The 50 best rugby players in the world
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1. Richie McCaw
Age: 28 Position: Flanker Franchise: Crusaders Country: New Zealand
Not for the first time since 1987 the Kiwis' leader left a World Cup dogged by questions about his captaincy: did Mr McCaw, by common consent the finest No.7 since Michael Jones and Josh Kronfeld hung up their size thirteens, go missing in last autumn's quarter-final calamity against the French? Well, unlike other, injured stars at least he was there at the bloody end. And consider those captains with whom he keeps such gloomy company: Gary Whetton, Sean Fitzpatrick, Taine Randell, Reuben Thorne. Not bad. McCaw is far, far, far from any kind of bad; indeed, he's the modern openside in the mould of the aforementioned Mr Jones, big enough to take the boshes and the bashes around the breakdown, lithe and quick and skilful enough, of course, to link with any of the thousand sets of breathtaking backs the men in black might care to put out. Good enough, even, to dismiss the growing platoon of bleaters who suggest he bends the rules to snapping point at the ruck. If McCaw cheated half as much as his critics claimed, he'd have a rain forest's worth of splinters in his backside from time in the sin bin. Any summary of the Crusader's talents is, really, as facile as it is futile - he's just effin' good. So good that he rode the wave of All Black heartache and came back just as good if not better. The world's best? We reckon so
click here for the 50 best rugby players in the world
We've watched the games and deliberated, cogitated and argued long into the night. It's a nigh on impossible task and we certainly don't expect you to agree with us, but here it is: our countdown of the best 50 players on the planet.
The exclusion of Danny Cipriani and Paul Sackey, or the fact we placed Juan-Martin Hernandez ahead of Dan Carter might seem a suprise, but after much discussion, that's what we thought.
We also resisted the temptation to flood the list with northern hemisphere names, but quite frankly, we'd have looked foolish in the extreme given the pasting the home unions took at the hands of the big three from down south last autumn.
We've also placed a lumbering 19st lock higher than a free-scoring wing, which might cause some uproar, but that's the idea of any good countdown - to provoke debate. Let us know what you think by commenting below.
For the full list of the 50 best rugby players in the world, click here.
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Comments
Howev er, the photos for number 10 (Juan Smith) and number 38 (Conrad Smith) are the same - so where were your sub-editors?
M. Thackray
I agree the six nations doesn't bode well for England. They have a handful of world class players, and that's being generous. How many English players would make the starting line-up in a current Lions team? 3 maybe 4.
As for the notion that our sporting superstars are 'losers' - tell that to our swimmers, cyclists etc. Just coz we have Rugby problems right now doesn't mean that other sports are similarly afflicted.
By the way, finishing sentences with 5 exclamation marks does nothing for your argument. It makes you look like a ranter.
Michael O'Hare
Players such as Jamie Peacock, Sam Burgess, Darren Lockyer, Israel Falou, Greg Inglis, Benji Marshall should surely be included within your list, yet appear for some unbenown reason to be omitted.
I would be interested to know the reasons for this, and perhaps the writer of this article may reply on the comments board? Is this due to the persistant media bias of the southern media who wrongly percieve Rugby League as merely a northern game, an unwanted addendum to their true game of Rugby Union, and as such treat the game with distain? or is it merely due to the fact that the writter incorrectly titled this article as 'top 50 Rugby players' when he should have titled the article 'top 50 rugby union players'?
The writter would do well to note that the word 'Rugby' is a generic term for both codes, and as much as Rugby League has been bastardised by Rugby Union in the past, Rugby League has an equal claim to the title as Rugby Union does.
Please in future either title your articles correctly (in which case I would also expect you to include a top 50 Rugby League players), or include players from the code you so persistantly attempt to ignore.
OK. The whole Aus squad. The whole NZ squad. Plus Peacock, Morley and the other couple of British players who don't choke on the big occasion. That's 50.
D'you not think that (a) The League pool is much more limited ? and (b) comparing League and Union players is a futile exercise ?
Only one Englishman, but if you can't make the distinction, we can safely ignore your opinion.
Wake up guys the points alone should have him in the top half of any list.
As for Nonu, he is big and strong but lacks the skill and play making ability of someone like Mauger, he should probably be on the list but towards the end in my opinion.
The most annoying thing about this list is that Dusautoir appears ahead of Martyn Williams. This is a terrible decision and saying that Dusautoir is the northern hemispheres closet thing to McCaw is ridiculus! Williams is miles ahead in his all round game!
Nick Evans is another strange choice! No Ronan O'Gara or Hook or Stephan Jones?? O'Gara and Jones can control a game far better than Evans and he certainly does not possess the magic that Hook does.
Overall the list is ok but i would like to see the inclusion of Ruan Pinear as well!
You have used the same image for No. 10. Juan Smith of South Africa as for No. 38 Conrad Smith. I assume the image really is of Juan Smith, as it is not of Conrad Smith.
Look properly!
Fred Harrison
NZ
Fifty best RUGBY players in the world? Not even close!
Don't make sense to me.
Stephen
Bluesfan,NZ
This is an eye-opener though, the English seem to do great job of assuming that we have awesome players but just a poor game plan/management/fitness/ - maybe our players just aren't that great? England haven't had a great attacking centre partnership for years and people wonder why we can't score trys? Blame the coach! I think not.
I'm not sure which!
Where is Napoloni Nalaga or Byron Kelleher or Rick James?
I guess it just proves how impossible it is to name a top fifty!
The AB's front row dominated ALL other scrums for the second year running. The line-out has been excellent, (usually an AB weak spot, ask John Eales). The loosies led by McCaw.... The outside backs scored many memorable tries, the midfield dominated in attack and defence and Dan Carter controlled all games he appeared in. How many tries did they concede in the latest Grand Slam tour? How many did they score? Graham Henry played a 2nd string team against Scotland and arguably a 3rd string team against Munster, creating a great spectacle and almost a defeat.
I liked your comment about splinters in McCaws bottom.... We have had to put up with being called cheats (unfairly) for years, I guess it the best excuse in the face of continued AB successes. Ask Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin about being called a cheat....
That being said it was good to see such a lot of players not from Tri-Nations or (the old) Five Nations competition teams. Viva Argentina!!