passed backwards. Finally, a player is allowed to attempt a drop-goal in play for three points.

Joe McCarthy – Ireland – Secondrow

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. George has been picked by the England head coach for his tactical nous, ability to build relationships, and emotional intelligence. With Owen Farrell opting to take a break from international duty and then signing for French side Racing 92, the time came for England to turn to someone new as their full-time captain. 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.

Ex-Crusaders star singles out the All Black whose stock rose during Rugby Championship

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

Our Sports

Fijian Rugby’s spiritual leader, Nayacelevu led his team to within an inch of a Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2023. England’s chop-tackling maestro is back to his best and has added another layer to his game as a game-changing carrier. Still just 27 years old, the 2019 Rugby World Cup star brings a nasty edge to an explosive England pack.

Sport

One of the standout All Blacks of 2023, Roigard is looming as the perfect successor to Aaron Smith in Scott Robertson’s starting side. Scoring nine tries last year, he’ll be in stiff competition with teammate TJ Perenara for starting caps in both Wellington and the national side. Along with Fraser McReight and Jordan Petaia, Tate McDermott is set for a critical season at the Reds. Scott Robertson won’t be disheartened, though, as there were many positives. However, his Achilles’ heel was the bench’s inability to close out games as well as they started.

Damian Penaud, wing, France

During training for the World Cup, the team was getting prepared for a deep run in France. Then representatives from FRU came and promised that if they made the quarter-finals, they would receive a bonus. When the World Cup started, they hadn’t been paid and by the time they reached the quarter-finals, they never received the bonus that was promised.

• Sadly though, he may have to wait until after round one to make his debut.
• Nothing too flashy, he continued to find his close-in runners and – mostly – his areas when box kicking.
• Loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff is ranked 19th overall in the world, with hooker Malcolm Marx just ahead in 18th place.
• 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.
• Here we take a look at five stars expected to grab the headlines when the tournament kicks off on February 2nd.

Top 20 best rugby players list features no England players, two All Blacks and three Springboks

Slotting into a star-studded Toulouse backline, the diminutive dynamo is one of the most exciting attacking talents in the world. England’s lost soldier, and yet another Toulouse player, how Willis remains ineligible due to selection rules is one of the greatest travesties in rugby. 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.

New Zealand Rugby furious with France over move which ‘devalues’ blockbuster tour as rugby ‘eats itself’ once again

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. That’s why RugbyPass has undertaken a comprehensive deep dive into the last 12 months of test rugby to formulate an answer of our own. 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. Others are preparing to represent their countries at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris in the rugby sevens tournament.

• One of the most exciting talents in the game, Russell is a magician of a fly-half with the skills to unpick any defence.
• As for Ireland, “there was and is something brutally mechanical” about them, said The Telegraph.
• 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 wonderful performance against Argentina at the World Cup will go down in English Rugby history as one of the best individual performances in a white shirt.
• He obliquely referenced Sexton’s incident with Peyper seemingly unaware that Ioane was citable under the exact same offence.
• Dafydd Jenkins will make history in 2024 by becoming the second youngest player to captain the Wales rugby team.
• He was as fast as Christian Cullen, had a pass on him as good as Quade Cooper’s and a Roger Gould boot.

Finn Russell, fly-half, Scotland

A position in parentheses indicates that the player debuted as a substitute. 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.

Who is Ilona Maher? Meet Team USA’s breakout rugby star

The battle to sign former England captain Courtney Lawes appeared to be a straight shoot-out between Pro D2 promotion hopefuls Provence and Brive, but there is a potential spanner in the works. 5 – Adam Beard – 5A hefty presence at set piece, he couldn’t replicate that anywhere else on the park. Wales had the upper hand on a few metrics, but their engine doesn’t have the requisite torque to boss around the fringe.

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. 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. Wing Duhan van der Merwe is lethal with ball in hand and some space. Arguably his best try scored was against England in the 2023 Six Nations, where he beat five defenders and ran 55m.

• 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.
• If you haven’t looked into that while you were playing now you’ve got to go out and really get to know what the real world is all about.
• His darting runs – like the one where he reached the safe ty of his 22 after collecting a pass under his own poles – weren’t just brave, they were calculated.
• Bet Central takes a look at how all the teams fared in this year’s competition.
• Bendon recently undertook the daunting task of ranking the top 100 rugby players in the world.

The first game of the tournament is between two sides tipped to win this year’s competition with France taking on Ireland in Marseille on Friday 2 February. 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. Stephen Varney was brought up in Wales but opted to represent Italy to honour his grandparents. A good friend of newest NFL recruit Louis Rees-Zammit, Varney has been a consistent player in Italy’s squad since 2020. There has been a lot of change in the Italy camp heading into this tournament and so Michele Lamaro will want to be the consistent, guiding force as they look to try and finally avoid the wooden spoon.

• He does not crave the spotlight and he has never chafed at not receiving the same headlines, but the glory is upon him now because he has earned it many times over.
• England, who finished fourth last campaign, have not won the tournament since 2020.
• It was “pretty tame” compared to when he first entered the NRL world.
• The unrelenting loose forward’s powerful ball-carrying, committed defence and immense work ethic have made him an integral player for the Kiwis, as reflected by his captaincy appointment for the Rugby Championship.
• “We’ve always been that rugby league player where people have done our health insurance and our pay and all that sort of stuff.
• McReight looked very good against the ABs but I think that’s the first time I’ve seen him excel against top opposition.
• In short, NZ rugby did not take responsibility for the disrespect shown to Irish players, Irish supporters and Ireland.
• He will likely vie for pitch time alongside Alex Dombrandt, with Steve Borthwick adding both players to his Six Nations squad.

Scotland

A successful try is awarded with an additional conversion opportunity (which sees a team attempting to kick the ball over the other team’s goal-posts) for two points. The main way is by scoring a try – carrying the ball over the opponent’s goal-line, which scores five points. Wales have finished fifth in the Six Nations for the past two years having won just two of their last 11 games in the Championship. England, who finished fourth last campaign, have not won the tournament since 2020.

They will open this year’s tournament against favourites France, with the winner opening up the path to another perfect championship. Although it gives a team a great chance of overall success – winning the Triple Crown doesn’t always mean you win the Six Nations. The Grand Slam is the cherry on top of the cake for any team that has won the Six Nations, as this additional achievement is only awarded to a team that has won all of their matches during the tournament. The game is played by two teams of 15, with each team made up of eight forwards and seven backs. The sides all compete in one group with all the teams trying to win more points than the others. The team with the most points at the end of the tournament wins the championship.

The Wales side was also hit with the shock announcement that one of their star players, Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby union to try and play American football professionally in the NFL. In contrast with the other Six Nations teams, Ireland’s squad contains more experienced players and fewer new talents. At the top of Andy Farrell’s Six Nations players to watch list is talented centre, Garry Ringrose. The Leinster co-captain was previously referred to as ‘the next Brian O’Driscoll’, a claim that added undue pressure. A versatile and powerful forward who is comfortable in the second row, at blindside flanker or number eight, Cunningham-South will make his debut at the upcoming tournament. He will likely vie for pitch time alongside Alex Dombrandt, with Steve Borthwick adding both players to his Six Nations squad.

Statement win boosts Wales in World Rugby Women’s Rankings

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.

Ireland in danger of dropping out of top 10 in World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini

Two front rowers have been putting themselves about too, in prop Pierre Schoeman (36) and hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi (34). Here is the full list of the highest-paid rugby players of 2024, compiled using data from Yahoo News, GQ Australia, and The Scotsman. 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.

• The Wallabies finished last, with only a last-minute win against Argentina in South America to their name.
• Additionally, with Antoine Dupont absent, Grégory Alldritt will steer the 2024 Six Nations squad.
• 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 surprising amount of people were happy when the Irish team beat the All Blacks as it was good for the game.
• Some of the well-known stars from the team last year came from England and France; they didn’t have to come and play for Fiji, their salaries in England and France are enough to make them millionaires in Fiji.
• The voting body is made up of a select group of ex-players only we don’t know which ones anymore because their names aren’t made public anymore, which was supposed to increase the integrity of the votes somehow.

There is a lot of opportunity for Emoni to excel in the back three for Waikato in 2024, and he looms as probably the most exciting bolter of the whole competition. Scoring eight tries in the 2023 season, this flying Fijian went on to earn his first cap for the All Blacks, as they demolished Los Pumas in Mendoza to kick off their Rugby Championship campaign. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists. 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. The emergence of young loose forwards like Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight was a huge plus, while the growth of Harry Wilson was impressive.

• The wing is truly prolific personified and a dangerous threat whether he crosses for a try or sets one up.
• Ireland, which includes players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the team, are the current tournament holders having won the Six Nations in 2023.
• And with the key games against France and England being away from Dublin, back-to-back Grand Slams would be a “real achievement”, said the paper.
• 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.
• Sharing the record with Telea with 12 tries last season, Codie Taylor is a formidable veteran at the head of a dangerous Crusaders pack.
• The latest edition of the men’s Six Nations is fast approaching, with the 2024 championship starting the first weekend of February.

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. Add to that the fact that this team has now won nearly everything available to them, and they become even more impressive. Following the conclusion of the 2024 Six Nations, we rated all the players who featured in the Championship, next up, fifth-placed finishers, Gonzalo Quesada’s Italy. 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.

He’s the only other player on the list to earn over $1 million a year for his services. The former Scotland centre turned schools coach is taking a holistic approach to developing young players. 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. FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from July to September.

One of the most exciting talents in the game, Russell is a magician of a fly-half with the skills to unpick any defence. 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. A host of rugby’s most gifted players will go head to head over the coming weeks in the 25th instalment of the Guinness Six Nations. Here the PA news agency looks at five stars expected to grab the headlines.

With Manly bowing out of the premiership race, Woods enjoyed his last ‘Mad Monday’ as a professional rugby league player recently. It was “pretty tame” compared to when he first entered the NRL world. 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. Sharing the record with Telea with 12 tries last season, Codie Taylor is a formidable veteran at the head of a dangerous Crusaders pack. With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, the league’s true insiders made their voices heard.

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 https://just-bet.org/ out a foothold. Sinned when he went early on another scrum when Wales had the feed on England’s line. 9 – Tomos Williams – 6.5It was his frenetic spark that turned the game against Scotland last week.

He is the only Fiji star to make the list and one of three tier two players to make the top 50. No England players have been selected in a top 20 list of the world’s best rugby players ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Similarly, the impact that experienced Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth provides to South Africa cannot be questioned, especially given his output at international level last year.

Rampaging second row Federico Ruzza is a cornerstone of the Italian pack, and he is evidently their target man at this set-piece, taking 17 lineouts in three matches. While Wales’ lineout has faltered at key moments, back rower Aaron Wainwright (15) and lock Dafydd Jenkins (12) have been the go-tos in this area. Tadhg Beirne, Ollie Chessum and Scott Cummings are all level with Jenkins in third.

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. A powerful duo assume the responsibility of being the top-ranked players in 2024 with Antoine Dupont unavailable. 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.