Owen Farrell, Siya Kolisi Make List | Best Rugby Players In The World 21-40
Owen Farrell, Siya Kolisi Make List | Best Rugby Players In The World 21-40
Who are the best rugby players in the world? Here's the top 100 players in the sport according to FloRugby reporter Philip Bendon.
Usually, the best rugby players in the world only gather in one place every four years when the Rugby World Cup tournament begins, but as the international rugby season is underway, it's good time to get them together.
FloRugby analyst and reporter Philip Bendon has seen quite a few Rugby World Cups and is as plugged into the sports as any reporter in the world.
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Bendon recently undertook the daunting task of ranking the top 100 rugby players in the world.
Here is Bendon's top rugby players from 21-40. Read the full series on FloRugby.com.
21. Romain Ntamack – France - Fly-Half
Rugby World Cup 2023’s biggest ‘what if?’
While Dupont garners the bulk of the headlines, his halfback partner is a world-class operator in his own right.
Falling foul of a cruel injury during the World Cup warm-ups, the Toulouse pivot was gravely missed by his country when the pressure was at boiling against the Springboks.
Could his calming influence have made the difference? We will never know, but now back to his best - he could well be the best fly-half in the game over the next World Cup cycle.
22. Richie Mo’unga – New Zealand - Fly-Half
New Zealand’s lost man, the 2023 World Cup star’s departure to Japanese Rugby is a major blow to the All Blacks.
Just hitting his peak, Mo’unga is a magical playmaker with tactical awareness.
23. Josh van der Flier – Ireland - Backrow
Mr. Consistent, the former World Player Of The Year goes about his business without any fuss.
Nearly perfect in every area, van der Flier does it all as a ball carrier. He's got top footwork, is a missile in the tackle and is a turnover threat at the breakdown.
24. RG Snyman – South Africa - Secondrow
A giant amongst giants, the Springbok star is like a go-go-gadget-man.
Utilizing his long limbs, Snyman goes over the top of defenders and keeps his hands free to get the ball out.
At line-out time, he is an opposing hooker's worst nightmare, as he gets off the ground at a rapid rate.
25. Scott Barrett – New Zealand - Secondrow
Alongside Savea as the betting favorite to be the next All Blacks skipper, the middle Barrett brother is the enforcer in the New Zealand pack.
Unwilling to ever take a backward step, Barrett’s mentality, combined with his world-class playing ability, will be a key asset to new head coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson.
26. Tadhg Furlong – Ireland - Prop
With dancing feet that would have Michael Flatley red with jealousy, Ireland’s greatest prop is getting back to his very best at 31-years-old.
Locking down a strong Irish scrum since 2015, Furlong undoubtedly is going to become a test centurion.
It could be argued that he changed the game as a tighthead with a skillset his team wants to incorporate into its attack, rather than work around him.
Taking the ball to the line before popping a clever pass is his trademark and is a crucial piece of the jigsaw for the Irish attack.
27. Thomas Ramos – France - Fullback
Meticulous in his processes, the France and Toulouse star is near robotic with his goal kicking, as he maintains world-class standards, year in and year out.
Away from the kicking tee, Ramos is a playmaker and brings a multi-dimensional element to his teams’ attacks as a second distributor.
In counterattack, he has more than enough pace and vision to punish opponents, while defensively, he covers the backfield exceptionally well.
28. Courtney Lawes – England - Utility Forward
There is life in the old dog yet. Despite being 17 years into his career. Lawes remains at the peak of his powers.
Closing out his time in English Rugby with a Premiership title with his only club the Northampton Saints, Lawes could well be a bolter for the 2025 British and Irish Lions.
A bruising tackler and a line-out savant, Lawes made a career as a durable and ultra-athletic utility forward who was as comfortable in the second row as he was in the back row.
29. Cyrill Baille – France - Prop
Yet another Toulouse star in the top 100, Baille is arguably the most important member of the French pack at this moment in time.
A step ahead of his challengers for the No. 1 shirt in terms of his work around the park, Baille combines this guile with raw power in the scrum.
30. Angus Bell – Australia - Prop
A rarity in recent times for Australian Rugby, Bell is a world-class frontrow with a deep bag of tricks at scrum time and the fitness to go the distance.
The NSW Waratahs star is one of the most important players for new Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt, who's looking to rebuild Australian Rugby from the rubble left by Eddie Jones.
31. Blair Kinghorn – Scotland - Utility Back
Scotland’s ‘flair’ at the back, Kinghorn’s midseason move to Toulouse has taken him to another level as a truly world-class operator.
Comfortable at fly-half, fullback and wing, the rangy runner is a lethal attacking option and is the perfect complement to Finn Russell as a second playmaker.
32. Owen Farrell – England - Fly-Half
Just because he didn’t feature for England this season does not mean Farrell is not still the best English fly-half in 2024.
While he no longer will be eligible given his impending departure to Racing 92 in the Top 14, don’t be surprised to see the serial winner join his dad Andy on next year’s British and Irish Lions tour.
33. James Lowe – Ireland - Winger
Battering opponents in the wide channels, Lowe is one of the most exciting finishers in the game and has brought another dimension to the Irish game over the past four years.
While his try-scoring ability is what catches the eye, Lowe’s booming left boot is a major asset to his teams as a pressure-relieving option to gain big chunks of territory rapidly.
34. Malcolm Marx – South Africa - Hooker
Built like a peak Arnold Schwarzenegger the Springbok hooker is an athlete of note.
His power in the scrum and ability to nail his line-out throws make him the perfect set-piece hooker but, of course, he is much more than that.
At the breakdown, once he is over the ball, it is nearly impossible to shift him, while his strength as a carrier around the ruck has seen him score several crucial close-range tries over the years.
35. Tommasso Menoncello – Italy - Utility Back
The 2024 Guinness Six Nations Player of the Tournament is a leading light in Italian Rugby’s renaissance over the past few seasons.
A truly world-class operator, Menoncello is the physical ‘hitter’ in the Italian backline who gets his team over the gainline and onto the front foot.
His combination with Benetton and Italy teammate Ignacio Brex in the midfield are the fulcrum from which new Italian coach Gonzalo Quesada is building his team.
36. Kurt Lee Arendse – South Africa - Winger
Accompanied by an air of electricity every time he touches the ball, the Springbok flyer should have a high voltage warning written across his scrum cap.
In one-on-one situations, defenders had better hope they grab him as soon as the ball hits his hands, as failure to do so likely will see him either cross the tryline or put a teammate away for a big break.
Defensively, his ability to turn and chew up distance quickly allows the Springboks to employ their famed hard-rush defense without fear of being exposed by a clever short-to-medium kicking game.
37. Levani Botia – Fiji - Utility Player
As tough as teak, the Stade Rochelais and Fijian bruiser is one of the more unique players in the professional game.
Equally adept in the centers as he is in the back row, Botia is a true utility player. More importantly, though, he is world-class in both positions.
38. Garry Ringrose – Ireland - Center
Ireland’s smooth operator is the puzzle piece that completes the Irish jigsaw.
Without him, Ireland, while still potent, lacks that crucial bit of guile, both attack and defense, that makes them one of, if not the best, team in the world.
39. Siya Kolisi – South Africa - Backrow
If this was a list of the most influential players then Kolisi would top it for his leadership skills alone.
As a player, the two-time World Cup-winning captain truly is world-class and leads through both his actions and ability to galvanize his team.
40. Semi Radradra – Fiji - Utility Back
Fiji’s danger man, Radradra is a two-sport star, having dominated Rugby League’s NRL, before returning to the 15-man game.
A physical ball carrier with all the tricks in the books, Radradra was one of the stars of a Fijian team that came within an inch of making a World Cup semifinal.
Top 100 Rugby Players In The World: Read The Player Breakdowns
- Best Rugby Players In The World 1-20
- Best Rugby Players In The World 21-40
- Best Rugby Players In The World 41-60
- Best Rugby Players In The World 61-80
- Best Rugby Players In The World 81-100
World Rugby Rankings On July 8
Here are the latest rankings from World Rugby:
- South Africa, 94.86
- Ireland, 90.37
- New Zealand, 90.12
- France, 88.49
- England, 85.66
- Scotland, 82.82
- Argentina, 80.10
- Australia, 78.15
- Italy, 77.99
- Fiji, 77.44
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