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Published 14:21 28 Feb 2023 GMT
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"Freddie Steward is definitely up there with him. When England have even being playing badly, these past two years, Steward has been their stand-out player. He has been the stand-out player in the Premiership, these past two, three seasons. "I'd put him in the top four fullbacks in the world right now, up there with Jordie Barrett, Hugo Keenan and Willie Le Roux."[caption id="attachment_284068" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Hugo Keenan of Ireland gets past the tackle Freddie Steward of England. (Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)[/caption]
"Best fullback in Britain and Ireland. He has the reliability and a no-mistake game, but that's not a game without taking risks. He has that fitness and game understanding - how he just sees opportunities and his 50/22 kicks - he covers so much ground. "He's got a brilliant rugby brain. He almost epitomises how Ireland want to play. Ireland are incredibly sturdy and solid, and he's all those things, but with this brilliance and flair."Steward did edge Keenan out of the World Rugby 'Dream Team' of the Year when he was the sole England representative in a high-class XV. This 'world's best' talk often bubbles and broils whenever the Six Nations and The Rugby Championship tournaments are played out, often with a northern and southern hemisphere skew, and a sprinkling of recency bias. Fortunately, we are in a World Cup year so the 'Best XV' at the end of 2023 will have a very fair reflection on who has impressed at the biggest stage. Given that Ireland and England are on opposite sides of the World Cup draw, do not be surprised if both Keenan and Steward get a chance to make their pitch in a big knock-out game, maybe even against each other. WATCH RUGBYJOE's SIX NATIONS CORNER: Related Articles.
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