France playmaker Antoine Dupont has been voted as the best player in the world right now after a survey was conducted with more than 5,000 fans participated.
As former Scotland fly-half Rory Lawson says: “He just doesn’t have any weaknesses. There’s no flaw in any part of his game.”
Here is the list of the top 20 best rugby players in the world as voted by fans:
Best players in the world: Top 20
20. Marcus Smith (England)
Alongside Steward, who features later in the list, mercurial playmaker Marcus Smith looms as one of England’s brightest young talents.
19. Romain Ntamack (France)
Ntamack, half of the highly regarded French halves pairing, is quickly establishing himself as one of rugby’s most talented young players.
At just 22 years of age, Ntamack has become a crucial figure in France’s resurgence on the international stage, impressing in a number of matches as the team’s starting fly-half.
18. Maro Itoje (England)
17. Charles Ollivon (France)
16. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
Widely regarded as one of the world’s top front row forwards, the highly respected Irish and Leinster prop exemplifies the modern-day tighthead prop with his versatile skill set.
In addition to his outstanding scrummaging abilities and explosive ball-carrying power, often bulldozing through multiple opposition players, he also possesses an impressive range of complementary skills that go beyond the norm for a typical prop.
15. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
14. Ange Capuozzo (Italy)
Although he only made his international debut for Italy last year, the 23-year-old Italian speedster is quickly becoming one of the most thrilling fullbacks on the world stage.
He announced his arrival with two sensational tries in his first outing for the Azzurri against Scotland and has since established himself as a vital player in Italy’s exciting attacking lineup, hinting at the start of a promising Italian renaissance.
13. Damien Penaud (France)
12. Finn Russell (Scotland)
Russell’s performance seems to improve as he ages.
He has always been a great player for Scotland, but his outstanding performance in the third test of the Lions series was one of the most impressive displays of his career, given the match’s significance.
Russell possesses as much X-factor as any other flyhalf worldwide, but more importantly, he has refined his skills to the point where he isn’t attempting a miraculous play at every opportunity, although he still knows when to go all out to snatch a game away from the opposition.
