The Rugby Union talent pool is in a constant state of flux.
With a lot of ageing players stuck in inevitable decline, the onus is on young or middle-aged players to develop into stars who'll eventually take their seats at the top table, ensuring a seamless transition
2017 has seen countless players take their game to the next level, placing them in a much stronger position than they were at the start of the year.
With that in mind, let's take a look at 2017's biggest improvers...
1. Sam Simmonds (England/Exeter)
However far Eddie Jones cast his net in his search for a World Cup bolter, it is unlikely that the England head coach would have ever spotted Sam Simmonds, the son of a trawlerman, until the very back end of last season.
Unlike the other young thrusters included in Jones’ 34-man squad, back-row Simmonds did not represent England through the age grades.
This time last year, he was turning out for Cornish Pirates on a dual-registered agreement from Exeter where he had yet to appear in the Aviva Premiership. Fast forward 12 months and the abrasive back-rower is now a Chiefs regular and England international after making his debut during the Autumn Internationals.
2. Rieko Ioane (New Zealand/Blues)
The winger marked his New Zealand debut last November with a try against Italy, but it is in 2017 that he has truly made his mark on the test arena with eight tries in as many starts.
The 20-year-old scored twice in his first start against the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park and claimed another double in his first Bledisloe Cup match in August.
With pace and strength to burn, Ioane finished the Rugby Championship as joint-top try-scorer with five after beating the most defenders, making the most clean breaks and metres in the competition.
He then finished the year by winning the World Rugby Breakthrough player of the year award.
3. Finn Russell (Scotland/Glasgow)
Scotland stand-off Finn Russell is targeting European glory when he joins French giants Racing 92 next season and said he “can’t wait to be there”.
Russell has been a key figure in Scottish rugby’s recent renaissance and he produced another very impressive display as Scotland stunned Australia 53-24.
He's transformed from a talented fly-half to a world-class playmaker.
4. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland/Leinster)
The Leinster and Ireland tight-head prop began his meteoric rise at the tail end of 2016 when he smashed through the All Blacks during Joe Schmidt famous win against the reigning world champions in Chicago.
Furlong then went on to standout once again during the Six Nations before starting all three Tests for the British & Irish Lions as they secured a famous drawn series against New Zealand in the summer. He's now arguably the best tighthead in the world!
5. Alex Lozowski (England/Saracens)
Lozowski, who can play fly-half as well as across the backline, has scored 214 points in 26 Premiership appearances since his switch to the capital in the summer of 2016, and helped Saracens retain the Champions Cup last season. His development has also saw the talented playmaker become a regular in Eddie Jones England squads.
6. Chris Harris (Scotland/Newcastle)
Harris is a Cumbrian boy, with a Dumfries granny, who moved to Newcastle aged 18 to study but he kept playing for his home team who looked after him a bit, bunging him petrol money and the like.
He is 27 in December but to become a Falcons regular and now a full Scotland international shows how far he has come in 2017!
7. Joey Carbery (Ireland/Leinster)
He started 2016 playing for Clontarf and finished it with three caps, the first coming against New Zealand in Chicago when he replaced Jonny Sexton with 22 minutes to go and coolly guided his forwards around the field to help Ireland achieve a historic victory over the All Blacks.
He’s now accumulated, aged 22, doubled his cap total to six but more importantly has established himself in the Leinster team. Definetly one of the most exciting prospects in the world rugby.
8. Damian Penaud (France)
The son of former France international Alain, the 21-year-old has long been talked of as a player to watch and his impressive performances for Clermont and France U20s since 2015 earned him his test debut against South Africa in June.
The centre immediately repaid Guy Noves’ faith in him with a try in that 37-15 defeat in Durban, as he showcased his pace, impressive step, vision to spot a gap and confidence to back himself at the very highest level.
9. Emiliano Boffelli (Jaguares/Argentina)
This product of the Argentina youth system, Boffelli represented his country at U18, U19 and U20 level before a knee injury threatened to sideline him indefinitely.
But he came back stronger and quicker than ever and made his full international debut for the Pumas this year. Capable of playing all positions in the backline, the gifted footballer has settled down very well on the wing for the Argentinian national side in 2017.
Good on the air, solid on defence and capable of nailing long distances goal kicks, the 22-year-old is a great asset for the Pumas and has a bright future ahead of him.
10. Zach Mercer (England/Bath)
What can you say about the charismatic 20-year-old that’s not already said? Yes, there are the flash things- like the amazing offloads and tries. But there is more to Mercer’s game than that.
Many people’s U20 player of the tournament, Mercer is one of the most exciting English prospects in a long time and is now serving as an apprentice with Eddie Jones squad during the Autumn Internationals. 2017 was a great year, but hopefully, 2018 will be even better for the youngster.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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