- Former All Blacks scrumhalf Justin Marshall weighed in on who holds the title of best No. 8 in the world
- Marshall pointed to Wilson's workload and all-round contribution against New Zealand as the basis for his verdict
- The Springbok powerhouse Jasper Wiese received praise from Marshall but was handed a notable qualification
Former All Blacks scrumhalf Justin Marshall has argued that Wallabies captain Harry Wilson is currently the world's best No 8, ahead of Springbok stalwart Jasper Wiese.
Marshall assessed The Good, The Bad & Rugby Australia & New Zealand podcast following Wilson's performance in Australia's 50-19 defeat to New Zealand at Eden Park. Despite the result, Wilson scored a try, made 27 tackles — the most of any player on the field — and claimed a turnover, drawing widespread praise for his individual contribution.
"He makes it look effortless," Marshall said. "The ability for him to get around the field as a ball carrier and as a defender was just incredible. Like he's an absolute machine."
**Marshall's Case Against Wiese**
While Marshall acknowledged Wiese's attributes, he argued the Springbok is not yet at Wilson's level across a full match.
"Jasper Wiese is a very good No 8, but he's still a work in progress in my mind," he said. "Not as good as Harry Wilson. Not at the moment. He hasn't got the presence across 80 minutes that Harry Wilson has in both offence and defence. He's a great ball carrier and he's a strong carrier for South Africa and he works hard defensively, but he's not having anywhere near the involvements that Harry Wilson's having in a game."
Wiese, a 2023 Rugby World Cup winner, celebrated his 50th Test cap off the bench in South Africa's 42-38 loss to Australia in Perth. He had started all four Tests in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series and featured regularly in the Nations Championship, cementing his status as Rassie Erasmus' first choice at the back of the scrum.
**Shared Carrying Load in Springbok Pack**
Marshall also noted that Wiese operates within a forward pack that distributes the carrying burden across several players, pointing to Pieter-Steph du Toit, Malcolm Marx and Eben Etzebeth as forwards who share that responsibility. Du Toit is a two-time World Rugby Player of the Year, while Wiese partners him and skipper Siya Kolisi in the back row.
The former Crusaders halfback's remarks add an outside perspective to the ongoing debate around the world's premier ball-carrying forwards, with Wilson's recent form placing him firmly in the conversation.
Source: Briefly News
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