In the land of the 2023 Rugby World Cup host nation, props are known as 'la piliers' in a rather descriptive recount of the role. The pillars that support the scrummaging foundation, props also elevate their loose forward teammates to new heights at the line-out.
Without a strong loosehead and tighthead at the base of a team, a side can collapse and crumble under the pressure. Historically, props would focus their energy on the set-piece, with short drives to empty the tank and rest up when the ball was fizzed around the park.
However, the modern conditioning of today's athletic props sees them contribute far more in the loose, whilst also maintaining enough energy reserve for the enduring shifts in the scrum. It is rare to see a prop play a full 80 minutes due to the exhausting demands which their position brings, with the most successful sides having a equally capable prop amongst the replacements.
South Africa are today's best example of a side that have equally talented props in the starting XV, and amongst the replacement 'bomb squad'. We will certainly discuss the Springboks in this article, who have the best front row in the world today. New Zealand have always took pride in their props, with the likes of Joe Moody, Owen Franks and Tony Woodcock being integral parts in the Rugby World Cup triumphs of 2011 and 2015.
The legendary Springbok Os Du Randt was comfortably the world's best prop, when South Africa lifted the Rugby World Cup in 2007. The South African would be regarded as the greatest ever, if it was not for the efforts of England great, the 'Fun Bus' Jason Leonard.
So, as we head into the second round of the 2023 Rugby World Cup this weekend, lets continue our list of the world's best players in each position. This article will include both sides of the scrum, with the loosehead talents heavily outweighing the tighthead picks at four to one. With honourable mentions to consider, here are the top five props in rugby today.
1. Cian Healy - Ireland and Leinster (Loosehead Prop)
It is rare to see a player in today's game enter into the conversation of rugby's all time greats. French maestro Antoine Dupont teeters on legendary, yet the scrum half has a long way to go before he's accepted into the company of Sir Gareth Edwards. Richie Mo'unga is a phenomenal talent, yet does the All Blacks playmaker belong amongst the likes of Jonny Wilkinson or Dan Carter?
Ireland prop Cian Healy is one such player that breaks the mould, and deserves his involvement within the discussion of the best to ever pack down the scrum. Healy is in no doubt approaching the twilight of his career, with his years as the world's best loosehead prop stretching from 2011 to 2020. Healy earned his international debut in 2009 against Australia, and immediately impressed his Head Coach Declan Kidney.
At just 20-years-old Healy was a Pro12 Champion, as Leinster claimed the 2008 title before adding the Champions Cup a year later. The 2009 victory over Northampton was the first of three European titles in quick succession for Healy, as the Dubliners returned to the pinnacle of European rugby back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. Once Healy got a taste for silverware, little could stop the loosehead from collecting winners medals.
The lifelong Leinsterman has accrued a total of seven Pro12 (United Rugby Championship) titles to date, and has since added a fourth European title in an unforgettable year. 2018 was the peak of Healy's career, with the prop being first choice for Ireland and Leinster, as he won the Pro12 league, Champions Cup and Six Nations Grand Slam within a matter of months. This Grand Slam counted as Healy's third out of four Six Nations titles, as the loosehead established the foundations of Declan Kidney's, Joe Schmidt's and now Andy Farrell's triumphant Irish pack.
Like every other iconic Irish player, the Rugby World Cup has been the one piece of silverware that has evaded Healy throughout his career. An unfortunate injury halted Healy's hopes for a 2023 Rugby World Cup winners medal, should Ireland bring the Web Ellis trophy to the Emerald Isle for the first time. However, the 35-year-old has no plans to follow in Johnny Sexton's path to retirement as of yet.
Healy's legacy is secured, with his status solidified amongst the all time propping greats. The Irishmen is his nations' most capped active player, with 125 caps and counting. Healy sits just three caps adrift of the great Ronan O'Gara, and would need to run out for eight more appearances in order to surpass Brian O'Driscoll's record of 133 test caps. Healy would views these goals as viable, with one last ride on the horizon to retain the Six Nations Grand Slam crown.
2. Steven Kitshoff - South Africa and Stormers (Loosehead Prop)
Honourable Mention: Vincent Koch - South Africa and Stade Francais (Tighthead Prop)
The sole member of South Africa's formidable front row that makes onto our top five, Steven Kitshoff has been a stalwart of the ultra-competitive Springboks pack since his debut back in 2016. Kitshoff's first run out in the famous green and gold came against Argentina in the first match of the 2016 Rugby Championship. The loosehead prop came off the bench in his first appearance, for the legendary 'Boks prop Tendai Mtawarira.
Kitshoff had to bide his time before 'The Beast' would pass him the torch, along with his long possessed number one jersey. The new era began to dawn in South Africa's front row in the 2019 Rugby Championship, with Kitshoff making his first competitive start for the Springboks against the All Blacks. This pre-luded the Springboks' triumphant 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign, with Kitshoff the understudy to Mtawarira, in his final run of test match rugby.
Kitshoff had already accrued 40 test caps ahead of the trip to Japan, and came off the bench just three minutes into the second half of the Rugby World Cup Final. His explosivity duly suited Rassie Erasamus' bomb squad, with Kitshoff's patience rewarded with promotion into the Springbok's starting XV once Mtawarira hung up his boots as World Champion. Kitshoff entered a power struggle for the vacant jersey against Ox Nche, with favour swayed to the Stormers man after outstanding performances against the 2021 British and Irish Lions.
Kitshoff was an integral pillar in the series winning Springboks side, and would have loved the opportunity to bask in the adulation of a roaring crowd of green and gold. However, the infamous tour of 2021 was played behind closed doors during the Covid-19 pandemic, with every Kitshoff collision, shunt and carry heard and felt back home, by the fans watching on TV. Kitshoff was not put-off by the empty stadiums, as he also helped his Stormers reach the 2021 Super Rugby Unlocked Final.
The Springbok's talents then transferred up to the Northern Hemisphere, when the South African clubs were omitted into the new expanded United Rugby Championship competition. With Kitshoff battling valiantly at prop, the Stormers won the inaugural URC season in 2022, and reached the final again the following year. Unfortunately for Kitshoff, Munster got the better of the Stormers in last season's finale, with retribution on his mind when South Africa clash with Ireland in Pool B of the Rugby World Cup.
3. Ellis Genge - England and Bristol Bears (Loosehead Prop)
When Ellis Genge broke onto the scene in 2014, the hard-hitting Bristolian was destined for greatness. Few could have pinned the Baby Rhino to be England's next great loosehead, yet the signs were there as he charged around on churned-up turf, when out on loan at Plymouth Albion. When Bristol clawed their way into the Premiership with their new 'Bears' branding, Genge began to come into his own, and soon caught the eye of Leicester Tigers, as well as England Head Coach Eddie Jones.
Genge was fast-tracked for an England debut after just one cap for Leicester, with Jones believing in his proven eye for talent. The man who introduced Owen Farrell to Saracens, Jones awarded Genge his first England cap in a 2016 Summer test against Wales at Twickenham. The potential was there for Genge to excel, yet he had to shake his short fuse if he wanted to follow the blueprint on being a match-winning prop. The 'Baby Rhino' grew up in front of the Twickenham faithful, as he earned his first test start on the 2017 Summer Tour to Argentina, with Joe Marler and Mako Vunipola away on British Lions duty.
Jones believed in Genge, and the Bristol boy was included in the squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The experienced old guard of Vunipola and Marler was preferred in the competition's latter stages, yet Genge did get run-outs in the pool stage wins over the United States and Tonga. Left out of the squad that took home silver medals from Yokohama, Genge pressed on to ensure that he would be first choice loosehead for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Genge's upwards trajectory followed the desired suit, as he went from strength to strength under Steve Borthwick at Leicester. Under the tutelage of England teammate Dan Cole, Genge learned the intricacies of the scrum, and mastered his art to become the Premiership's best loosehead prop. Genge surpassed Mako Vunipola to the mantle in the 2021/22 season, as Genge's Leicester saw off Saracens to win the Premiership title at Twickenham. The 2022/23 season was filled with change at Welford Road, with Borthwick taking the Head Coach role for England, and Genge re-uniting with Kyle Sinckler on his return to Bristol Bears.
Borthwick has bridged the gap into a new era for England's props, with Genge more than a key man in his squad. The 28-year-old captained his country twice in the 2023 Six Nations, with Borthwick overlapping the experience of Dan Cole and Joe Marler, with new-coming props Will Stuart and Bevan Rodd. Regardless of running out in the number one jersey, Genge has become the first name on Borthwick's team-sheet. Big things are expected of the Bristol Bears man, who has grown into one of the world's best scrummagers, and is arguably the best ball-carrying prop in world rugby today.
4. Cyril Baille - France and Toulouse (Loosehead Prop)
Despite the recent World Cup ending injury to France fly-half Romain Ntamack understandably taking the headlines, one man who Fabien Galthie will be desperate to see return to full fitness is Cyril Baille. The loosehead prop is a true technician in the front row, with a 'nauses' knowledge of how to win scrum penalties. Baille is currently side-lined for Les Bleus, with a calf injury that on first report had him out for up to six weeks.
It has since been over four weeks since the news broke, with France's scrum visibly faltering in the absence of the Toulouse man. Galthie will be putting his pack on the scrum machine this week, after an albeit weaker France side were dominated upfront by Uruguay. Baille is one of the key pillars of Galthie's squad, and the 30-year-old will need to be on top form to maximise his nation's hopes of winning their first Rugby World Cup.
A long-time resident of France's Southern Occitanie region, Baille has been packing down the scrum for Toulouse since 2009. In a style akin to Healy at Leinster, Baille had an impressive collection of winners medals in no time with Toulouse. The French giants won the Champions Cup in his second season, before adding back-to-back Top 14 titles in the following years. Baille's current haul of silverware includes five French league titles and two reigns as European champion.
Baille's international call-up came in the Autumn of 2016, for an off the bench appearance in a win against Samoa. He featured as a front row cornerstone of each Six Nations campaign, and finally experienced the thrill of winning 'Rugby's Greatest Championship' in the French Grand Slam of 2022. Baille's 'Bleus' came close to repeating the feat in the latest competition, yet a decisive defeat to Grand Slam winners Ireland was the difference maker.
Should France and Ireland progress out of their groups, their is a 50% chance that the two sides will meet in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup. You have to beat the best to be the best, and Baille would like nothing more to topple the world number ones, on his path to bring France their first Rugby World Cup title.
Tadhg Furlong - Ireland and Leinster (Tighthead Prop)
Honourable Mention: Zander Fagerson - Scotland and Glasgow Warriors (Tighthead Prop)
The first and only tighthead prop to make this list, Furlong has long spearheaded the conversation regarding world rugby's best number threes. As well as being an out-and-out bruising ball carrier, Furlong’s X-factor is that he brings an unexpected side-stepping ability to the Irish front row. This does more than just get a pop out of the Aviva Stadium crowd, but it surprises even the most experienced defences, for second-guesses that create space for Furlong’s supporting options.
The Leinster man broke onto the international stage with his test match debut in the Summer of 2015, ahead of the upcoming Rugby World Cup. Despite the short notice, Ireland's then Head Coach Joe Schmidt noticed his talents and booked him into the squad for the competition. The presence of Mike Ross meant that Furlong had to bide his time, but once the man from Cork hung up his test match boots in 2016, the stage was set for Furlong to step up to the tighthead mantle.
Furlong started all eight of Ireland's test matches in the 2016/17 season, and led from kick-off in every match of the 2018 Grand Slam winning Six Nations campaign. The man from Wexford is an complete talent on the rugby pitch, and does not limit himself to mastering the skillset of a front rower. Furlong had to bide his time during the 2023 Six Nations, as he forewent the opening three rounds of the competition due to injury. Finlay Bealham did a fine job of holding down the three jersey in his absence, yet with Furlong back and firing well, Ireland have a serious chance of winning their first ever Rugby World Cup.
Furlong is immensely accomplished with Leinster, having never switched allegiances since his Dublin debut in 2013. Furlong is a four time winner of the league, and has reached the European rugby mountain top with a Champions Cup crown in 2018. Furlong has since been denied the opportunity to win his second Champions Cup title, in the last two back-to-back finals. La Rochelle have twice beaten Leinster in the competition's finale, with Furlong eager to make a statement against the likes of Uini Antonio, Pierre Bourgarit and Reda Wardi, if Ireland and France pack down for a scrum in the Rugby World Cup knock-out stages.
