Rugby World UK – July 2019

100 Best Players

3

MAKO

VUNIPOLA

53

Age 28 (14 January 1991) Position Prop

N

EWS THAT a torn hamstring

would compromise his

World Cup preparations

sent tremors through the

England camp. The loosehead’s

prodigious work-rate – as a carrier

and tackler – makes him the world’s

leading prop when supplemented by

his growing authority as a scrummager.

We named him at No 27 in our previous

‘best players’ list but his remorseless

physicality has since gone up a notch.

Against Cardiff Blues in December, he

marked his first outing for two months

with eight gain-line successes, a 100%

tackle success, three defenders beaten

and a broken nose – “It was bent

anyway,” he quipped. It was a typically

robust performance, and one that he

was to repeat in England’s superb win

in Dublin at the start of the Six Nations.

Basic stats fail to convey the bruising

dominance he brings to collisions. Nor

should his jackling skills be overlooked,

Saracens sometimes deploying him just

behind the defensive line close to the

ruck where he’s ready to pounce for

a turnover following the tackle.

The double Lion collects Man of the

Match awards like others collect trinkets

and after another of those, in last year’s

Premiership final, Alex Goode spoke for

his appreciative Saracens team-mates.

“The involvement Mako has, and for

them all to be so positive – carries, hits,

decision-making – is brilliant. He’s a

massive leader for us. He’s a joy to

play with – a brilliant, brilliant player.”

Age 28 (27.5.91) Position Fly-half
Save for the occasional reminder of
his game-breaking genius, Barrett has
not been at his imperious best of late.
You wouldn’t say his aura is slipping –
as soon as the words were out of your
mouth, he’d be liable to produce an
awesome display – but he’s been
finding it harder to impose himself on
defences that usually bend to his will.
Yet he earned his deserved reputation
as one of the greatest tens of all time
on the back of freakish moments when
he conjured something out of nothing

• and he hasn’t lost that knack. For
  his extraordinary speed, his hands and
  kicking wizardry, and his ability to run
  a back-line, he is still unsurpassed.
  Would it be a surprise if he inspired
  New Zealand to a third straight World
  Cup in the autumn? No. That’s what
  wondrous players can do. Barrett is
  only 28 and has many fine years ahead
  of him. There’s uncertainty about what
  he does after Japan – home comforts
  or wanderlust? Wherever he ends up,
  we’ll be fascinated by him.
  Pro Insight: P 89

2 BEAUDEN BARRETT
73