The Top 100 returns this week with the eighth instalment in the series, as the top 30 players in the world begin to be unveiled after concluding last week with Fijian pivot Niko Matawalu.

30. Wesley Fofana (FRA) – Centre
As mentioned in prior weeks, given the string of recent results which characterise their turbulent nature, consistency and French rugby are words that do not often go in the same sentence.

However, like most top tier teams, there are always a few outstanding individuals who seem to buck that inconsistent trend, and Wesley Fofana is one of the prime examples of a player who, regardless of the performance of his team as a whole, almost always brings his A game to the table.

Since 2012, Fofana has been a rock for Les Bleus, possessing marvellous instincts on offence and a powerful defensive game that is evident almost every time he dons the blue jersey. This is no mean feat for a back, given the typical nature of backline play behind a pack that is unable to gain parity up front. Fofana is somehow able to make it work, however, often enjoying his best performances in the games that his side are seemingly unable to put two phases together.

With three strong Six Nations campaigns to boot, the 27-year-old Clermont man is in the prime of his career, and all signs point towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup as the perfect time to stake his place among the greats. Given his strong history, one would think the performances of his side as a whole would do little to deter his class.

29. Juan Martin Fernandez-Lobbe (ARG) – Flanker
The talisman of Los Pumas for the past three years, Fernandez-Lobbe has been a rock of leadership, class and courageousness for a young Argentine side that has shown its class in patches since its introduction to the Rugby Championship in 2012.

For over a decade the jackal-like abilities of the Toulon-based flanker have been on display to the rugby world, and he will surely go down as one of the best Argentine players there has been when he finally hangs up his boots.

In the meantime, however, he is still one of the premier players in the game, possessing all the characteristics one could want from a loose forward along with already noted leadership capability. Playing a more skill-based game than pure physicality, Fernandez-Lobbe is the perfect match for a Pumas pack which showcases the latter, creating a good blend of both attributes that has troubled the world’s best sides.

Now 33, his experience and prowess will be vital for the Pumas in October, as the signs are there that they could be a force at the pinnacle of world rugby.

28. Louis Picamoles (FRA) – Number Eight
Speaking of rare French consistency, Fofana is not the only Frenchman that can be classed as one of the world’s premier players. This may appear a contentious decision to many given his lack of form over the year of 2014, but at his best one would struggle to find many forwards as physical as the Toulouse based bruiser.

It is difficult to find a definitive place for Picamoles on this list, given that from the date of his debut in 2008 he has endured many setbacks in a career that has shown glimpses of possessing the potential to be one of the most memorable in French rugby history. World class ever since that 26-21 point victory over Ireland, for the first three years Picamoles was rightly positioned behind the legendary Imanol Harinordoquy in the national pecking order, despite being outstanding every time he took the field.

In 2012 and 2013, however, he was finally given his shot, delivering the calibre of play that ranked him at least among, if not the best eighth men in world rugby. He presented all the prototypical loose forward dimensions to his game; lineout prowess, rampaging ball carrying and crunching defensive combined with the on-field intelligence to ensure he was able to utilise his admirable skills in the best possible manner.

As mentioned, however, 2014 was not a memorable year for the Frenchman, with a slide in form warranting a lack of game time for the national team. But with that now in the past, and his 2015 Top 14 season showcasing him at his rampant best, his brilliant skill set is too good to ignore for this list.

27. Marcos Ayerza (ARG) – Loosehead Prop
Possibly the most unheralded player in the game, Pumas prop Ayerza has been in glowing form in recent seasons. Put simply, there is no finer scrummager in the world, and when his unbelievable strength is on show it comes as little surprise that the Pumas do so well.

Last season, he not only bested the South African and New Zealand front rows, he demolished them as the Pumas firmly established themselves as the most physical pack there is. In the preceding domestic season he was no different, earning plaudits from a wide variety of experts and analysts as the Leicester pack seemed near unstoppable at times.

Aside from his set piece prowess, Ayerza is also very mobile, with his carries often moving into the double digits under an Argentine gameplan that places significant emphasis on centre field pick and drives. Defence is often no different, with many a hit laid on any opposing forward runners game enough to come down his channel, an attribute he is remarkably able to keep up for the full 80 minutes, something not often seen in a front rower.

The top rated prop on the Top 100, Ayerza can do it all, and will be crucial to Argentina’s chances in the Rugby World Cup later this year, a tournament that tends to favour close quarter rugby.

26. Michael Hooper (AUS) – Flanker
Since his emergence in 2012, the rise and rise of the former Brumbies and now Waratahs flanker has been one of the best stories to come out of Australian sport. In Hooper, the Wallabies have uncovered a diamond amidst a rocky period that has seen them headed by three coaches in little under two years.

An electric turn of pace, near immovable over the ball and devastating defence that even saw Julian Savea come off second best, Hooper has all the skills of a player that is capable of featuring in the green and gold for perhaps a decade to come. Adding to his phenomenal repertoire are leadership qualities that have clearly had an influence on teams he plays for, with the Waratahs winning a maiden Super Rugby title and the Wallabies a clean sweep of the French earlier in the year.

To accomplish these feats at only 22 – a year younger than Richie McCaw when he first took the reins at the All Blacks in 2004 – is nothing short of astonishing, and he is sure to feature prominently this year for the Wallabies at the 2015 World Cup. There is little more that needs to said about a player who has greatness written all over him.

25. Sam Warburton (WAL) – Flanker
It the wake of his memorable error in the World Cup semi-final to put Vincent Clerc on his head, it is easy to forget that had such a lapse of judgement not occurred, Warburton would most likely have led the Welsh Dragons to their first ever World Cup final.

When young players are thrust the captaincy at a young age, their response is often one of two extremes. The first would see them falter under the pressure, causing their team as well as their own personal performance to drop as a lack of experience begins to tell. The second, however, would see the very opposite, with the player stepping into a leadership position with aplomb, providing much needed direction and leadership that immediately characterises them as a player who delivers his best on the grandest of occasions.

When Warren Gatland threw Warburton the sheriff’s badge in 2011 before the largest of events, he would have known that either reality was an alarmingly real possibility for his side, and such a stunt had the capability to backfire badly. However, his faith turned out to be well invested, and in Warburton the Welsh have a captain that epitomises the old cliché that leading by example is the best method there is, achieving a grand slam in 2012 and another Six Nations title the year after.

Individually, Warburton is terrific over the ball and a menace on defence, which showcases his terrific stamina and brilliant acceleration, meaning he is a thorn in the side of any teams he happens to oppose. After a loss against England first up, the Welsh won four games on the trot, and enter the 2015 World Cup knowing that they are well capable of taking the spoils. Now with four years’ experience under his belt as skipper, expect Warburton to be at the fore of all of Wales’ on-field endeavours.

24. Jerome Kaino (NZL) – Flanker
Had it not been for a typically superhuman performance from Thierry Dusautoir in the final against his side in 2011, Jerome Kaino would have to be considered the undisputed best player at the World Cup in terms of sheer impact. After a number of years where he struggled to find his feet at the top level, Kaino finally came into his own as the All Blacks marched to their first title in 24 years on their home turf.

The most physical blindside flanker in the world, his ability to make metres long after the initial contact, along with game changing defensive prowess, ensures he never fails to make an impact, regardless of whether he starts in his preferred number six jersey or at the base of the scrum should it be required.

So long the benchmark for forward based enforcers, his return to form after what could potentially have been an international career-ending two-year move and return has been so impressive that he has forced the All Black selectors to put aside their preference of fiercely loyal players to represent the country at the highest level.

That is not to say Kaino is not dependable, as his consistency of performance and ever present energy was one of the few bright spots for the Auckland Blues over the past two seasons. Sure to feature prominently later in the year, there is every chance that Kaino could repeat upon his 2011 successes as the All Blacks look to become the first team to make it two in a row at rugby’s premier event.

23. Sam Whitelock (NZL) – Lock
Another player to announce his arrival on the world stage at the 2011 World Cup. Lining up alongside the reigning IRB Player of the Year means much of the work Whitelock does goes unnoticed, which is more than often of the highest quality.

Having developed his game admirably over the past five years, the 26-year-old Canterbury and Crusaders man has moulded himself into the industrious old-school lock who makes the hard yards and sets the platform for the pretty boys to steal the limelight.

As any budding student of the game will tell you, without forward parity, even the greatest backs in the world will falter. With Whitelock in the second row that reality very rarely has to be confronted, as his physicality in the contact and powerful engine ensure that front-foot ball is almost always a given.

Aside from open field skills, his lineout jumping is arguably without peer in the modern game, as he almost always fields his own throws as well as disrupting plenty of the opposition’s too. Everything one could want in a lock and more. Hard graft so often goes unnoticed unless it is done consistently and with class, and there are few more who can do it as well as Whitelock, who is sure to excel in his second World Cup later this year. The try against the Reds in Christchurch also warrants a mention. A thing of unbelievable beauty.

22. Francois Louw (RSA) – Flanker
Let’s hope the injury he sustained in the loss to the Wallabies in Brisbane is not too serious, because despite enviable loose forward talent, South Africa are simply unable to replicate the influence the Bath captain has when he is on the field.

Over the past two years, 30-year-old Louw has been among the very best players in the world, displaying remarkable consistency for both club and country that has seen both sides achieve a large degree of success. A brilliant offloading and running game combined with the typically industrious play expected of an openside flanker, ‘Flouw’ is in the prime of his career at an age where most players are beginning to wind down.

An established 80-minute performer in a Springbok side that prides itself on its physicality, his dynamic abilities combined with leadership capability evident during his time as Bath captain means that for a young side his presence cannot be understated, especially so given the pressurised nature of World Cup knockout games.

With Duane Vermeulen and Willem Alberts, the Springboks possess one of the most balanced loose forward trios in the game, with all three brilliant both in tandem and as individuals. However, one gets the feeling that a player of Louw’s calibre does not need much in the way of assistance, and he will surely be a major weapon for South Africa as they chase their third World Cup title.

21. Tevita Kuridrani (AUS) – Centre
Since debuting in 2013, where the Wallabies were put to the sword twice by the All Blacks, the speed in which Kuridrani has adapted to the Test arena is simply astonishing. A win over the British and Irish Lions in 2013 marked his class and big game temperament, and he moved through the first year of his international career as a player who possessed much untapped potential, but was yet to uncover it.

However, the back end of the 2014 Rugby Championship and a storming end of year tour saw him rapidly progress from a relative Test rookie to a world class outside centre indispensable to his side’s cause. Capable of busting tackles at will, and often showcasing the defensive reads that are vital for an outside centre, Kuridrani is dangerous on both sides of the ball, with his pairing with fellow Brumby Matt Toomua a match that has shown glimpses of becoming a mainstay in a young Australian side.

It is worth noting too that Kuridrani’s try scoring prowess is among the best in the world, with his strike rate close to one every two matches since his breakout Rugby Championship campaign last year. Another player who is a lock for the World Cup later in the year, much of the Wallabies’ success will revolve around how they utilise the big Fijian, as he is without doubt one of their premier offensive and defensive weapons in a side bristling with talent.

That concludes this week’s edition of the Top 100, which will return next week with the penultimate edition, beginning with a fullback who is arguably the most well rounded in the modern game.