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Mark Agnew

Two All Blacks were the top try scorers at the Rugby World Cup 2015, and once again, the bookies are backing a New Zealander.
But there are many great finishers in the tournament, which starts in Japan on September 20, all with a chance to claim the title of top try scorer.
Unsurprisingly, they tend to play for teams who are backed to go all the way at this year’s World Cup – holders New Zealand, England, South Africa, Wales and Ireland.
Here are the top 10 most likely tournament top try scorers, according to Oddschecker.
﻿10. Makazole Mapimpi – South Africa
The final countdown to the Rugby World Cup is here, what are everyone’s chances?
﻿The Lions’ winger is fast and has developed a nose for the try line. In just eight tests, he has scored eight tries. Not a bad strike rate.
The South Africans are in a group with New Zealand, though. If the match is anything like their most recent meeting (16-16), there won’t be many scoring opportunities, but South Africa are tipped to go far, so Mapimpi may have the full tournament to rack up scores.


﻿9. Beauden Barrett – New Zealand
The All Blacks’ superstar fly half, who has been deployed at full back too, has scored 33 tries in his 78 tests. The 2016 and 2017 player of the year can get over the whitewash even in the big games, as he proved at the last World Cup, by scoring in the final.
If New Zealand get front-foot ball, Barrett can exploit space like no other. Like South Africa, he may well have the whole tournament to rain tries.


﻿8. George North – Wales
Wales’ massive winger is heading to his third World Cup. At just 27 years old, he has already amassed 86 caps and scored 38 tries.
Wales are on a run of form, having won a grand slam and even been ranked number one in the world for a week. He has experience on the big stage, scoring wonder tries for the British & Irish Lions in Australia, and for Wales on countless occasions.


﻿7. Sibusiso Nkosi – South Africa
Like his fellow South African winger on the other side of the pitch, Nkosi is relatively inexperienced, but his strike rate is phenomenal.
He has scored seven tries in eight caps. Not only is he fast and agile, but he is very strong and runs over people as much as he goes around them, as Owen Farrell found to his peril in last year’s summer tests, when the Englishman proved a mere speed bump before the cavalry arrived and pulled Nkosi down just short of the try line.


﻿6. George Bridge – New Zealand
Bridge lacks the size, power or out-and-out pace of his fellow Kiwi wingers, but he has one of the highest work rates of any winger in the world. His engine has seen him score seven tries in just five caps for the All Blacks. Such is the strength and depth in New Zealand, he probably won’t start.
As a result, Bridge will struggled to top the try scorer list. But then again, he may start in the second-string teams the All Blacks inevitably put out against the tier-two teams in their pool, which will give him a chance to rack up several tries in potential cricket scores.


﻿5. Cheslin Kolbe – South Africa
I would not like to be the South African selectors trying to fit these three wingers into just two spots. Kolbe is tiny at just 80kg (compare that with North’s 110kg), and yet his crazy feet bamboozle the opposition.
He has scored five tries in 25 caps. He changes direction so quickly, he’s not just a defence’s nightmare, but a cameraman’s nightmare too.


﻿4. Jacob Stockdale – Ireland
Stockdale is a try machine. He set the record for the most tries scored in a Six Nations tournament, seven, in his first Six Nations campaign in 2018 (one short of the record set before Italy joined in 2000, eight, held by England’s Cyril Lowe, 1914, and by Scotland’s Ian Smith, 1924).
Stockdale has scored 16 tries in 21 caps. Ireland are entering the tournament as the number one team in the world, but have not been putting in the performances of 12 months ago, which may affect Stockdale’s chances. However, Ireland have Russia in their group. Russia lost 87-0 to Italy in the warm-up games. It could be a chance for Stockdale to rack up a host of tries, but the coach may choose to rest his superstar during a game that is all but a shoo-in.


﻿3. Rieko Ioane – New Zealand
With 23 tries in 26 games, Ioane has one of the most impressive strike rates in the game. He is huge, rapid and smart. The All Blacks play an expansive brand of rugby, so he is sure to get his hands on the ball.
Could he be the man to break down the physical South Africans? Time will tell.


﻿2. Jonny May – England
England’s coach Eddie Jones described May as a “dog chasing a tennis ball at 100mph”. It took him a while to show his best on the international scene, but he has come good in the last two years and is coming into the tournament as one of the form wingers. He has a total 24 tries in 45 caps.
He has lightening speed and can burn almost anyone on the outside. He was top try scorer in the 2019 Six Nations, with six. England are in the “pool of death”, with both France and Argentina in there, so they have one extra tier-one game than the other pools. Scoring opportunities may be fewer and far between as a result, but if anyone can snatch them up, it’s May.


﻿1. Sevu Reece – New Zealand
New Zealand’s new man is already a team favourite. He got his chance in the 2018 season when All Black winger Israel Dagg was injured and Reece was promoted to the Crusaders starting XV. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and became the Super Rugby season top try scorer, with 15 tries, earning himself a call-up to the national team.
He has only played twice for New Zealand, and scored three tries, but seems a dead cert for the winger’s birth. Talk about a World Cup bolter.




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Rugby World Cup 2019

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Ireland's Conor Murray tackled by Scotland's John barclay during their Six Nations rugby match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday March 10, 2018. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

England's Henry Slade is tackled by Argentina's Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias during a rugby union international match between England and Argentina at Twickenham stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

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FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2015 file photo, New Zealand's captain Richie McCaw, center, holds the trophy aloft after the Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham Stadium in London. All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has announced his retirement Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015 from all rugby after a record 148 test matches over 14 years during which he led New Zealand to two World Cup victories. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Liz Patu of the Wallaroos watches on during the Women's Rugby International match between the Australian Wallaroos and New Zealand Black Ferns at ANZ Stadium on August 18, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

***FOR NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY*** Bianca Dos Santos Silva (#11) (centre) of Brazil runs with the ball during the Woman's final against Scotland on the first day of HK Sevens 2019 at Hong Kong Stadium. 05APR19 R7 SCMP / Winson Wong

France's Chloe Pelle celebrates the win over New Zealand on day one of the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series in Kitakyushu on 20 April, 2019. Photo credit: Mike Lee - KLC fotos for World Rugby

Sport

Rugby


Will another New Zealander top the list, or could England’s Jonny May or Ireland’s Jacob Stockdale score the most?
The Rugby World Cup comes to Asia for the first time, kicking off in Japan on September 20



Will another New Zealander top the list, or could England’s Jonny May or Ireland’s Jacob Stockdale score most?
