Age 29 (6.8.89) Position Flanker
The Ospreys and Wales openside might
be a shy and retiring character in normal
life, but out there in the heat of battle
he’s as eloquent as can be. Tipuric is
simply a ferocious rugby player. A
menace at the breakdown, a key man
in defence, a totem of the Grand Slam
team of 2019. Hard, uncompromising
and very often unstoppable.Age 30 (7.10.88) Position Back-row
As England learnt last year, the Japan
captain is insatiable. Boks legend
Fourie du Preez says: “He gets stuck
in. It’s the Japanese way – you get
stuck in in training, you get stuck in
during the game and you never step
back for anyone.” Leitch merits his
position as the face of RWC 2019.Age 27 (23.1.92) Position Scrum-half
With Aaron Smith for company, the All
Blacks No 9 has started only 13 of his
55 Tests. But he does lead the haka –
magnificently so. Come game time, the
Hurricanes captain dovetails seamlessly
with half-back partner Beauden Barrett.
Perenara’s quick-fire service, game
management and razor-sharp snipes
mean Smith cannot rest on his laurels.Age 33 (26.10.85) Position No 8
Following back surgery in December,
Read took an extended break. So
he could be firing on all cylinders in
Japan, when the NZ captain bids for
his third world crown before retiring
from Test rugby. The marauding
loosie epitomises the hard edge
and rugby nous of Kiwi footballers.Age 25 (11.3.94) Position Fly-half
Until an ankle injury intervened, he
was top point-scorer in this year’s
Super Rugby with 161. His marshalling
of the Bulls back-line, strong defence
and improved tactical kicking over
the past 18 months makes him a vital
cog in the Boks’ World Cup wheel.
After which Pollard joins Montpellier.Age 28 (12.4.91) Position Lock
The quiet man of the England squad
endured a disjointed season, his Wasps
side struggling when he missed three
months through injury. But he’s shown
his enduring class since, consolidating
his position as one of the finest locks in
the northern hemisphere. He regularly
posts tackle counts in the mid- to high
teens and provides set-piece solidity.71 JUSTIN TIPURIC
68 MICHAEL LEITCH 67 TJ PERENARA 66 KIERAN READ
70 HANDRE POLLARD 69 JOE LAUNCHBURY
6459 55 11839 58100
BEST PLAYERS
Age 30 (20.4.89) Position Scrum-half
For nigh on a year, from the 2017 Lions
tour to Ireland’s series win in Australia,
Murray was the best nine on the planet.
French publication Midi Olympique even
named him their World Player of the Year.
His relationship with Johnny Sexton
was critical to Ireland’s success. Murray
with his sniping runs and pinpoint
box-kicks; Sexton with his intuitive game
management and trademark loop. Last
summer, however, Murray picked up
a neck injury that was to linger.
He returned just before the Six Nations
and, with little rugby under his belt, cut a
disconsolate figure in losses to Englandand Wales. Munster’s sobering
defeat by Saracens in the Champions
Cup semi also told of a player struggling
to influence games as he once had.
The flicks, feints and chips weren’t
quite coming off and that’s why Murray
has slipped down RW’s pecking order.
Class is permanent, though, and his
Munster coach Johann van Graan for
one has never lost the faith: “He’s just
incredible. His biggest asset is maybe
his decision-making. He seems to make
them in slow motion and make the right
one time after time.” Murray will be
aiming to work through his dip in form to
hit his peak at the World Cup in Japan.65 CONOR MURRAY
72