Marcus Smith, Manie Libbok On List | Best Rugby Players In The World 81-100
Marcus Smith, Manie Libbok On List | Best Rugby Players In The World 81-100
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 81-100. Read the full series at FloRugby.
81. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – England – Winger
Physically, he has it all with top-class power, pace and footwork, but more importantly, he is uber intelligent.
Caught between a rock and a hard place when choosing his international allegiance earlier this season, his decision was to go with England and head coach Steve Borthwick.
82. Marcus Smith – England – Fly-Half
Cut straight from the Carlos Spencer cloth, England’s creative spark has grown into a true test player over the past year.
Unburdened by the routine chopping and changing of former head coach Eddie Jones, Smith has benefitted from the unequivocal backing of Steve Borthwick.
Explosive off the mark, Smith’s ability to get a backline moving comes as a direct result of the threat he poses as a runner.
While he still is someway off fulfilling his outlandish potential, he already is one of the most exciting players in the sport.
83. Rory Darge – Scotland – Backrow
If Braveheart were to be refilmed in 2024, Darge would be the perfect replacement for Mel Gibson as William Wallace.
Uncompromising, tough and skillful, the openside flanker sets the tone for an exceptionally exciting Scotland side.
His work rate and intelligence at the breakdown are the two hallmarks of his game as he does the hard yards, so the rest of his team can shine.
84. Steven Kitshoff – South Africa – Prop
Renowned for his formidable scrummaging and dynamic play, Kitshoff is a cornerstone of the South African national rugby team.
A 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup champion, Kitshoff's consistency, leadership and technical prowess make him one of the best props globally, earning accolades in both domestic and international competitions.
After playing a year in Ireland with Ulster, he'll return to South Africa and the DHL Stormers next season.
85. Manie Libbok – South Africa – Fly-Half
Goal kicking aside, Libbok truly is a world-class talent who was the catalyst for awakening the sleeping giant that is the Springboks backline.
Shining on the World Cup stage, his no-look cross-field kick against Scotland was a top-5 moment of brilliance in 2023.
While his struggles from the tee are well-publicized, they should not detract from his simply mesmerizing attacking approach to the game.
86. Ronan Kelleher – Ireland - Hooker
Ireland’s second-choice No. 2 is good enough to start for just about any other team outside of perhaps France and South Africa.
Rewind a few years, and Kelleher was Dan Sheehan before Dan Sheehan was Dan Sheehan!
While he lacks the freakish pace and skill of Sheehan, he arguably is a better set-piece hooker and is a world-class poaching talent around the breakdown.
Make no mistake, Kelleher is more than capable of regaining his status as Ireland’s first choice hooker and is a top-class player in his own right.
87. Michelle Lamaro – Italy – Backrow
Born in the shadow of the Coliseum, Lamaro is a modern day gladiator who is spearheading Italian Rugby’s renaissance.
Always playing on a knife edge, Lamaro puts his body on the line every time he pulls on the famous light blue jersey – dominating tackles and disrupting rucks, all the while maintaining a cool, calm and collected demeanor.
Lamaro is the ultimate leader.
88. Jack Conan – Ireland – Backrow
In a world of bomb squads, finishers and 6-2 splits, Conan is Ireland’s perennial impact sub.
The British and Irish Lion certainly is more than capable of starting for just about any international side, his impact later in contests so often has been the difference for Ireland and Leinster that he has made the role his own.
Physically, he is a man mountain who is carries direct, and more often than not, gets over the top of his opponent to secure quick ball for the up-tempo Irish attack.
In perhaps the biggest compliment a rugby player can be paid, he has never dropped his standards and always puts in at least an 8-out-of-10 performance.
89. Julian Marchand – France - Hooker
Mirroring its Irish rivals, France has two options at hooker between Toulouse duo Mauvaka and Marchand.
Further mimicking the Irish, Marchand, like Kelleher, arguably is a better set-piece option than Mauvaka, while lacking that truly elite top-end pace and carrying ability in the wider channels.
To focus on his own abilities, Marchand truly is an elite set-piece player who is accurate with his line-out throwing and powerful at the scrum and maul, while being utterly dominant in the tackle.
90. Louis Bielle-Biarrey – France - Winger
Taking the world by storm in 2023, France’s scrum cap-wearing flyer has the potential to be the best outside back in the world come the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Despite his slighter stature, LBB is a dominant defender who hits hard with perfect technique and to devastating effect.
However, it is in attack where he is truly elite. With elite pace and ability to step at full speed, he is the perfect finisher outside the creative French inside backs.
91. Zander Fagerson – Scotland - Prop
Finally getting the credit he deserves, the bedrock of the Scottish pack, alongside his backrow brother Matt, has become undroppable for Gregor Townsend and his coaching staff.
In addition to being an unmovable force in the scrum, Fagerson has added a soft skillset to his repertoire with subtle handling making him a key cog in the attacking game of both his club (Glasgow) and his national side.
Throw into the mix his elite fitness, which sees him go the distance, or close to it, on a regular basis, and one gets a true picture of just how good he is.
92. Duhan van der Merwe – Scotland - Winger
Picked straight out of central casting as a ‘rugby playing jock’, DvM is a unique talent.
Scoring out of this world long-range tries for both club and country, the South Africa-born powerhouse fits perfectly into Scotland’s all-court game.
Such is his mind meld with Finn Russell, he is the one who more often than not finishes off the fly-half’s masterpieces.
Although there are questions around his defensive capabilities and his hot-and-cold nature, when he is on form, there are few players better in attack.
93. George Furbank – England – Utility Back
The poster boy for the ‘new’ England, the Northampton Saints fullback exudes class.
Whether it is his 80s-style moustache or his silky-smooth skills, Furbank has added a new dimension to the England attack and is the perfect playmaker to get the best out of the powerful and pacey England wing options.
For all of his brilliance, however, it is his steely resolve and toughness that set him apart. He bounces back from being hit hard with a pep in his step and is not afraid to mix it up with far bigger men at the point of contact.
94. Fletcher Newell- New Zealand- Prop
Throwing it back to the late 90s, the Crusaders star front ranker is the second coming of the iconic Kees Meeuws to the extent they are listed as being the exact same height and weight!
Garnering plaudits for his numbers in the gym and on the training pitch as a truly elite athlete, Newell is even more impressive on the playing pitch.
Combating the elite front rows of South Africa, France and Ireland masterfully, his growth over the past two seasons makes him appear set to be the cornerstone of the All Blacks pack for the next decade.
95. Jac Morgan – Wales – Backrow
Snake bitten over the past year, Wales’ first-choice openside and captain has been brutally unlucky with injuries.
When fit, he is a silky-smooth operator who has shades of the great Sam Warburton about him as a lethal tackler and breakdown expert.
As Wales stares down the abyss of a major rebuild, a fit-and-firing Morgan will be the pillar of strength they need.
96. Alex Mitchell – England – Scrumhalf
Crying out for a successor/competitor to Ben Youngs for the past five years, England Rugby’s prayers were answered by the Northampton Saints star.
While he’s not a youngster at 27 years old, Mitchell finally looks comfortable on the international stage and has put quite some distance between himself and his competitors as the first choice in the white No. 9 shirt.
Renowned for his up-tempo approach, Mitchell links perfectly with Marcus Smith in the halfbacks.
Currently on a similar career projection to Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park, Mitchell is fast approaching rarefied air as one of the best scrum-halves in the world.
97. Tom Wright – Australia – Fullback
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, few players were more affected by the nuclear bomb dropped on Australian Rugby by Eddie Jones.
As Jones was swept aside and Joe Schmidt was brought in, Wright quickly was returned to his rightful place as Australia’s first-choice fullback.
On the pitch, he is a throwback to the glory days of Australian Rugby as an incisive and classy attacking player with a rugged edge that is the hallmark of all great Aussie sportspeople.
98. UJ Seuteni – Samoa - Center
Rugby’s answer to Troy Polamalu, the ultra-physical Samoan international has become one of the biggest stars in European club rugby as a key member of the back-to-back Investec Champions Cup-winning La Rochelle side.
Direct and dynamic, the center rarely loses a one-on-one contest and was the key backline source of gainline ball for Ronan O’Gara’s side.
To sum him up, he is a big-game player who has scored crucial tries that have been the difference between winning and losing for his teams.
99. Dewi Lake – Wales - Hooker
Monstrous in every sense of the word, the Ospreys star is one of the few truly elite players currently in Welsh Rugby.
Already a key leader as a captain for Warren Gatland’s rebuilding side, Lake brings immense physicality to the hooker position for Wales and has been the key orchestrator of their exceptional maul attack.
In a world of Sheehans, Marxs and Mauvakas, expect Lake to be sitting at the top table of hooker play over the next four years.
100. Uini Antonio – France – Prop
When Game of Thrones has its much needed reshoot to correct its truly dour ending, the French prop should replace Hafþór Björnsson as the mountain.
His tale of rags to riches as an afterthought as a secondrow who was too heavy to lift at the line-out to an elite level tighthead prop has been remarkable.
Central, not only to French Rugby’s revival but as a key member of La Rochelle’s rise through the ranks from the obscurity of the Pro D2 to the top of the pile of Top 14 and European Rugby, Antonio will be remembered as a legend of the sport in his adopted homeland.
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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