Rugby union, known for its passionate debates, often sees heated discussions when the topic of overrated players arises.
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Selecting an XV of overrated players from the sport’s rich history is no easy task, given the vast number of athletes who have graced the field.
An interesting dilemma also emerges: Can a good player be considered overrated?
The answer appears to be yes. If the general consensus holds a player in higher regard than their actual performance merits, they are deemed overrated.
While opinions on overrated players can vary widely, here’s a suggested overrated rugby XV, as compiled by users on Reddit.
Most Overrated XV:
15 Johan Goosen (South Africa)
“He was supposed to be the next big thing for Springbok rugby, and now he’s barely remembered.”
14 George North (Wales)
“Is the most overrated player of this generation, when was the last time he had a good game that wasn’t against Italy?”
13 Manu Tuilagi (England)
“Beside the word ‘overvalued’ in the dictionary, there should probably be a picture of Mr Manu Tuilagi.”
12 Gavin Henson (Wales)
“One kick and one big tackle and everyone thought he was the bee’s knees for the next few years. To be honest, he was as useful as a fish with wings.”
11 Chris Ashton (England)
“That man lived off his ‘solo’ try against Australia and managed to get in the England team every time. He couldn’t tackle a crossword! Lacks creativity and only works running a line of a short pass from No 10. Overrated definitely!”
10 Danny Cipriani (England)
“I think compared to normal players he’s pretty decent. But, we’re talking about being overrated, and Danny has been constantly touted by the media as the next big thing and he has definitely not lived up to that mantle.”
9 Ben Youngs (England)
“He is the most overrated English scrumhalf ever and isn’t in the top-four scrumhalves in England, let alone the world.”
8 Sergio Parisse (Italy)
“Going to be controversial but Sergio Parisse. Sure he had fantastic skills but he was a show pony and not a work horse and people often overlooked this. He looked fantastic for Italy but that was because he was allowed to do all the flashy stuff but was mediocre in other areas.”
7 Sebastien Chabal (France)
“Talented athlete who put in the odd big tackle but when push came to shove he always seemed to wilt away from the physical side of the game.
6 Peter O’Mahony (Ireland)
“He tends to have a massive game just when he/his team needs it, and then go back to anonymity for a while.”
5 Will Skelton (Australia)
“Physical specimen almost without peer but couldn’t seem to produce regular performances matching his size. Didn’t seem to put enough work in and eventually faded away.”
4 Richie Gray (Scotland)
“He is just massive, there are much-better second rowers out there, he just gets PRd much more effectively.
3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy)
“Sure he had nice hair and liked dogs, but I’ve seen better-skilled props down at my local rugby club.”
2 Dylan Hartley (England)
“Outside of the England dressing room, I guess he was never massively rated but [Eddie] Jones, specifically, loved him. I never saw him as international quality and more of a liability than anything else.”
1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales)
“Played for far too long. Was nowhere near international [standard] in the last few years yet still always got picked.”
Referee and Exeter Chiefs forward are two of the sports trailblazers after coming out
For LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Premiership referee Craig Maxwell-Keys speaks about his experience coming out, and the acceptance and celebration of it within rugby
Maxwell-Keys, who took charge of the 2020 Gallagher Premiership final, eventually decided the time was right to reveal his sexuality to colleagues at Twickenham as well as his local club, Lichfield RFC in 2019.
Now based in Cheltenham, he aims to continue moving up the referees’ pecking order – and his experiences since coming out have indicated that sexuality will be no barrier to that.
He said: “My experience of being part of the LGBTQ+ community in rugby has been and remains a really positive one. Players within the game actively went out of their way to be positive and offer words of support when I came out.
“Very little changed for me post coming out which reflects the inclusive environment that exists within even the top levels of the game across the clubs, officials, and supporters.
“Rugby can continue to build on the work it has done in advocating inclusivity and being true to its values. This includes supporting foundation work in communities, having safe LGBTQ+ spaces at games and equally taking bold action where members of the sport do not live up to the inclusive and game for all values the sport has.”
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Maxwell-Keys added: “To be a good ally in the sports world, you must both celebrate success of those from the LGBTQ+ community, but also actively call out individuals/ teams where needed because their action/words fall sort of what the games and its values expect.”