With the end of the year almost upon us, Planet Rugby’s James While caught up with the great Wallaby wing David Campese to discuss the 12 players that he believes have shone during 2024.
“It’s been a marvellous year of Test rugby – one where we saw the consolidation of Los Pumas as a real force in the Rugby Championship, the evolution of the Springboks into one of the finest teams I’ve ever witnessed, and, dare I say it, the turning of a corner for Australia,” Campese said in review.
“At domestic and European level, we’ve witnessed Toulouse become arguably the greatest club side in the history of the sport, and that man Dupont show the value of Sevens in developing even his remarkable s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set.
“Anyway, these are the 12 players that I’ve enjoyed watching this season above all others.”
David Campese’s 12 players of Christmas
Forwards
Ox Nche (South Africa)
“His humour can be seen in his motto ‘salads don’t win scrums’! A real character of rugby with all the tools in his locker. His handling has improved remarkably in open play, he puts in a tremendous work ethic into his breakdown and defensive work, and, for a man of 5’8″, his stature and explosive power makes him almost impossible to contain, especially for the bigger tightheads who simply cannot match his control of scrummaging height,” Campese praised.
“In a land where the scrum is everything, Ox has become a national hero, and rightly so!”
Fraser McReight (Australia)
“Fraser has become as effective in the Wallaby seven shirt as George Smith, Michael Hooper and David Wilson before him, and that’s the highest praise I could ever give. We, as a nation, function best when we’ve a real ball-handling dog in our back-row and McReight is exactly that.
“The Wallaby back-row is the reason they’ve turned the corner and alongside Bobby Valetini and Harry Wilson, McReight is one of the keys that we’ve seen such a great improvement. His consistency in the Autumn Nations Series was the difference between wins and losses, especially at Twickenham where he was outstanding.”
Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
Campese continued: “Now one of the greatest Boks of all time, he showed his versatility in the Rugby Championship and Autumn Nations Series by filling in at lock as well as his usual blindside flank. He’s scoring more tries now than at any point in his career – partly down to the evolution of the Bok style, partly down to the evolution of his own s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁-set.
“Alongside another of my picks, Eben Etzebeth, I can’t think of a player that’s contributed more to South African rugby than Du Toit and his sheer consistency and incredible abrasion sets the standards for other back-rows to imitate.”
François Cros (France)
“Whether it’s Toulouse or France, Cros’ ability to provide fast, clean ball from rucks is peerless and his partnership with Jack Willis, (who would be my 13th player if I were able to pick one!) has been the pivotal reason that backs like Dupont and Ramos can flourish with freedom in open field. Put simply, when Cros is out, neither club or country are quite the same.
“François has the complete s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁-set – he leads the Toulouse lineout and is an arch poacher who topped the steals in the Six Nations, but then delivers 20 plus tackles and bosses the breakdown all game. He might work in the shadows, but those who understand the dark arts of the back-row know just how brilliant he is delivering them at the highest level.”
Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
“If Antoine Dupont is the greatest back in the world, then Eben is the forward standing alongside him. Brutally uncompromising, he has an understanding of rugby that belies the perception of him as the Bok enforcer. His intelligence is what makes the difference when charging down off the side of rucks, when pushing every law at the breakdown and also controlling the incredible innovations we see from the Bok lineout,” the Wallaby legend said.
“There’s claims he’s the greatest Bok of all time and I’d certainly agree I haven’t seen many, if any, better.”
Caelan Doris (Ireland)
“Is he the Lions captain elect? I think it’s his to lose and he’s obviously one of Andy Farrell’s most trusted leaders.
“For me, Doris‘ superpower is his pre-contact footwork and his ability to get half a metre through contact through changing the direction of his carry just at the moment of tackle. Couple that with his relentless barging around the ruck which causes havoc to opposing half-backs and you cannot argue his sheer effectiveness. Add in his try-scoring record for both Leinster and Ireland and you have to conclude that he’s the most important performer for both club and country and I will watch his evolution in Australia in July with great interest.”
Backs
Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
“In a land of giants, the little man is our very own Lilliputian genius, taking out the big men and making fools of them for a pastime,” Campese said of his first backline pick.
“His athletic ability is remarkable; this is a player who wins contact against the world’s best back-rowers, who claims high balls against opponents that are 10 cms taller and consistently makes defences look like clumsy fools.
“As a former winger myself, and one that by even the standards of my era that wasn’t the biggest, it’s great to see the likes of Cheslin succeeding within the modern power game and just like Etzebeth, he’s always evolving. Rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes and Kolbe is living proof that s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 and talent will thrive in any era.”
Will Jordan (New Zealand)
“I know some would claim he’s not been at his best as he came back from injury, but in the autumn he demonstrated his ridiculous ability to go and find the weak links in defensive backlines.
“Jordan is a master of picking off locks and props that meander into key defence roles – he’ll probe and push the D around until the recycling defenders are stretched and then he’ll choose his moment to pick off the forwards who are filling in the line two and three out.
“He’s well on his way to breaking the All Black try-scoring record, now only 11 behind Dougie Howlett, but with a strike rate of 0.93 tries per match, it will only be a season or so until he claims that crown.”
Marcus Smith (England)
Campese continued: “I find the narrative about ‘can Smith control England‘s attack?’ to be quite amusing. This is a debate created more about the inability of England’s other players to react to and to read Smith than anything to do with his lack of control. If Marcus was a Bok or an All Black this debate wouldn’t be taking place – he’d be nailed on as a starter and they’d build a side around his gifts, not the other way around.
“Rugby needs players who puts bums on seats. Sure, there’s always a place for the Etzebeth’s, Nche’s and Cros’ of the sport, but Smith is the ultimate entertainer and the consummate challenger of defences – in short, England cannot afford NOT to pick him – because he’ll inspire people to play, watch and talk about rugby.”
Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
“If there was any centre that reminds me of my old Wallaby cohort, Tim Horan, it’s Tuipulotu. He’s one of those centres that’s the oil in the backline machine – whether by clever cut-back passes, looping moves with Finn Russell or Huw Jones or keeping the ball alive for the brilliant Scottish backline – he is a unit that might just be the best in the game, if not certainly in the Northern Hemisphere,” Campese praised.
“Sione is nailed on to be a Lion in Australia – and his style will suit the hard grounds, where he’ll fuse uncompromising defence with brilliant handling and I can’t wait to watch him.”
Tomas Al𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧oz (Argentina)
“Well, Los Pumas have discovered an absolute baller in this brilliant young 10. It was him that ignited the Rugby Championship wins – and he tore the Boks in Santiago during the tournament in a brilliant personal display.
“He’s a very measured footballer, able to kick off both feet, as would befit someone brought up in a soccer crazy country. Argentina have always produced some abrasive and s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed forwards, but now they have a midfield general like Al𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧oz, it’s a huge step forward for them in terms of their development.”
Antoine Dupont (France)
“I have saved the best until last and some player Dupont is! Those that argue about his claim to the crown of the best player in the world can’t be watching him too often as I have rarely, if ever, seen a man that has the completeness of Antoine’s s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁-set,” he said.
“His sojourn into Sevens saw him develop his s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s even further and his performance in the Olympic final was, in a Sevens context, tournament defining as he literally changed the course of that final in six minutes.
“France will finally play South Africa in November 2025 and I am sure Dupont and his team-mates will be counting the days down to try and exact Rugby World Cup revenge – it’s the match of the year next season and I, for one, cannot wait to see it.”
