The engine room of the scrum and the acrobats of the line-out, the role of the modern day second row brings an integral all-round skillset that ‘locks’ the rest of their team into place.
These titans of the pitch are easy to spot, as they are head and shoulders taller than the rest of the squad, and are built like an all-action skyscraper.
Throughout rugby history, the locks have provided some of the greatest leaders on the pitch. From England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson to the all-time most capped men’s Test match player, Wales and British Lions legend Alun Wyn Jones. The four and five jerseys have been donned by some of the sports’ most fearsome competitors, that put their bodies on the line for their teammates time and again.
The legendary locks are not limited to the Northern Hemisphere, with the likes of New Zealand’s Sam Whitelock bearing the standard of second row success for the All Blacks. John Eales is so highly regarded in Australian rugby folklore, that the Wallabies have bestowed the Best Australian Rugby Player of the Year with the John Eales medal at the end of each season. Eales’ won the Rugby World Cup twice with Australia, and earned himself the nickname ‘Nobody’, because as they say, Nobody’s perfect.
Whilst the legends of past locks forever hold the key to the rugby hall of fame, we have scanned the globe to pick the best five second rows currently plying their trade today. This is a continuation of the World Rugby Top 5 Players Series that was started in 2023, with the lists for props and hookers already live on Ruck.
So, here is a look at the best of rugby’s locks, beginning with a fan favourite for those that support Steve Borthwick’s England team.
1. Maro Itoje (England and Saracens)
To earn yourself a nickname like ‘The Pearl’, you seriously have to be a stand-out talent. Maro Itoje certainly backs up the value of which his monicker holds, as the Saracen commands the respect of his opposition across the globe. Itoje is a revered opponent the world over, with the hard to impress All Blacks hand-picking Itoje as England’s top asset, ahead of the recent two match Test series this past Summer.
‘The Pearl’ began his career as a hidden gem in Camden, but after his initial discovery, Itoje earned himself a scholarship to the regal rugby institution, Harrow School. Itoje impressed all onlookers in his early career and was fast-tracked into the Saracens squad for a senior debut at the age of just 19-years-old. It would not take long for Itoje to earn his first piece of silverware with Sarries, as he collected his first of five Premiership winners medals in 2015, before adding his first of three Champions Cup titles the following season.
Despite his impressive statue and undeniable physical imprint upon the pitch, Itoje’s brain is amongst his best assets. The second row’s rugby knowledge led him to expose a loophole at the break-down, that allowed for players to kick the ball clear from a ruck and disrupt the flow of attack. Such intuition led to World Rugby changing the rule dubbed the ‘Itoje Law’, as in 2017, law 16:4 was added “A player must not kick the ball out of a ruck. Sanction: Penalty kick. The player can only hook it in a backwards motion.”
Itoje has enjoyed a bountiful career of success with Saracens, and carried his winning mentality on to his England appearances. To date, Itoje has played 78 times for his country, dating back to his debut against Italy in the 2016 Guinness Six Nations. Itoje was apart of the new Eddie Jones squad that won the Grand Slam in that very campaign, and he has since added the 2017 and 2020 Six Nations titles, and 2020 Autumn Nations Cup to his ever-growing trophy cabinet. Whilst they are not glistening gold, Itoje’s 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup silver and bronze medals are also commendable accomplishments on the Test match stage.
However, it is argued that Itoje’s finest moments have come in the red of the British & Irish Lions, with the lock hoping to complete the trilogy of tour destinations next Summer in Australia. Amongst the leading contenders to captain Andy Farrell’s squad next year, Itoje exploded onto the touring scene as a 19-year-old in New Zealand, and immediately put the All Blacks on notice in the eventually drawn series. Itoje would go on to be one of the star names of the Lions 2021 tour of South Africa, as he went toe-to-toe with the monstrous Springboks to be named Lions Player of the Series by his teammates and coaching staff.
2. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa and Sharks)
Respected by his teammates and feared by all who face him, there have been few men in rugby history that compel such a formidable presence than that of Eben Etzebeth. The South African titan has clashed with the world’s leading locks time and again, and more often than not, it is Etzebeth who stands tall from the clattering collision. At 6ft 8 there aren’t many in World Rugby that can look down on the Sharks man, who has proven time and again why he deserves to stand at the peak of world rugby’s mountain of locks.
Let’s start off with his most impressive accomplishments, as Etzebeth it’s the proud owner of two Rugby World Cup winners medals. A key member of both the 2019 and 2023 South Africa squads that went ‘bokke to bokke’ as World Champions, Etzebeth took up the number four jersey in the famous green and gold, as South Africa first defeated England in Tokyo, before battling past the All Blacks to retain their title four years later in Paris. Etzebeth is without a doubt a legend of the modern era, and the lock is only a few matches away from becoming certified Springboks royalty.
Despite being 32-years-old, Etzebeth is still amongst the first names on Rassie Erasmus’ team sheet, and recently collected his 124th cap for his country. The lock continues to bare down on Victor Matfield’s all-time record of 127 Springbok appearances, and should Etzebeth play in the remaining four matches of the 2024 Rugby Championship (twice against New Zealand and Argentina), then he will take up the honour as South Africa’s record appearence holder. A truly remarkable career in the iconic green and gold, Etzebeth embodies what it means to be a hard-nosed workhorse in the Springboks engine room.
The second row has not reserved his top performances for the Test match stage, as Etzebeth has also accrued an assortment of club accomplishments following a globe-trotting career. Currently, Etzebeth plies his trade for the Hollywoodbets Sharks down in Durban and the lock was apart of the side that defeated Gloucester to win the 2023/24 EPCR Challenge Cup title, to became the first South African side to lift a piece of ‘European’ silverware. Prior to cutting his teeth with the Sharks, Etzebeth enjoyed a four year stint with Toloun, and a year long run with the DoComo Red Hurricanes in Japan.
Etzebeth traces his rugby roots back to Western Province, whom he played for whilst trying to break into the Stormers squad. The lock emerged onto the scene as Western Province claimed the Currie Cup in 2011, with Etzebeth promptly offered a professional career with the club the following year. It only took Etzebeth two seasons before he had progressed out of the Province for a full-time run in the former Super Rugby set-up. Undoubtedly a legend of his own generation, Etzebeth could well go down as an all-time Springbok great, whenever the stern-faced South African get’s tired of flattening his opponents.
Whilst we discuss Etzebeth, an honourable mention is in store to his second row partner RG Snyman. Whilst we have not been able to squeeze the mohawk-sporting second row onto our five player shortlist, Snyman is certainly an impressive lock that will surely carry Etzebeth’s torch onwards once the veteran hangs up his boots. With the confidence to move from fierce Irish rivals Munster to Leinster, and the ability to back it up each week in the URC, Snyman is an exciting lock that will very soon be regarded amongst the world’s very best.