And when fielding under pressure he demonstrated the strength to keep the ball alive. Gets extra points for a one-on-one tackle on the much larger Tommy Freeman that saved a try early in the second half. 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. 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.

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It was a shame that Salesi Rayasi endured such mixed form in 2023, being kept out of the Hurricanes’ side due to injury for much of the year. While he hasn’t yet excelled at an international level, with only seven All Black caps, he is one of Super Rugby’s strongest attacking weapons. 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.

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A successful try is awarded with an additional conversion opportunity (which sees a team attempting to kick the ball over the other team’s goal-posts) for two points. The main way is by scoring a try – carrying the ball over the opponent’s goal-line, which scores five points. Wales have finished fifth in the Six Nations for the past two years having won just two of their last 11 games in the Championship. England, who finished fourth last campaign, have not won the tournament since 2020.

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• At the top of Andy Farrell’s Six Nations players to watch list is talented centre, Garry Ringrose.
• Samoan rugby is in shock after head coach and former Scarlets hooker Mahonri Schwalger was, according to local reports, charged with “multiple serious offences”, including “sexual conduct with a person under 16“.
• As well as regularly appearing for Harlequins in 2023, he crossed the line during England’s win against Scotland at the U20 Six Nations.
• The list, compiled by British newspaper The Telegraph, has snubbed Steve Borthwick’s charges in their top 20, with France and Ireland players dominating the best of the best.
• Potentially the best scrum-half in England at the moment after an incredible season with Northampton, Alex Mitchell could really come into his own at this tournament.
• Most noteworthy is loosehead prop Alec Hepburn, who earned six caps for England in 2018.
• Dyer has a chance to make the position his own and show Wales fans that the loss of LRZ has given them a chance to see Dyer shine.
• England’s chop-tackling maestro is back to his best and has added another layer to his game as a game-changing carrier.

He was not a halfback until he was and once he was he willed himself into being one of the best of all time. Hughes’ rugby league story begins in Queensland, where he spent years wandering through underage and lower-grade football. Memories can fade, but medals don’t and accolades like the Dally M are how we talk to each other about rugby league history across time, so getting it right matters. The new voting system, where a player can get six points in a single match, means a late-season run can overshadow a season of consistency, as we saw with Kalyn Ponga pipping Shaun Johnson last year. The Dally Ms aren’t always an easy thing to believe in and they can be even harder to set your compass by as you wade through rugby league history, trying to sort things out.

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The Wales side was also hit with the shock announcement that one of their star players, Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby union to try and play American football professionally in the NFL. In contrast with the other Six Nations teams, Ireland’s squad contains more experienced players and fewer new talents. At the top of Andy Farrell’s Six Nations players to watch list is talented centre, Garry Ringrose. The Leinster co-captain was previously referred to as ‘the next Brian O’Driscoll’, a claim that added undue pressure. A versatile and powerful forward who is comfortable in the second row, at blindside flanker or number eight, Cunningham-South will make his debut at the upcoming tournament. He will likely vie for pitch time alongside Alex Dombrandt, with Steve Borthwick adding both players to his Six Nations squad.

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If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. With the likes of Mark Telea and Will Jordan keeping him from returning to the All Black line up, Reece will be hoping to push his case to return to the national side – but he has a lot of competition. An effective kicker, dangerous in broken play and a strong finisher, the decision to re-sign him for two years is a strong indication of his potential as an attacking weapon.

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In response to these allegations, he FRU has disputed claims the bonuses weren’t paid or that players were left without their paychecks for long periods of time. They have also recently authorised an audit of player payments in response to the allegations made by its star players. List of England national rugby union players is a list of people who have played for the England national rugby union team.

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Lowe has “rapidly become one of the most exciting wings in international rugby”, said Rugby All Star. His performances for Ireland have been marked by “blistering pace, deft handling, and an uncanny ability to find the try line”. And, as his impressive attacking stats prove, he is a player who can “turn a game on its head with a single moment of brilliance”.

England

The first game of the tournament is between two sides tipped to win this year’s competition with France taking on Ireland in Marseille on Friday 2 February. 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. Stephen Varney was brought up in https://just-bet.org/ Wales but opted to represent Italy to honour his grandparents. 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.

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When I look at Goosen for example, he was overplayed badly back in his younger days and IMHO never really reached the heights he should have done. It’s a question every rugby fan has an answer for, but rarely are any two answers the same. Updates from the world of sport on TV, including news, views and how to watch it all live. In the last minute before the final try, teammate Kristi Kirshe said she just had to “stay in it.” It took until the very last play to secure their win, when Alex Sedrick stiff-armed her way past Australia’s defense and ended up converting her own kick — and she’s not a kicker.

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Here we take a look at five stars expected to grab the headlines when the tournament kicks off on February 2nd. “Dan Sheehan might not be a kicker but he is incredibly quick for a hooker, his set piece is good, a leader in terms of what he does, very explosive, good skill set, try scorer,” Jackman marvelled. Ex-Ireland hooker Jackman highlighted one of his fellow countrymen and a superstar of the 2024 Six Nations.

The Six Nations tournament rules

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. He was then named in the 2023 Six Nations squad and he made his first start against Scotland. ‘Industrious’ doesn’t begin to sum up the workrate of Azzurri captain Michele Lamaro, but it’s a good start. The back rower has made a breathtaking 55 tackles after three rounds of play – he also tops the dominant tackles list, with six – with Wales’ Tommy Reffell nine behind.

The once-intimidating aura of the All Blacks seems to have faded.They are by no means in crisis like the Wallabies, but at the moment, they aren’t performing at a level that puts them among the elite. The Wallabies finished last, with only a last-minute win against Argentina in South America to their name. 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.

United Rugby Championship

During training for the World Cup, the team was getting prepared for a deep run in France. Then representatives from FRU came and promised that if they made the quarter-finals, they would receive a bonus. When the World Cup started, they hadn’t been paid and by the time they reached the quarter-finals, they never received the bonus that was promised.

• This issue is quite concerning for the Flying Fijians as they are one of the best Tier 2 nations in World Rugby and, quite frankly, don’t deserve to be labelled as such.
• He made his international debut at the 2022 tournament, where he scored a brace against Scotland.
• In addition to Ringrose, Irish supporters will be excited to watch new captain, Peter O’Mahony.
• And, as his impressive attacking stats prove, he is a player who can “turn a game on its head with a single moment of brilliance”.
• “Always, if I was unsure, I’d always ask a question and then they always said there’s no dumb questions, you know.
• The veteran lock was a shining light in England’s below-par Six Nations campaign to become a regular test starter for the British and Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa.

• This includes rugby legends like Jonny Wilkinson, Alun Wyn Jones and Ronan O’Gara, whose names remain synonymous with the championship.
• His darting runs – like the one where he reached the safe ty of his 22 after collecting a pass under his own poles – weren’t just brave, they were calculated.
• The captain of South Africa’s Rugby team, Siya Kolisi, makes the list at fifth.
• During training for the World Cup, the team was getting prepared for a deep run in France.
• Sexton was banned for abusing/disrespecting Peyper in what was the identical version of this for the Chamions League competition.
• Bet Central takes a look at how all the teams fared in this year’s competition.
• No. 8 Ardie Savea was named World Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2023 after picking up a silver medal at the Rugby World Cup.
• He backed up his good performance against the old enemy in the 2024 Six Nations, scoring a hat-trick – with each try coming from some individual brilliance.

A force on both sides of the ball, the 23-year-old will be looking to transfer his impressive form for Benetton on to the Test arena. His significant size in the backrow opens up a whole world of possibilities at set piece for Los Pumas – in particular, his explosive power getting off the ground quickly for lineouts and kickoff receipts. Not since the great Joe Rokocoko has New Zealand Rugby had a winger who ties together immense physicality with guile to the level of Telea.

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Fijian Rugby’s spiritual leader, Nayacelevu led his team to within an inch of a Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2023. England’s chop-tackling maestro is back to his best and has added another layer to his game as a game-changing carrier. Still just 27 years old, the 2019 Rugby World Cup star brings a nasty edge to an explosive England pack.

• No team in the world can match the depth the Springboks have, and it was fully on display in the Rugby Championship, which they won after losing only once.
• 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.
• Widely regarded as one of the finest number eights in the modern game, fans will be eager to see how Dupont’s replacement performs.
• 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.
• However, his Achilles’ heel was the bench’s inability to close out games as well as they started.
• Could have benefited from more punch through the rush, but didn’t need a midfield thanks to his sniper-accurate cross-kicks.
• The following players have received the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Month award during the 2024–25 season, as selected by a panel of media commentators, in addition to monthly public polls.
• Russell signed for Bath in the English Premiership for $1 million in 2023.

English Premier League

There is a lot of opportunity for Emoni to excel in the back three for Waikato in 2024, and he looms as probably the most exciting bolter of the whole competition. 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. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists. What was most remarkable was how, despite rotating and changing the team almost weekly, their efficiency remained incredibly high. The Springboks have an established way of playing that continues to yield results. The emergence of young loose forwards like Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight was a huge plus, while the growth of Harry Wilson was impressive.

Italian Rugby’s crown jewel, Capuozzo is the sprinkling of magic dust that takes the Azzurri backline to another level whenever he is fit and firing. Argentina’s captain is a no-nonsense, blue-collar worker who does the dirty work so his teammates can shine. Joining his fellow Irish centers, Henshaw is a hybrid of Aki and Ringrose, with the ability to slot into both the 12 and 13 shirts seamlessly.

Despite representing England at age group level, Arron Reed will make his debut for Scotland at the upcoming Six Nations. The Sale Sharks winger had reportedly garnered the interest of Steve Borthwick before being snapped up by Gregor Townsend. Emmanuel Meafou will be looking to make a statement at the 2024 Six Nations. Standing at 6 foot 8 and weighing 145 kg, this commanding lock is a firm favourite amongst Toulouse fans. At just 20 years old, Cunningham-South is already forging a fierce reputation.

He was once a good footballer who could play in the halves and slowly he turned himself into what he is now, which is a great half. He could have performed well in that role that way for the rest of his career and reaped plenty of spoils from it. Cameron Munster was a fullback during the years Slater lost to injury, until Slater got healthy again and Munster had to play somewhere, so he went into five-eighth as well and now he’s one of the best of his era. 16 – Ryan Elias – 5Hit first jumper but missed his most important throw when Wales had to chase the game.