3. Ardie Savea (New Zealand and Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
We turn our attention towards the the man recognised by World Rugby as the best in the world, as New Zealand number eight Ardie Savea is currently enjoying the form of his life. Awarded with the World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year Award the day after the All Blacks took home silver medals from the Rugby World Cup Final, Savea is a natural leader that leads through his actions.
The All Blacks had to call upon Savea to lead at multiple points of their latest Rugby World Cup campaign, as regular captain Sam Cane was side-lined for two very different reasons. The day before New Zealand were set to kick-off their tournament against France to ignite the competition, Cane suffered a back injury in the All Blacks captain’s run and was forced to withdraw. Savea also took the lead when Cane was sent off in the Rugby World Cup Final, which was the first time a red card had been brandished with the Web Ellis trophy on the line.
Savea’s actions were recognised in his aforementioned personal accolade, and the back-row has since gone on to take the Japan Rugby League One by storm. The eight-man headed off to the Kobe Steelers after the Rugby World Cup return, and has found a new lease on life, which has freshened up his game after over a decade with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.
If we thought Savea was dangerous enough, it is going to be exciting to see how he has elevated his game under former Australian head coach Dave Rennie. Savea’s mentality and willingness to improve makes him an ever-changing threat, that could cause a lot of problems for Steve Borthwick’s England over the coming weeks.
4. Damian McKenzie (New Zealand and Gallagher Chiefs)
We keep with the All Blacks for our fourth entry onto this list, as Damian McKenzie has taken his Chiefs to new heights throughout the latest Super Rugby Pacific season. McKenzie was instrumental in the Chiefs campaign, which saw the Hamilton based side finish runners-up in the Final. Versatile across both fullback and fly half, McKenzie’s adaptability to share the 15 and 10 jerseys with Beauden Barrett, makes him an essential cog for Scott Robertson’s new side, that could well be without Richie Mo’unga for the fixtures against England.
Robertson looks set to forego any Richie Mo’unga involvement, as his former Crusaders linchpin has signed a multi-year deal with Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus, as well as the speculation in the halfback pursuing a Test match career with Tonga. It has been reported that the All Blacks negotiation team are trying to bring Mo’unga back to New Zealand, but in the meantime Damian McKenzie is a more than capable stand in at first receiver.
McKenzie bossed the back-line from fly half this past season, with try scoring contributions against the Brumbies and Western Force. McKenzie’s metronomic kicking from the tee is accompanied by his trademark grin, and the sharpshooter accrued a total of 177 points in just 15 Super Rugby matches. With an explosive change of gear and the ability to step past opposition defenders in a phone box, McKenzie brings an exciting element to the All Blacks back-line that erupts when he gets the ball in hand.
Capeable of making a spark out of nothing, the Chiefs man has been tearing up the domestic competition and is only looking to press on to the international stage. With Mo’unga expectedly out of the picture for the two fixtures against England, McKenzie is eyeing up a golden opportunity to stake a claim for either the 10 or 15 jersey, depending on how Scott Robertson deploys the equally versatile Beauden Barrett throughout his back-line.