From try-scoring legends to rising playmakers
The summer international window has provided a sharp focus on the shifting balance of power at the top of world rugby. While some veterans remain firmly embedded in the global elite, a new wave of talents has pushed their way to the forefront. With the Nations Championship completed for 2025, the stage is set to re-evaluate the players who have left the deepest mark.
A record that will stand for years
Will Jordan’s performance against Italy in Wellington in September was more than just another dominant display. It became a historic moment as he scored his 50th Test try, surpassing Doug Howlett’s 49-try record. The achievement came in a 47-17 victory, and his relentless finishing across the Nations Championship has placed him in a category of his own. With another try against Ireland, the All Blacks’ star has extended his lead with the kind of consistency that suggests few will ever match him in this era.
A new fly-half force emerges in the southern hemisphere
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu may have sat out the Nations Championship entirely due to injury, but his absence hasn’t slowed the trajectory of his meteoric rise. With his 37-point haul against Argentina—the most by a Springbok in a single Test—he has already etched his name into the history books. The fly-half’s fearlessness and composure at international level have placed him firmly in the frame as the future number 10 of South Africa. Selected for the World Rugby Dream Team, Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on course to shape the next era of global rugby.
Matthieu Jalibert’s versatility at fly-half and fullback has made him one of France’s most exciting attacking threats. Jack Willis’s unavailability has again highlighted England’s reliance on the back-row maestro, while Cam Roigard continues to dominate at scrum-half with his vision and physicality. As both teams and nations shift their focus to 2026 and beyond, the performances of these players will determine whether the current hierarchy holds or if new faces push to the top.