Abu Dhabi: While great teams win Rugby World Cups, outstanding individuals define them.
Think back to 1995 and, while South Africa’s historic triumph on home soil remains the overriding memory, the event was also noteworthy for the incredible emergence of a 6ft 5in, 20-year-old powerhouse by the name of Jonah Lomu. The New Zealand winger was a pulverising force in his side’s imperious march to the final, scoring five tries and leaving opponents such as England’s Tony Underwood flat on their backsides.
Fast forward eight years, and the indelible image of the 2003 edition was of England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson’s steepling punt earning his team a last-gasp 20-17 triumph over Australia.
Wilkinson’s unerring accuracy with the boot, which yielded 113 points in the tournament, may not have been as eye-catching as Lomu’s powerful surges, but was no less commendable.
So who can illuminate this year’s event as dazzlingly as Lomu and Wilkinson did?
With exciting backs galore such as New Zealand’s try machine Julian Savea or France’s mercurial centre Wesley Fofana, there is no shortage of contenders to be the leading man.
A host of brawny forwards will be bidding to make their mark — as Australia’s towering lock John Eales did in his country’s 1991 and 1999 triumphs — including South Africa’s line-out enforcer Eben Etzebeth.
It was not an easy decision given the myriad talents set to appear over the coming weeks, but Gulf News has compiled a list of 10 stars likely to scintillate at England 2015.
Israel Folau
Age: 26
Country: Australia
Position: Full-back
Caps: 33 (since 2003)
Points scored: 90 (18 tries)
Previous World Cups: None
With his awesome aerial ability and elusive running, Australia’s Folau looks set to be one of the standout full-backs in the tournament. The rugby league convert made his debut for Australia against the British and Irish Lions in 2013, scoring two brilliant tries. Later that year, he equalled the former Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri’s record tally of 10 tries during Australia’s autumn series in the Northern Hemisphere. In total, he has scored 18 tries from 33 appearances and can play on the wing as well as at full-back.
Vereniki ‘Niki’ Goneva
Age: 31
Country: Fiji
Position: Wing, centre, full-back
Caps: 35 (since 2007)
Points: 70 (14 tries)
Previous World Cups: One (2011)
While the autumn weather in England will not be to the liking of many of his teammates, Niki Goneva will not be fazed. He has played there since 2012 with Leicester Tigers and excelled, to the extent that he was named the English Premiership’s Players’ Player of the Year in 2014. The 6ft 3in Goneva boasts sublime handling and running skills, as well as versatility, meaning he can play as a winger, centre or full-back.
Eben Etzebeth
Age: 23
Country: South Africa
Position: Lock
Caps: 37 (since 2012)
Points scored: 5 (one try)
Previous World Cups: None
In recent years, South Africa have become renowned for their imperious line-out, ruled by the totemic figures of 2007 World Cup winners Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha. Eben Etzebeth is a worthy successor to that esteemed duo, with his 6ft 8in frame making him an imposing figure at the set-piece. South Africa’s young player of the year in 2012 and 2013 also possesses fine handling skills to go with his brute strength.
Stuart Hogg
Age: 23
Country: Scotland
Position: Full-back, fly-half
Caps: 33 (since 2012)
Points scored: 48 (9 tries and one penalty)
Previous World Cups: None
A distant relative of the late, great footballer George Best, Stuart Hogg possesses many of the traits exhibited by the Northern Irishman. His pace is searing and his side-stepping ability means he can scythe through even the most watertight of defences. In this year’s Six Nations, Hogg made the most metres (442) and beat the most defenders (18). He is also blessed with a prodigious boot and sound defence.
Wesley Fofana
Age: 27
Country: France
Position: Centre, wing
Caps: 35 (Since 2012)
Points scored: 55 (11 tries)
Previous World Cups: None
France have always cherished the flair of their brilliant backs, such as Serge Blanco and Philippe Sella, and Wesley Fofana is of a similarly guileful ilk. Able to play at inside and outside centre and on the wing, Fofana is a mesmerising runner and sublimely talented passer. He may be slightly built for a modern centre and measure just under 6ft, but Fofana’s instinctive brilliance means defences can never settle when he has the ball.
Julian Savea
Age: 25
Country: New Zealand
Position: Wing
Caps: 35 (since 2012)
Points scored: 150 (30 tries)
Previous World Cups: None
Being labelled the new Jonah Lomu in 2010 when he shot to prominence with club side Wellington may have fazed many a young rugby player, but not Julian Savea. The 6ft 4in winger has not looked back since a hat-trick of tries on his All Blacks debut against Ireland in 2013 and has an astonishing strike rate of 30 tries in just 35 appearances. Supremely quick and possessing devastating finishing power, expect Savea to be one of the leading scorers in the tournament.
George North
Age: 23
Country: Wales
Position: Wing/outside centre
Caps: 51 (since 2010)
Points scored: 115 (23 tries)
Previous World Cups: One (2011)
There is arguably no winger more powerful in world rugby than Wales’ human bulldozer, George North. The 6ft 4in North’s awesome strength was epitomised during the 2013 British and Irish Lions series in Australia, when, during the second Test, North picked up would-be tackler Israel Folau and carried him for several metres on his shoulders. Just like Jonah Lomu in 1995, North is simply unstoppable in full flow and runs great angles from the wing or in the centre.
Anthony Watson
Age: 21
Country: England
Position: Wing, full-back
Caps: 11 (Since 2014)
Points scored: 25 (five tries)
Previous World Cups (None)
While England once won games due to their forward power alone, now they have a multitude of backs who have the potential to decide games, such as winger Anthony Watson. With three tries in the hosts’ warm-up games against France at home and away and Ireland at Twickenham, Watson has served notice of his prodigious ability. Like 2003 World Cup winner and fellow wing wizard Jason Robinson, Watson’s key strengths are his blistering speed off the mark and sashaying runs.
Kieran Read
Age: 29 (will be 30 on October 29)
Country: New Zealand
Position: No. 8/flanker
Caps: 77 (Since 2008)
Points scored: 90 (18 tries)
Previous World Cups: One (2011)
Kieran Read is arguably the game’s finest forward, or at least the world’s pre-eminent No. 8. In 2013, he was even crowned the best in any position when he was named the World Player of the Year by the International Rugby Board (IRB). This was due to Read’s extraordinary prowess at the breakdown, where he is more often or not first to any loose ball. But he is much more than a scavenging back-rower, possessing deft hands and the uncanny ability to find the whitewash at close range, leading to a highly creditable 18 tries in 77 Tests.
Jonny Sexton
Age: 30
Country: Ireland
Position: Fly-half
Caps: 53 (Since 2009)
Points scored: 494 (8 tries, 56 conversions and 112 penalties)
Previous World Cups: One (2011)
Behind every great team is a magnificent conductor-in-chief and, in Jonny Sexton, Ireland have one of the very best orchestrators. Imperious with the boot, either from hand or place kicks, Sexton will routinely dictate proceedings, either through scoring penalties or finding touch with sumptuous precision. But, aside from his kicking capabilities, the 6ft 2in fly-half is able to set the back line moving with his astute eye for a gap and sudden bursts of speed.
