The FloRugby 100 countdown has reached rugby’s elite.
Every player in this group has demonstrated the ability to decide major matches, whether through finishing, leadership, tactical control or physical dominance.
The 2025-26 season also showed how narrow the margins become near the top of the rankings. Tommy Freeman and Matthieu Jalibert delivered extraordinary attacking production, while Caelan Doris, Juan Cruz Mallía, Finn Russell and Will Jordan lost important stretches to injury.
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Cheslin Kolbe remained prolific before preparing for his move to the DHL Stormers, and Jordie Barrett returned from his Leinster sabbatical to lead the Hurricanes to a Super Rugby Pacific championship.
Here is a closer look at Nos. 20-11 in FloRugby’s Top 100 Rugby Players.
20. Tommy Freeman | Wing/Center | England | Northampton Saints | Gallagher Prem
Powerful in the air, dangerous through contact and increasingly comfortable across the backline, Freeman, 25, has developed into one of England’s premier attacking players.
He returned from starting all three Tests on the British & Irish Lions’ victorious tour to produce 18 tries in 17 Northampton appearances, tying the club’s single-season record. Freeman also reached 100 Saints appearances and earned PREM Team of the Season honors. No. 20 may prove temporary if his rise continues at this pace.
19. Caelan Doris | No. 8 | Ireland | Leinster Rugby | URC
Few No. 8s combine carrying power, defensive intelligence and playmaking ability as naturally as Doris, 28. Shoulder surgery ruled the Ireland captain out of the 2025 Lions tour and delayed the beginning of his season, but he returned to captain Ireland through the Six Nations and earn Team of the Championship recognition.
Doris then helped Leinster win the URC before suffering a foot injury in the final. His ranking reflects interrupted availability rather than any decline in his world-class influence.
18. Matthieu Jalibert | Fly-Half | France | Union Bordeaux-Bègles | Top 14
Creative, fearless and devastating when attacking a defensive line, Jalibert, 27, produced one of the finest seasons of any fly-half in Europe. He finished with 22 try assists and 11 tries across elite European club competition, giving him a competition-leading 33 try involvements, while also leading players in meters gained and line-break assists.
Bordeaux-Bègles won a second consecutive Champions Cup, and France claimed the Six Nations. On current attacking form, Jalibert has a legitimate argument to rank even higher.
17. Juan Cruz Mallía | Utility Back | Argentina | Toulouse | Top 14
Versatility and composure remain Mallía’s defining qualities. He can organize from fly-half, create as a second receiver from fullback, defend in midfield or finish on the wing without lowering the standard of his performance.
The 29-year-old's season began with a hat trick against Toulon, but a torn ACL suffered against England in November limited him to only two Top 14 appearances. No. 17 is therefore a ranking based on established big-match value rather than 2025-26 volume.
16. Stuart McCloskey | Center | Ireland | Ulster Rugby | URC
Powerful through contact but increasingly influential as a distributor, McCloskey, 34, turned years of strong club form into the finest international season of his career.
He played every minute of Ireland’s Six Nations, recorded six assists, won eight turnovers and led the championship with 18 dominant carries. Those performances earned Player of the Championship consideration and Team of the Championship selection. A hamstring injury ended his club season before Ulster’s Challenge Cup Final, but McCloskey had already established himself among rugby’s elite centers.
15. Cheslin Kolbe | Wing | South Africa | DHL Stormers | URC
Small in stature but enormous in influence, Kolbe, 32, remains one of rugby’s purest match-winners. In his final Japan Rugby League One campaign before joining the DHL Stormers, he produced 10 tries and 218 points across 18 appearances for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, finishing as the competition’s leading regular-season scorer.
He also scored twice in South Africa’s historic win over New Zealand last year and remained a goal-kicking option for the Springboks. Kolbe arrives back in Cape Town still capable of deciding matches almost by himself.
14. Will Jordan | Wing/Fullback | New Zealand | Crusaders | Super Rugby
Jordan’s greatest gift is not simply speed, but his ability to anticipate space before it fully develops. A recurring calf problem restricted him to seven Super Rugby Pacific appearances and ended his Crusaders season before the playoffs, but his return to Test rugby was historic.
After scoring twice against France, Jordan, 28, completed a hat trick against Italy to become New Zealand’s all-time leading Test try scorer, reaching 50 tries in only 56 appearances. No. 14 reflects injury interruption, not a shortage of elite quality.
13. Dan Sheehan | Hooker | Ireland | Leinster Rugby | URC
Dynamic in open play and increasingly influential as a leader, Sheehan, 27, continues to expand expectations for the modern hooker. He started all three Lions Tests after captaining the tourists against the Western Force, although a reckless cleanout in the third Test resulted in a four-match suspension.
Sheehan returned to score six tries in 16 Leinster appearances, captained Ireland against New Zealand and extended his IRFU contract through 2028-29. Few front-row players offer his combination of speed, finishing and set-piece quality.
12. Finn Russell | Fly-Half | Scotland | Bath Rugby | Gallagher PREM
Russell, 33, remains one of rugby’s most ambitious playmakers, capable of changing the shape of a match with a pass or kick few others would attempt. He started all three Lions Tests, served as Scotland’s vice-captain and earned selection to the Six Nations Team of the Championship.
Russell also contributed 81 Champions Cup points for Bath before a calf injury forced him to miss the club’s final three matches. His creativity now comes with the control and experience of a complete international fly-half.
11. Jordie Barrett | Center/Fullback | New Zealand | Hurricanes | Super Rugby
Versatility has always been Barrett’s greatest strength, but his 2026 season showed how influential he can be when given a settled leadership role. After completing his Leinster sabbatical, Barrett, 29, returned to the Hurricanes and co-captained them to the Super Rugby Pacific title.
He produced 10 try assists, 234 passes and 128 tackles across 14 appearances, then scored in the 60-5 final victory over the Chiefs. His two-way impact and ability to cover multiple positions make him the strongest candidate in this group to enter the Top 10.
Philip Bendon contributed to this report.
Who's Next On The List? Stay Tuned
The next 10 players drop at 9a.m. ET on Sept. 2.
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