Ranking the NFL’s best players at every position for 2024

4 – Dafydd Jenkins – 4.5A totem at the line-out, he lacked enough grunt to punch holes through the rush defence. 11 – Rio Dyer – 6.5This felt like a more senior, accomplished performance from Dyer. 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.

• He finished the tournament with eight tries, equalling the record for most tries at a Rugby World Cup.
• We got ex-England captain Chris Robshaw to speak about leadership, where he explained all the different leaders and captains in a rugby squad.
• Arguably his best try scored was against England in the 2023 Six Nations, where he beat five defenders and ran 55m.
• The competition will feature the same 10 teams from the 2023–24 season.
• So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.
• Updates from the world of sport on TV, including news, views and how to watch it all live.
• Nayacalevu also said that during the team’s trip to England, the card that the team used to pay for excess luggage was rejected since there was no money on it at all.

The Flying Fijians are going to need more firepower to match it with the All Blacks

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.

Other England names to watch

Clermont are the best sports fans in the World in any sport, never mind rugby. French fans generally are amongst the best in the World, so they are right up there. Anyone who has been to Buenos Aires will tell you how great Argentina is, with a real party atmosphere and passion that can’t be beaten. South Africa is always great and the vast majority of their fans are brilliant. I’ve been plucked from the crowd and invited into corporate boxes on several occasions.

Six Nations 2024: Leaders and rising stars

Leinster and La Rochelle once again met in the Champions Cup final, with the Irish side dominating the first half before La Rochelle staged a big comeback to retain their title once again. As we get ready to bid farewell to 2023 and welcome in 2024 – it’s safe to say it’s been quite the year in rugby. His leadership has brought about some of Italy’s best performances in their history and 2024 could be the year they take it to the next level. There are not many 31-year-olds who would be referred to as a rising star, but when you are the man who has to fill the shoes of Dupont, it really is the opportunity of a lifetime. As captain of La Rochelle, Gregory Alldritt is no stranger to being the leader of his side.

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Aki possess the rare skill of being able to generate tremendous power from a standing start, even against defence as robust as South Africa’s. Ben Earl is far and away England’s main man when it comes to carries. So much so, in fact, that he’s the only Englishman in the top ten here, and is the overall leader with 42. Fellow back rower Aaron Wainwright for Wales has also underlined his exceptional Championship https://just-bet.org/ – in an otherwise disappointing year for his country – with 38. Welsh fans may also be heartened by the precocious presence of fullback Cameron Winnett, who for many will have come from nowhere and sits third with 37 carries (see below for another impressive Winnett-related feat). Captain of two-time European Cup-winning Stade Rochelais, Alldritt is a key leader for the French national side.

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The Leinster player has also shown his abilities down the wing during the 2024 Six Nations, including with a fast-paced try against Italy in round two – which also displayed his power. He has cemented himself into Andy Farrell’s side and has already won a Grand Slam title. 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.

Scottish Rugby swoop for serial winner David Nucifora

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. 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.

Former Wallabies assistant poised to take over as Fiji national coach

• An already established member of the All Blacks’ starting 23, Anton Lienert-Brown will be hoping to kick-start a stronger season in Waikato.
• 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.
• Unless you’re a London Irish or Harlequins fan, then Chandler Cunningham-South is a name you might not know.
• In January, the wealthy French club Racing 92 made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
• Although it gives a team a great chance of overall success – winning the Triple Crown doesn’t always mean you win the Six Nations.
• Australia managed to equal the All Blacks’ tally of two players in the top 20, with centre Samu Kerevi ranking 17th and his captain Will Skelton at sixth.

Handrè Pollard is the definition of a clutch player – always there to depend on in the tough moments. Aaron Woods always wanted to be a rugby league player – but the talented media performer, unsurprisingly, would’ve been talking people’s ears off if he wasn’t one. For some of the boys playing in the national team, playing for the Flying Fijians is how food gets put on the table for their families and they can’t support their families if they don’t get paid. I wholeheartedly agree with Botia’s statement that FRU should not expect the best out of their players if they are not able to pay the players who decided to join them. He also noted that had FRU kept their promises, the players that represented their country would be more focused on the upcoming games rather than the payments that FRU had either failed or refused to give them.

Australia – Massive Rebuilding Job

The Centenary Quaich named after a Gaelic drinking dish, the ‘Quaich’ has been presented to the winners of the Ireland against Scotland since 1989 and won by Ireland in 2023. The four home nations also compete for various trophies, including the the Millennium trophy which has been given to the winner of the Six Nations match between England and Ireland since 1988. The trophy itself looks a little bit like a Viking helmet with horns. The Triple Crown is given to the team that defeats all the other original home nations and only England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are able to win it. A match is split into two 40-minute halves – the aim of the game is to score more points than the other team through tries, conversions, penalty kicks and drop goals. Scotland’s last championship title was the 1999 Five Nations and their last two World Cup campaigns have ended at the pool stage.

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In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2024. “Always, if I was unsure, I’d always ask a question and then they always said there’s no dumb questions, you know. Some players might be able to take it in at easier, other players it might take a little bit longer to understand what they’ve got to do. With his own future now secured, Woods advised the current and future crops of NRL players to “keep asking questions”. “So what I really wanted to do while I played but I just didn’t, I didn’t have enough time, was I’d love to open up a coffee shop and just get to meet people in the local area.

• The high-profile Englishman had spent his entire career at Saracens in the English Premiership.
• Historically, Ireland has steered clear of rushing players onto the international stage, but the 6’4” Prendergast is an exception.
• If the All Blacks are to reclaim the World Cup next year, Savea will be pivotal to their chances of success.
• 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.

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. So, as the rugby world awaits the imminent squad announcements, here are three fly-half options for each nation who should get the first crack at the whip in 2024. But now it is Hughes who stands tallest, Hughes who leads the way, Hughes who the Storm turn to the most. 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. He doesn’t play State of Origin, which means he misses out on the shine afforded to that arena and despite playing some great football for New Zealand that’s often not celebrated as much as it should be.

TOURNAMENTS

But first they’ll get to experience some seminars this week which will help with this next phase of their lives. There’s no time to rest though because Woods is busy working in multiple media gigs with Triple M and Fox League — something he’s been doing for a few years now. Realistically, it would be foolish of Borthwick not to cap him, given both his form and the threat of him defecting north of the border. Like Ford, Smith is a sharpshooting kicker, both with his tactical and goal kicking, and like Ford, he is a great passer of the ball.

Ireland star ‘split open’ close friend in 2011 training ground bust-up

• Most surprising, perhaps, is the presence of Reffell’s former Tigers teammate George Ford among these turnover titans.
• 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.
• Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists.
• Plus Brodie Croft wasn’t really working at halfback and because Craig Bellamy is Craig Bellamy and he very rarely misses an opportunity, he got Hughes feeding the scrums a few weeks before the 2019 finals series began.
• All eyes will also be on hooker and new England captain, Jamie George.

Like Reed, Scotland’s Six Nations squad features three other uncapped players. Most noteworthy is loosehead prop Alec Hepburn, who earned six caps for England in 2018. Additionally, Will Hurd and Harry Paterson will make their debuts.

Wales

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. The Six Nations is the oldest international rugby tournament in the world. First held in 1883, it was originally called the Home Nations Championship, with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all taking part. The Six Nations is a rugby union tournament played every year between top countries in Europe. Planet Rugby have been going through the ‘Top 50’ over the last few weeks and they’ve finally named their all-important ‘Top 10’ with one Irish player making the cut. At the Six Nations, we will see if he can meet the challenge of blending youth, experience, and managing players he has played alongside for a long time.

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From there, the cumulative lists were averaged out to create the RugbyPass Top 100, an overall list of the 100 best players on the planet based primarily on test rugby performances in 2021. In doing so, five members from our editorial team – split between the northern and southern hemispheres – compiled their own lists of the top 100 players on the planet. 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.

The once-intimidating aura of the All Blacks seems to have faded.They are by no means in crisis like the Wallabies, but at the moment, they aren’t performing at a level that puts them among the elite. The Wallabies finished last, with only a last-minute win against Argentina in South America to their name. Australian rugby is clearly feeling the effects of a disruptive tenure under Eddie Jones.Joe Schmidt has a massive job ahead of him. The Wallabies are in the doldrums and need a significant boost in quality in their forward pack, particularly in the tight five, as well as finding a flyhalf capable of controlling the game. The 2024 Rugby Championship was filled with thrilling encounters between four of the top rugby nations. Bet Central takes a look at how all the teams fared in this year’s competition.

Nicknamed the ‘Italian wonder kid’, Ange Capuozzo will compete at his third Six Nations in 2024. Seemingly unstoppable, Italian fans have high hopes that he will soon become one of their best Six Nations players of all-time. Ringrose achieved new heights at the 2023 Six Nations, scoring Ireland’s winning try against France. Commenting on his performance, O’Driscoll praised Ringrose’s ability to disrupt and halt oncoming attacks. But which players could make their mark at this year’s Six Nations?

“I’ve played footy for 15 years since I finished high school, now I’ve got to go out and get a proper job. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous and scared because you’re going into the real world now. Woods, along with fellow retirees, will be celebrated on grand final day.

He was not a halfback until he was and once he was he willed himself into being one of the best of all time. Hughes’ rugby league story begins in Queensland, where he spent years wandering through underage and lower-grade football. Memories can fade, but medals don’t and accolades like the Dally M are how we talk to each other about rugby league history across time, so getting it right matters. The new voting system, where a player can get six points in a single match, means a late-season run can overshadow a season of consistency, as we saw with Kalyn Ponga pipping Shaun Johnson last year. The Dally Ms aren’t always an easy thing to believe in and they can be even harder to set your compass by as you wade through rugby league history, trying to sort things out.

• Ioane also makes disrespectful gestures to the Irish crowd twice, which is a citable offense and misconduct under the same regulation that Sexton was disciplined for abusing Peyper.
• Wing Monty Ioane, who appears to be an ever-present across a number of categories, such is his potency in attack, is third with 10.
• This year, he hit a new level entirely and the other three have all found something close to their best, which is why the Storm are back in the grand final.
• Note that the “position” column lists the position at which the player made his Test debut, not necessarily the position for which he is best known.
• He started on the Gold Coast, where he played Under 20s until he got one NRL game in 2013, before heading north to the Cowboys, where he eventually played another.
• He’s also Scotland’s co-captain for their national squad and is a fly-half.
• 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.
• Like his clubmate, Costelow, Ioan Lloyd possesses a strong running game and a clever short- to mid-range kicking game that could work a treat with the dangerous Welsh backs.

He was once a good footballer who could play in the halves and slowly he turned himself into what he is now, which is a great half. He could have performed well in that role that way for the rest of his career and reaped plenty of spoils from it. Cameron Munster was a fullback during the years Slater lost to injury, until Slater got healthy again and Munster had to play somewhere, so he went into five-eighth as well and now he’s one of the best of his era. 16 – Ryan Elias – 5Hit first jumper but missed his most important throw when Wales had to chase the game.

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. We continue our countdown of the the 50 best players set to have a significant impact this year, based on previous form, talent and the potential impact they can have on their team’s season.

• Rock-solid on defence and supremely adept with ball in hand, Am has become a staple of the Springboks backline and has formed a tired and trusted midfield combination with Damian de Allende.
• Fijian Rugby’s spiritual leader, Nayacelevu led his team to within an inch of a Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2023.
• The team give you context and depth beyond the headlines in this footy conversation that’s equal parts thoughtful, insightful and fun.
• Memories can fade, but medals don’t and accolades like the Dally M are how we talk to each other about rugby league history across time, so getting it right matters.
• 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.
• The former Scotland centre turned schools coach is taking a holistic approach to developing young players.
• 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.
• Although he only played five tests this year, the class and quality of the Les Bleus star catapults him high up the rankings in an indication of his influence in the French set-up.

Wing Monty Ioane, who appears to be an ever-present across a number of categories, such is his potency in attack, is third with 10. Some of the best rugby players in the world are in the thick of their 2024 summer international season following a long professional season that just ended. A mountain of a man who has long been a vital component of Ireland’s recent successes, Tadhg Furlong is among the few players who is a guaranteed selection in any given World XV. A strong scrummager and effective ball carrier, Furlong undoubtedly remains the best tighthead prop on the planet. Apparently, this wasn’t the only time FRU decided to mess with the team.

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.

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.

As for Easter, he looked a bit further back and selected one of his former teammates, Lawrence Dallaglio. Men’s and Women’s World Rugby Rankings are calculated using a ‘Points Exchange’ system, where sides gain or lose points based on the match result. Other criteria include the relative strength of each team, the margin of victory, and an allowance for home advantage.

Previous captain Owen Farrell is unavailable, saying he wants to “prioritise his mental wellbeing”, so Jamie George takes over the role, leading the squad as the new captain. Ireland, who won the Six Nations last year, come into this year’s tournament with something to prove, having gone into last year’s World Cup with high expectations, only to lose out in the quarter-finals. France joined the tournament in 1910, with five teams competing for 90 years until Italy were invited to join the competition in 2000. The latest edition of the men’s Six Nations is fast approaching, with the 2024 championship starting the first weekend of February. He is up there as one of the best No 8s in world rugby and will be key to Les Bleus navigating the tournament without Antoine Dupont.