Rugby's Top 100: 70-61

The Top 100 returns again this week for another edition, this time counting down numbers 70 to 61 after concluding last week with Irish Eight Man Jamie Heaslip.

70 – Juan Manuel Leguizamon (ARG) – Number Eight/Flanker
Leguizamon is surely one of the most underrated players in world rugby. Having debuted back in 2005, the Argentine loose forward has been all class for nearly a decade, and one would have a hard time trying to locate any part of his game that he is weak in.

Physically, he combines explosive speed and power to both his offensive and defensive skills, meaning he thrives either in contact or out wide. Add to this his utility value in being able to play any position in the back row with a degree of class and it becomes clear just how good the man really is

Since the rugby championship formed in 2012, Leguizamon has been one of the best forwards on display, and has contributed greatly to an Argentine pack among the most fearsome in world rugby. Although the traditional gameplan of the Pumas involves using their loose forwards in close to the ruck on offence, in Leguizamon they have a player that can adapt to either a loose or tight role depending on what style they wish to play, symbolising adaptability. This is something that becomes invaluable when injuries force personnel based changes to be made, especially at late stages in tournaments.

A player that can do it all and do it well, one of Argentina’s greatest ever players looks to have enough left in his legs to make an impact in the Rugby World Cup.

69 – Quade Cooper (AUS) – Fly Half
Is he or isn’t he? One of the most asked questions in Australian rugby recently, with many a rumour circulating over whether the 2011 Super Rugby winner will pack his bags for Toulon next year or stay based in Australia after the World Cup. However, his off-field dilemma should do little to detract from his on-field skills, where the progress he has made from the erratic, error-strewn Cooper that was on show before 2013 should not be understated.

Returning from his second long-term injury since 2011, the Reds pivot looks to be a more mature player, remaining calmer on the field in the clutch games while not losing any of the spark that originally caught the eye of the national selectors. His form in the 2013 autumn internationals was brilliant, and he finally looked to have turned a corner before the injury struck.

Returning this year, he was terrific against the force in Perth, and if the Wallabies could emulate the work of the Reds tight five that night, then given their already potent back division, Rugby World Cup 2015 could be Cooper’s time to shine, and vengeance for his ill-fated 2011 campaign.

Immense improvement in defence has been noticeable too, and if he is able to retain that mental calm in pressure moments, then anything is possible for the man who based on pure skill and ability, is among the very best there is.

68 – Fourie Du Preez (RSA) – Scrum Half
In 2009, under the new ELV’s that essentially prompted the use of kick-based offensive tactics, the Springboks were on top of the world. These tactics necessitated the use of immense physicality, ultimately translating to breakdown and set piece dominance in order to out-muscle and grind down the resistance of opposition sides.

Therefore, renewed stress was placed on the halfback to direct play to the right parts of the field, and there was no-one who could accomplish this better than Fourie Du-Preez. One of the best sniping number nines there has been, Du Preez’s skillset both from the base of the ruck and in open play were peerless, and he was an enormous reason the Springboks were so dominant during this period.

Although times – and the rules – have changed, Du Preez has shown he can play the more running-based game Heyneke Meyer prefers, and it is little surprise the Springboks look their best while he is marshaling the troops. Experience wise, there are very few halfbacks who boast the same number of caps or successes as he does, and this would make a perfect blend with a flyhalf who has only a year of international rugby under his belt.

Three Super Rugby titles, a tri-nations victory, and the illustrious World Cup victory, despite being 33, he looks to have at least one big year left in him, and there is no reason he cannot wind back the clock a few years with his play at the Rugby World Cup.

67 – James Slipper (AUS) – Loosehead Prop
Shock horror, a member of the Australian tight five in the top 100, an area long considered their Achilles heel. Slipper though is a cut above, and has earned his place on the list, combining a mixture of open field prowess, defensive steel and set piece presence to stake his claim as one the best Australia has to offer.

A 2011 Super Rugby victory while playing at tighthead emphasized his adaptable nature, producing a powerful effort against a much vaunted Crusaders scrum to lay a platform for the Reds inaugural title. However, perhaps the best aspect of his game is the leadership qualities that have rapidly emerged upon receiving the Wallabies vice-captaincy last year, where his performances and subsequently his form were terrific.

Although the Reds 2015 campaign was certainly not what Slipper would have wanted, his own personal form remained at a high standard throughout the year. Captains who are able to lead by action rather than words are a rare commodity at the top level, and his ability to play either side of the scrum must surely be taken into consideration with the rise and rise of young Brumbies pillar Scott Sio.

Sure to feature later in year, Slipper will be out to prove the doubters wrong, and establish Australia as one of, if not the premier rugby nation at the Rugby World Cup.

66 – Bryan Habana (RSA) – Wing
He might not be able to outrace a Cheetah, but there still may not be anyone in international rugby who can. For nearly 11 years since his debut in 2004 against England, Habana has torched many a player down the left hand side, scoring 57 tries in the green and gold and causing plenty of defensive headaches in the process.

Raw pace is not considered to be all important for wingers, but when held in combination with startling agility, great ball skills, and deceptive strength, it certainly has its place within the game. With 12 years experience, Habana is also well-rounded off the ball, remaining skillful in the air, and capable of run-stopping defence when play comes his way.

Now at age 33, there are questions being asked as to whether Habana is up to the rigours of Test rugby, given the propensity for speed to diminish as time goes on. However, a spectacular double against the All Blacks in 2013, and getting the better of Ben Smith in 2014 would suggest Habana is not quite done yet, and like Du Preez, could have enough left to help South Africa claim their third World Championship crown.

65 – Joe Launchbury (ENG) – Lock
Say what you will about the English rugby union, whether in regard to the questionable behaviour of their players or recent results, but never doubt their ability to get the best out of their players. Since Stuart Lancaster took over in 2012, despite on-field showings perhaps not reflecting this, the number of young players who have made seemingly effortless transitions to the top level has been astounding, with 24 year old Joe Launchbury yet another player that has shown enough promise to suggest he could be around for close to a decade.

Making his starting debut against Australia in 2012 at only 22, Launchbury epitomised the classic old school type lock; a hard grafter in the tight, a solid lineout technician, a tackling machine and able to make valuable metres on the run. However, England’s epic demolition of a full strength All Blacks side a week later was where Launchbury really showed his class, dominating the much-vaunted New Zealand tight five and laying the platform for the fabled victory.

His combination with fellow lock Courtney Lawes provides a perfect balance of power in the tight, and offensive and defensive sting, something that has been evident throughout the past two Six Nations tournaments and Autumn International series.

Now 24 years of age and with two years experience to boot, Rugby World Cup 2015 shapes to be the perfect opportunity for the challenge loving Lauchbury to stake a claim as one of the world’s premier locks, in conjunction with an England side that could be the surprise package this summer.

64 – Rob Kearney (IRE) – Fullback
Now a veteran of seven stellar seasons in the Shamrock Crest, despite creeping closer and closer to thirty years of age, Rob Kearney’s stock has never been higher. Since his 2008 debut, and breakout year in 2009, Kearney has continued to grow both as a player and leader for the Irish, now providing vital experience and calm amidst a fresh-faced backline.

With Brian O’Driscoll’s retirement after Ireland’s triumphant 2014 Six Nations campaign, many believed the loss of such a glorified figure would result in a dip in form for the side, who had relied on the magical centre for nearly 15 years. However, with the emergence of star replacement Robbie Henshaw and former Blues and Crusaders man Jared Payne, the calming influence of Kearney cannot be understated in assisting the top up-and-comers to settle into the rigorous environment of Test rugby.

Having been voted European Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2012, the fullback has also demonstrated that his place in the squad is not solely due to experience, possessing marvelous instincts on offence, and showing numerous times he is arguably the premier defensive fullback in the world.

One would think that Rugby World Cup will not be Kearney’s last big stint in the green jersey, but the character of the man would make it a necessity to play like it is. Kearney has shone at this level before, and it would be unwise to expect anything different come Rugby World Cup.

63 – Marcell Coetzee (RSA) – Flanker
Young Sharks flanker Coetzee has come on in leaps and bounds over the last three years. From relative anonymity to Springbok starter in only a short time-frame is no mean feat, given the abundance of rich loose forward talent the Republic has at their disposal.

The 24-year-old Coetzee follows in a long line of tough as nails South African flankers, possessing bone-crunching defence, strength over the ball, and all-round physicality. A slick offloading game however is a subtle feature that makes him unique, ultimately creating a threat that can be utilised in conjunction with the outside backs to free up space out wide, or in the halves channel.

Although the Springboks prior selections have indicated that they prefer to have two bruising back rowers along with only one fetcher, the aforementioned physicality of the Sharks man raises the question of whether he could work well in tandem with another similar player, like that of Francois Louw.

Regardless of Meyer’s starting selection, Coetzee’s presence will be evident regardless at the Rugby World Cup, as a player of this calibre rarely does not get given an opportunity to make an impact. One to watch.

62 – Mamuka Gorgodze (GEO) – Flanker
In the Rugby World Cup 2011 Georgian bruiser Gorgodze thoroughly made a name for himself with a string of powerful displays. Despite playing in a Georgian side who only recorded one victory during the tournament, this never slowed the rampaging Gorgodze who made more than one first tier player look second rate.

With two man-of-the-match performances against Romania and England, it was in the latter that he really impressed, easily contemptuously outplaying the English back row, and recording close to 140 run metres, an incredible number for a loose forward in any case, especially when targeted as the main forward offensive threat.

The domestic scene earlier in the year was no different, where the phenomenal form of Gorgodze was a major factor in Montpellier finishing runners up in the 2010-11 season, with the Georgian colossus described at the time as being “the best foreigner in the league” by French newspaper L’Equipe. The past two years has seen him in the Red and Black of Toulon, and the powerful French side has now won the European title a record three times in a row.

One of the most damaging ball runners playing the game, the Georgian side has come into its own in the past few years, and with the help of their greatest player, Rugby World Cup 2015 shapes as the perfect opportunity to shake the minnows tag and make the step up into the top tier of international sides.

61 – Nicolas Sanchez (ARG) – Flyhalf
The second Argentian and Toulon based player to come in on this week’s installment, flyhald Nicolas Sanchez, like fellow Puma Leguizamon, is one of the most unheralded players in the modern game. With a laser like boot, and an eye for the gap, Sanchez has been instrumental in Pumas rise since the 2011 World Cup.

Having gradually evolved and adapted his game like all great flyhalfs inevitably do, he has developed reliable defence and confidence within his game to unlock the at times devastating backline outside him. Confidence levels have the potential to make or break a career for a play caller in any sport, and his commanding presence on the field would suggest Sanchez has plenty of it, with a top scoring 54 points in the 2014 Rugby Championship an embodiment of this nature.

In the win against the Wallabies in Mendoza and France in Paris, Sanchez was the hero, kicking goals from everywhere and in the latter demonstrating his quick thinking and decisiveness to slot three drop goals in a hard fought affair when tries were evidently hard to come by. Although field goals are not a fan favourite, it is the principle of a player backing himself to take the game in his hands that appeals the most, and it would be naïve to submit that this will not be apparent in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, given the history of games being decided by mere inches.

They don’t come much better that Sanchez, and if the Argentine pack is able to gain a platform, his uncompromising and accurate nature could well carry them into the history books.

That concludes another edition of the Top 100, which will reach its halfway point with the fifth installment next week, beginning with a clutch European player who has filled some of the biggest boots in world rugby with aplomb.