Only one Lion named in the world’s top 10 best players by New Zealand media

Monday, 26 July 2021 at 16:39

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byRugby Rucker

Popular New Zealand media outlet Stuff has had a go at naming the top 10 influential rugby players in the world right now and only one Lion made the cut.

Here’s how their list ranked:

#10. Siya Kolisi (South Africa)

"Inspirational leader, generational talent and sensational player, the Springboks skipper has emerged as one of the most influential figures in international rugby since rising, from humble beginnings in an Eastern Cape township, to the captaincy of his country"

#9. Pablo Matera (Argentina)

"Big, strong and high skilled, this multi-faceted back-row player has become the most influential of the current generation of Argentina players."

#8. Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)

"The 29-year-old, at 2.04m, is a colossus and has been one of the most feared locks in the world since his test debut in 2012."

#7. Sam Cane (New Zealand)

"Cane, the All Blacks captain, was handed the black No 7 jersey after Richie McCaw’s retirement in 2015 and had big shoes to fill, replacing one of the game’s great No 7s."

#6. Antoine Dupont (France)

"You know a player is the business when fans from the southern hemisphere acknowledge he or she is better than the crop of athletes in their own backyard."

#5. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)

"Not quite the player he was two or three years ago, but still a legitimate superstar who can change a game with a moment of magic or a burst of that sustained pace he generates with ease."

#4. Semi Radradra (Fiji)

"Radradra is a finisher, and tough with it. He knows how to get results."

#3. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)

"The 2019 South African and World Rugby player of the year is a 2.0-metre, 120kg physical specimen who excels as a blindside flanker for both the Springboks and Stormers. "

#2. Aaron Smith (New Zealand)

"Smith has been so good that he has changed what coaches look for in halfbacks in New Zealand."

#1. Maro Itoje (England)

"With Saracens and England, Itoje has established himself as one of the most dominant forwards in the world, as he demonstrated with his incredible performance in England’s demolition job of the All Blacks in the 2019 World Cup semifinals in Japan."