Wales player ratings vs England 2024 Guinness Six Nations Leave a comment

“We went with both [Aitchison and Rowland] because of the cohesion they have got and we have also got the ability to change it up as they are very versatile,” England forwards coach Louis Deacon said. The departure of South African centre Andre Esterhuizen to the Sharks in the summer enabled Harlequins to allocate resources to keep Smith at his boyhood club. Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp was forced to fly Western Force halfback Samantha Wood in for the Cape Town clash on Sunday morning (1am AEST) after reserve halfback Natalie Wright suffered a foot injury. We put the spotlight on women making a big impact on and off the field in the sporting world — from the grassroots through to the elite level.

Five key areas the Boks need to dominate for first victory

Owen Farrell’s absence presents an important moment to one of the brightest talents in English rugby, who should now be given an extended run at fly-half. Smith shows an instinct for attack and courage to play beyond any of his rivals for the jersey, but he must also prove he can guide England through choppier waters. Here we take a look at five stars expected to grab the headlines when the tournament kicks off on February 2nd.

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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). Finally you have lost the respect of a lot of the Irish rugby community. That’s neither here nor there because NZ rugby and their fans (if this site is a reflection) don’t value our respect. This is the standard that World Rugby expects all rugby nations including New Zealand to adhere to.

England

In this new reality, Andy Farrell, Warren Gatland and Steve Borthwick have the unenviable, yet exciting, opportunity to set the foundations of their respective squads as they build toward Australia 2027. The 2024 Six Nations brings with it more change than just about any of the previous ten editions of rugby’s oldest international tournament. If the team is not doing well, the individuals will not be doing well either. For me, the award is a bonus on a day when our goal was to win the Rugby Championship,” he said. Du Toit, who delivered another Man of the Match performance in the victory over Argentina, stressed the importance of teamwork. Rassie Erasmus and Pieter-Steph du Toit said the Springboks, fresh off their Rugby Championship title win, have set their sights on an unbeaten end-of-year tour to the UK.

• Any match that is not a full international between two member countries does not count at all.
• A tenacious openside flanker, van der Flier’s work rate and breakdown prowess are his standout traits.
• One half of an all-star French halves combination, Romain Ntamack continues to emerge as one of rugby’s most promising young players.
• 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.
• The wing is truly prolific personified and a dangerous threat whether he crosses for a try or sets one up.

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Clear yellow card and the latest in a long line of dumb plays by the All Blacks who, let us not forget, collected two red cards for dangerous head contact in the last four games they played against the Boks. Antoine Dupont needs no introduction, and few would disagree that he is the best player in the world right now. Not only can he display his skills on a 15s stage, but he has also started his 7s career with a bang, scoring a try on his debut for France. So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse. Eben Etzebeth is one of the first players that comes to mind when fans think of the Springboks jersey.

Andrew Porter – Ireland – Prop

Sexton was banned for abusing/disrespecting Peyper in what was the identical version of this for the Chamions League competition. He was as fast as Christian Cullen, had a pass on him as good as Quade Cooper’s and a Roger Gould boot. His telling off of Sacha was very much the right thing but hopefully not too late.

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The 25-year-old was England’s starting fly-half on the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand and will have an opportunity to retain the No 10 shirt for the autumn campaign that George Ford is likely to miss with a torn quad. The Wallaroos are hoping to celebrate Ashley Marsters becoming the equal most-capped Australian women’s Test player with a victory in the WXV2 tournament against South Africa. Cam Winnett for Wales, Johnny Matthews for Scotland, Ciaran Frawley or Calvin Nash for Ireland, Nocolas Depootare for France and Feyi-Waboso or Cunningham-South for England. Australia’s women’s rugby sevens team was on the brink on winning bronze. 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. Forced to play in a dual playmaker role for an extended period under former coach Eddie Jones, the two players somewhat stifled each other on many occasions.

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Quite possibly, the most talented 20-year-old in professional rugby, Sam Prendergast dominated the U20 circuit for the past few seasons. Like Crowley, Cian Frawley is a versatile operator who can play fly-half, center and fullback to a high standard. However, he has looked best https://becric.co.in/ when wearing the No. 10 shirt and has been in Andy Farrell’s thinking regarding the fly-half berth. 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.

Other Wales players to watch

• The winger is so often Ireland’s trump card when one is required, and his seven line breaks are the most in the Championship this year.
• The biggest obstacle he is facing is a lack of consistent game time in the 10 shirt for Leinster, which has both Byrne brothers (Harry and Ross), as well as the next man on this list, Sam Prendergast.
• One of the most exciting talents in the game, Russell is a magician of a fly-half with the skills to unpick any defence.
• The USMNT snapped a two-decade-plus drought by reaching the knockout rounds of the 2024 Olympics.
• This will be a year of significant growth for the talented loose forward, with spots now wide open and a chance to impress his former coach, Scott Robertson.
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• Will Jordan has lit up the rugby stage for years, and added to his list of achievements at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
• An already established member of the All Blacks’ starting 23, Anton Lienert-Brown will be hoping to kick-start a stronger season in Waikato.

Eight players started in all five matches with two – Maro Itoje and Ben Earl – playing in all 400 minutes. Nineteen had featured at Rugby World Cup 2023, seven were previously capped players who were recalled after being overlooked for that campaign in France, while there were five new caps. Following his recent move to Lyon, Monty Ioane is also one of this year’s Six Nations players to watch. The same goes for Lorenzo Cannone, another up-and-coming player whose powerful tackles have cemented his place in the Italian squad. In contrast with the other Six Nations teams, Ireland’s squad contains more experienced players and fewer new talents.

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Nothing too flashy, he continued to find his close-in runners and – mostly – his areas when box kicking. As the Barrett brothers have proven time and time again, it is hard to keep any of them down (especially when playing together). With Scott Barrett also captaining the Crusaders, Jordie will also be desperate to get his hands on a Super Rugby title. One of the standout All Blacks of 2023, Roigard is looming as the perfect successor to Aaron Smith in Scott Robertson’s starting side.

Followers of Reffell since his fledgling days with the U20s and Leicester will say it was ever thus, and won’t be surprised to see him atop the list of turnovers won. Fellow back rower Sam Underhill is making up for lost time in the England jersey and has five turnovers, with Maro Itoje and Gianmarco Lucchesi behind him on four. Most surprising, perhaps, is the presence of Reffell’s former Tigers teammate George Ford among these turnover titans. Respect for team-mates, opponents, match officials and those involved in the game is paramount. 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.

8 –  Aaron Wanwright – 7Wales’ best player last week continued his form here. Rangy runs, athletic grabs under high balls, he also offered a target at the line-out. 2 – Elliot Dee – 6On a long list, it was the line-out that was most abject in Wales’ game last week. Dee’s accuracy here meant England wouldn’t get handed free balls at the set-piece. It was a brave call to go to the back of the line within striking distance, but it worked and Wales won a penalty try from the subsequent maul.

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In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2024. “There are no better matches than the Red Roses against the Black Ferns and they will be wanting to put a few things right.” “It is great that we have the opportunity to play the world champions again within a few weeks. England won 2023’s inaugural WXV title with victory over New Zealand, as well as their most recent meeting with the Black Ferns, at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium last month.

Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. 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. This will be a year of significant growth for the talented loose forward, with spots now wide open and a chance to impress his former coach, Scott Robertson. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists. Some of the changes he made, like the elevation of Tomás Albornoz, gave the team more control in terms of game management, resulting in major improvements.

Also guilty for giving the ball away after a 24 phase move when he recklessly chucked an off-load from the ground. Worse perhaps was the custard-soft penalty he gave away when Adams kicked from his own in-goal area to gift England three points. But a distinct lack of quality, as well as enough heft, meant they couldn’t get the better of England’s rush defence. Red runners were smothered by white shirts and when the match coalesced into a struggle of will, the team with more nous won out.

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. If the All Blacks are to reclaim the World Cup next year, Savea will be pivotal to their chances of success. Centre Bundee Aki is best known for his ability to get over the gain line and for his crunching tackles. His form is always consistent, and some may have thought he could not get any better, then his performances at the 2023 Rugby World Cup happened and he proved there is no limitation to his talents. He made 10 clean breaks, beat 30 defenders, made 28 tackles and scored five tries at the tournament.

• 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.
• The 2024 Six Nations brings with it more change than just about any of the previous ten editions of rugby’s oldest international tournament.
• This is not meant to disparage Farrell’s contribution to English rugby, but his presence no doubt has hampered Ford.
• 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.
• A quasi backrow-cum-center in the front row, Toulouse star Mauvaka is a new hooker who would slot into any team in world rugby.
• Widely regarded as one of the finest number eights in the modern game, fans will be eager to see how Dupont’s replacement performs.

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.

It wasn’t a campaign to hang in the Louvre but, collectively, these players can feel pleased with what they achieved. 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. 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.

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. With Louis Rees-Zammit making the shock decision to leave rugby and pursue a career in the NFL, there is no better time for Rio Dyer to cement himself as Wales’ fast man. 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. The current line-up is missing many of the team’s biggest names, with Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric retiring in the last 12 months. Not to mention Louis Rees-Zammit, who has departed the squad for a career in the NFL.

He reportedly earns $1.2 million as a key position player in sparking attacks. The high-profile Englishman had spent his entire career at Saracens in the English Premiership. 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 – in an otherwise disappointing year for his country – with 38.

Born in Auckland and raised in Australia, Meafou has lived in France since 2018. Five years later, at the close of 2023, he was finally granted French citizenship. As a result, Meafou is now eligible to represent France on the international stage for the first time at the Six Nations. Sadly though, he may have to wait until after round one to make his debut. Unfortunately for him, he sustained an injury during Toulouse’s victory over Bath in the Champions Cup.

Crusaders have found an experienced playmaker to aid the development of their young players. Having just carried up-field a minuter before half-time, he got up, carried again, stepped, off-loaded and found Williams on his inside. Was also a menace at the breakdown, coming up momentum swinging steals in both halves, and made more tackles than any other Welshman. 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. 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 out a foothold.

Will Jordan has lit up the rugby stage for years, and added to his list of achievements at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He finished the tournament with eight tries, equalling the record for most tries at a Rugby World Cup. The other two players to have achieved the feat are legends Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana. The versatile back, who has won the Super Rugby title multiple times with the Crusaders, has at least one more Rugby World Cup cycle in him to add to his points tally.

As a goal-kicker, there are few more reliable than the versatile playmaker who will not only create tries. Aki possesses the rare skill of being able to generate tremendous power from a standing start, even against a defence as robust as South Africa’s. They will have to do so without the “talismanic figure” of Johnny Sexton, who has retired. Jack Crowley looks likely to take over as the new playmaker at No. 10 and experienced Munster flanker Peter O’Mahony is the new captain, reported Sky News. 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.

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. One half of an all-star French halves combination, Romain Ntamack continues to emerge as one of rugby’s most promising young players. Still only 22-years-old, Ntamack has acted as a pillar of France’s recent rejuvenation in test rugby, having starred in a variety of matches from the No 10 jersey.

He’s beaten 12 defenders so far, level with Ben Earl (who some pundits have even suggested should be played at centre). 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. Dafydd Jenkins will make history in 2024 by becoming the second youngest player to captain the Wales rugby team. The 21-year-old earned his first cap in 2022, when he came off the bench against Georgia.