2021 promises to be a huge year for rugby as the best players in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and South Africa get ready to go head-to-head on the Lions Tour, while Australia and New Zealand will be desperate to show off their skills after the Autumn internationals were cancelled last year. Below we are going to take a look at some of the best international players that rugby fans need to keep a close eye on this year.
Owen Farrell
Farrell is like marmite, you either love him or you hate him. However, regardless of what your opinion of him as a person might be, there is no denying that he is a quality player. He has now become a pivotal part of the England team as well as Saracens. When he is on the rugby field, he never takes a step backwards and his fearlessness is passed off onto his teammates. Who can forget the grin on his face in the 2019 World Cup semi-final when the All Blacks were performing the Haka? Many called him arrogant and disrespectful, but he backed it up with a stellar performance to help send England to the final. When it comes to kicking penalties, England have not had someone who is so reliable since Jonny Wilkinson. When he first came into the England setup, many wondered whether he should be playing at fly-half, but we believe he answered his critics emphatically. We think it is safe to assume that Farrell will be joining North on that plane to South Africa.
The Lions series against the World Champions is one that is bound to be full of entertainment, but you can make it even more entertaining by betting on it. Obviously, in order to do this, you need to have an account with some rugby betting sites. When betting on rugby you can bet on a variety of markets that add plenty of entertainment such as the match winner, the number of points scored in a game, the series score, the top points scorer, and so on. When it comes to the top points scorer market, we would be tempted to bet on Farrell, as he is sure to be on kicking duty for the Lions.
Beauden Barrett
When international rugby teams are getting ready to face the All Blacks one of their major concerns is how they can prevent Barret from pulling the strings. The 29-year-old is outstanding every time he puts on the All Blacks shirt and he is now one of their most important players. He currently averages a try every 2.5 international matches, which is a great feat when you consider some of the great players that he plays alongside. You are not named World Player of the Year twice if you are not something special. When Barrett plays to his full capabilities, there are not many teams that can live with him.
Maro Itoje
It is not an exaggeration to say that Itoje is now one of the best locks in the rugby world. There is one thing that he loves to do and that is steal opposition ball – once he gets over a player and gets his hand on the ball, he is impossible to shift and wins England plenty of penalties. In fact, he won the penalty that Farrell kicked to win England the Autumn Cup. Itoje was part of the Lions team in 2017, and he will definitely be selected for the Lions squad to face South Africa.
Aaron Smith
New Zealand are blessed with talented players all over the park, and one of these is Smith. As scrum-half, he is one of the players that keeps the All Blacks ticking, and there is not another scrum-half in world rugby that is as good at tactical battles as Smith. He just knows instinctively when to kick, when to chase, and when to play the ball wide. He will pass 100 caps for the All Blacks at some stage this year.
Antoine Dupont
If there is a player out there that has what it takes to rival Smith, then it is Dupont. France's young scrum-half had an amazing 2020 6 Nations (he was rightfully named as the best player in the tournament) and he was also integral in helping France reach the final of the Autumn Cup, which they narrowly lost to England. He can unpick a lock that not many other international players can pick. France are already thinking about the World Cup that they will host in 2023 and Dupont will be a pivotal part of their team.
Pieter-Steph Du Toit
In 2019, he was voted as the Player of the Year, but his consistency and ability at turning the ball over has earned him a lot of plaudits all throughout his career. He has the amazing ability of clearing out ruck after ruck and then leave the field at the end of the game like he has just been having a stroll in the park. He will be one player that the British and Irish Lions will have to be very wary of if they are to come away from South Africa with a series victory. He was part of the South Africa team that lifted the World Cup in 2019 and he made more tackles than any teammate.
Cheslin Kolbe
Kolbe was not able to show the international rugby world his skills in 2020 thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, but he should still be considered one of the best players around at the moment. He scored in the final of the 2019 World Cup against England and had it not been for an injury that kept him out of some earlier games, he would definitely have made it into the team of the tournament. What makes him so tricky to defend against is the fact that he has mastered the side-step and has dazzling feet. When he is playing at the top of his game, you will not be able to take your eyes off him.
