Two Wallabies in world top 10
Michael Hooper and Israel Folau have been named in the world's top 10 rugby players.
Rugby World magazine released a list of their top 100 current players for 2017, with Hooper and Folau coming in at no. 8 and no. 5, respectively, behind the number one, England's Owen Farrell.
The pair are two of eight Aussies in the list, though just five of those eight played Super Rugby last year.
Flanker David Pocock, at no. 41, will be back in Australia next month after a year's sabbatical, but former Wallabies centre Matt Toomua (60) looks unlikely to play for the Wallabies again, after re-signing with Leicester until 2019.
Will Genia, who was playing in France at the start of 2017, is the third in that trio, coming in at 42.
Sekope Kepu (81), Bernard Foley (46) and Kurtley Beale (14) rounded out the Aussie contingent in the much-debated list.
New Zealand had the most players in the list, with 16 men, while England had 15, including Farrell and the top-ranked woman, Sevens and XVs star Emily Scarratt.
Scarratt was one of six women in the list, that was drawn from XVs performances.
RANKINGS
Rugby World Magazine top 10
1. Owen Farrell
2. Beauden Barrett
3. Leone Nakarawa
4. Maro Itoje
5. Israel Folau
6. Stuart Hogg
7. Jonathan Davies
8. Michael Hooper
9. Tadhg Furlong
10. Brodie Retallick
Australians in the list
5. Israel Folau
8. Michael Hooper
14. Kurtley Beale
41. David Pocock
42. Will Genia
46. Bernard Foley
60. Matt Toomua
81. Sekope Kepu
