RBP Player Rankings: Top Ten Second Rows

The Second row is an unenviable position. Forced to have their head crammed between the thighs of front rowers in the scrum, and then forced to be thrown into the air at lineout time, the job of a lock forward is not always a fun one. But the giraffes of rugby play a key role in the side, and if people were not willing to make this sacrifice, things would be very different.

10. Iain Henderson:

Held back by his lack of experience, Henderson is the heir apparent to Paul O’Connell’s throne. The Ulsterman is devastating in the loose, as he runs great lines, and always looks to get his hands free to offload. Still relatively young, Henderson has been a favorite option off the bench for Ireland, and has been used at blindside by Ulster, where he has grown immensely as a weapon at the breakdown. A player with a lot of potential, expect Henderson to be Ireland’s secret weapon at the World Cup.

9. Will Skelton:

Skelton may not offer the same lineout presence as some of the others on this list, but he is probably one of the most dominant ball carrying locks in the world. His massive size means that he almost always ties up two or more defenders, and for a man of his size, he has superb hands. This means that his offloading skills are topnotch, and he has a remarkable ability to put runners into the massive gaps that he creates. Likely to be an off the bench presence for Australia in the World Cup, Skelton has proven this season for the Waratahs that he can go 80 minutes, a dangerous prospect for sides nervously waiting for Cheika to “Release the Skelton”

8. Devin Toner:

The Lighthouse. At 6 feet 10 inches I think it goes without saying that Toner is a dominant lineout presence. For much of the early part of his career, he was nothing more than a spaghetti monster, huge, but all floppy nonetheless. That has changed, as Toner has become an integral part of the Irish setup. Like Mike Ross, he may not be the most obvious player in open play, but he is a vital part of the Irish set-pieces, and one of the most important parts in Ireland’s excellent lineout.

7. Alun Wyn Jones:

Surely one of the strongest players on this list, Jones is a freak. The Welsh veteran is not only very strong, but he is an excellent leader and a clever player at the lineout. One of Jones’s biggest positives is his defence, where he very seldom allows opposition runners to cross the gainline, and makes an absolute nuisance of himself at the breakdown. In the heroic Welsh win over Ireland, Jones made 21 tackles, and did not miss one, not bad for a days work. Jones captained the Lions in the third test against the Wallabies in 2013, leading them to an amazing series win.    

6. Courtney Lawes:

Probably will not be on this list for much longer, as he will probably be going to prison for murdering all those half-backs fairly soon. Lawes likes nothing more than to put in a massive hit or two on an opposition player, and his trademark tackles have made him a fan favorite for both Northampton and England. A dynamic carrier, great lineout jumper, and committed defender, Lawes is surely a big part of the future for England.

5. Joe Launchbury:

The Wasps and England star has had a nightmarish season, interrupted time and time again due to injuries, however when he is healthy, he is undoubtedly one of the best in the world. A fantastically well rounded player, Launchbury is dangerous at the breakdown, has phenomenal hands, and is a great defender on the gainline. One of the standouts for England against the All Blacks in 2012 and again in 2014, Launchbury seems to relish playing against top notch opposition. If he is able to get healthy and stay healthy for England’s World Cup campaign, he could help springboard a very talented England side towards World Cup glory, as he and Lawes make for a lethal combination.

4. Paul O’Connell:

O’Connell seems to be getting better with age. The Irish captain and 2015 6 Nations Player of the Championship is probably among the best lineout forwards in the world at the moment, and he makes for one hell of a leader. While not the flashiest player, O’Connell does the hard jobs and makes the hard yards. Against England, O’Connell stepped up, making 12 tackles, he scored a try when his nation needed points against Scotland, and who can forget his bone crunching tackle on Ben McCalman in Ireland’s fantastic win over Austrailia. O’Connell will be at the heart of Ireland’s World Cup hopes, meaning that these hopes are in safe hands.

3. Victor Matfield:

The Springbok legend is another of the most dangerous lineout forwards in the world. He and O’Connell relish going to battle with one another, and their struggle for set-piece dominance is always earthshaking. Matfield is perhaps more dangerous in open play than O’Connell, and helped South Africa to the World Cup in 2007, something O’Connell cannot claim. Matfield’s cunning guided South Africa to their win over the All Blacks last year, a match in which he made 10 tackles. Matfield is probably the biggest leader in the South African side, and they will certainly be contenders for this years RWC.

2. Eben Etzebeth:

Etzebeth is one of them new fangled “Modern Forwards”. Partial to a big hit or two himself, Etzebeth is a phenomenal athlete, very comfortable with ball in hand, and loves to have a go and then offload. It’s also worth remembering that Etzebeth is also more than happy to take on the enforcer role, and is a like for like replacement for Bakkies Botha in this way. Very strong, Etzebeth does not often miss tackles, and is very good at making himself a pain at the breakdown. He and Duane Vermeulen are probably two of South Africa’s biggest future stars, and Etzebeth could very easily be a dominant force at the World Cup come August.

Brodie Retallick:

Last seasons World Rugby Player of the Year has not stepped backwards this season, and remains the world’s best second row. He has the power, the defence, the smarts, but what really sets Retallick apart is his amazing soft hands. His distribution and decision making with ball in hand is unlike any other forward in the world, and yet he is still more than capable, and more than willing, to do the hard stuff. He has lead the Chiefs throughout this season, and he remains likely to be at the forefront of the All Blacks plans ahead of the Rugby Championship and the World Cup.