It is worrying that there are no South African players in this "team".Newbies of the Year
15 Freddie Steward (England and Leicester Tigers): Right from his time in age-grade rugby, the Leicester Tiger looked like he had the tools required to play Test rugby. Superb under the high ball – the best since Israel Folau – and with a massive boot, Steward is just suited to the highest level. He is also a smart rugby player, takes good lines and has enough pace to be a threat on the counter-attack. As a result, the 21-year-old shone for Leicester and then took that form into the international arena, helping England to an unbeaten Autumn Nations Series.
14 Louis Lynagh (Harlequins): Another young English prospect to impress in 2021, although he has yet to make his Red Rose debut and could potentially play for either Italy or Australia, Lynagh helped Quins to an incredible Premiership triumph. Fellow English back three player Tommy Freeman also had a standout year but the Harlequin was simply exceptional, particularly towards the end of the 2020/21 season. He scored in the remarkable comeback victory over Bristol Bears in the semi-final before touching down twice in the final 10 minutes of the showpiece event against Exeter Chiefs.
13 Josh Flook (Reds): A hugely promising centre, Flook made his franchise debut as an 18-year-old in 2020, but it was this year where he really broke through. The talented back became a key part of their squad and started the Super Rugby AU final as they secured a last minute victory over the Brumbies. Tommaso Menoncello was very close, however, after impressing for Italy in the U20 Six Nations and for Benetton during the current United Rugby Championship campaign.
12 Tani Vili (Clermont Auvergne): A powerful centre, Vili has become a key part of the Clermont side and also toured Australia with France during the July trip, although he is yet to make his debut for Les Bleus. The 21-year-old is a big ball-carrier and takes superb lines but there is more to his game as he showed in setting up Damian Penaud with a deft kick against Ulster. Cameron Redpath is another young centre that looks destined for a long career but, after a superb Scotland debut in the Six Nations win over England, he spent much of the year injured.
11 Rufus McLean (Scotland and Glasgow Warriors): Talking of talented young Scots, McLean has already made his mark for both Glasgow and the national team. The wing is lightning quick and has scored several stunning individual tries. He went over twice on debut against Tonga, both of which were superbly taken as he edges out talented French duo Matthis Lebel and Nelson Epee.
10 Leonardo Marin (Benetton): There really is plenty of talent starting to come through in Italy and Marin is another one following a good year for both the U20 side and Benetton. Marin has a solid all-round game but arguably his best facet is his calmness under pressure. Twice in the United Rugby Championship the fly-half has kicked match-winning three-pointers with the clock in the red. Jack Crowley, Orlando Bailey and Fin Smith all had their moments during 2021 but Marin deservedly takes his place in the XV.
9 Raffi Quirke (England and Sale Sharks): Another position which had plenty of nominations but ultimately the Sale player was a clear winner after making a superb start to his Test career. Quirke missed the Tonga match because of a minor injury but made his debut off the bench against Australia and then made a try-scoring impact in the 27-26 victory over South Africa. He has also performed superbly for the Sharks in the Premiership, deputising for the injured Faf de Klerk excellently this season and takes the slot over Jamie Dobie, Jaden Hendrikse and Jack van Poortvliet.
8 Gavin Coombes (Munster and Ireland): This was a tough one as anyone of Evan Roos, Munster team-mate Daniel Okeke or Jack Clement could have taken this slot but we’ve settled on Coombes, who has done brilliantly at the base of the scrum for Munster. Coombes is an abrasive player, who is strong in the lineouts, adept on attack and defence and he has thrived since coming into Munster’s senior team in 2018. He was rewarded with a call-up to Ireland’s Test team earlier this year and made his debut against Japan in July.
7 Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors): The 21-year-old has hit the ground running since joining Glasgow Warriors from Edinburgh during the PRO14 Rainbow Cup and his superb form earned him a call-up to Scotland’s squad for their recent Autumn Nations Series campaign, although he did not feature in any of his country’s Tests. Darge’s excellent breakdown work and ball carrying sees him being preferred to Nama Xaba, Taine Basham, Matthis Haddad and Alex Kendellen.
6 George Martin (Leicester Tigers and England): Aged just 20, Martin made his Test debut earlier this year against Ireland as a 19-year-old in the Six Nations. He is a handy option in the lineouts, a strong ball carrier and not afraid to put his body on the line in defence. Those attributes have made him a regular in Leicester’s run-on side and he has played a crucial role in their unbeaten start to the Premiership. Juan Martin Gonzalez and Will Harris also impressed but Martin gets the nod.
5 Josh Lord (Chiefs and New Zealand): Not too many young middle of the lineout second-rowers have come through the ranks in 2021 but Lord is one player who made us sit up and take notice of his capabilities after some fine performances. The 20-year-old made an initial impact with the New Zealand U20 side and played for Taranaki in his country’s National Provincial Championship in 2019 but had to wait until this year before he made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs. His lineout work and superb skill-set earned him a call-up to New Zealand’s squad for their end-of-year tour before making his Test debut against the USA and we expect him to become an All Blacks regular in years to come.
4 Ryan Baird (Leinster and Ireland): Although Baird plays in the second-row, he could easily slot into the back-row as he is a real athlete blessed with plenty of speed, a great skill-set and an astute rugby brain. He also has an eye for the try-line and has already scored some spectacular scores, but it’s not just about crossing the whitewash as he also does well in the lineouts and on defence. All those attributes have already been rewarded with a handful of Ireland Test caps and if he continues on his current trajectory, he should become one of his country’s greats. Ben Carter and Florent Vanverberghe have also impressed.
3 Fletcher Newell (Crusaders): We struggled to find a player for this position as there aren’t many young tightheads catching the eye at the moment and most teams opt for experienced players to anchor their scrums. Harvey Beaton has done well at U20 level for England but we’ve opted for Newell, who has impressed when playing for the Crusaders albeit mostly as a replacement. He is highly rated in New Zealand after also shining for his country at U20 level with his scrummaging particularly impressive.
2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster and Ireland): Weighing in at 110kg and standing at 6’3″, Sheehan’s size is amongst his strengths and he has revelled in using his bulk at close quarters up front. Sheehan is also effective in the wide channels and has already scored 10 tries for Leinster in 18 appearances after making his debut for the Irish province last October. Apart from that, his accurate throw-ins at lineouts and defensive work has also been solid and he gets in ahead of Samisoni Taukei’aho and Ewan Ashman.
1 Thomas Gallo (Benetton and Argentina): This guy is gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting front-rowers in the game. The Puma is strong in the execution of his core duties but is also making a name for himself as a try-scoring prop and has a habit of crossing the whitewash in spectacular fashion. Gallo hit the headlines in 2019 when he scored a superb try at the U20 World Championship and got his name into the record books earlier this year when he became the first prop in the professional era to score two tries on his Test debut – against Australia. Josh Wycherley was next best.
Yes, Roos is mentioned, but there should be more of us. It is an indictment of our rugby.
