The Grubber: The most devastating rugby partnerships

IN any team sports, you get players who build strong partnerships that can help push the team forward.

In basketball you had, Scott Pippen and Michael Jordan as well as Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.

In football, you have Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry among others.

In rugby, we’ve had similar iconic duos. These partnerships are always position-related because it wouldn’t make sense to call two players in completely different positions a partnership. So Dan Carter and Richie McCaw won’t feature as a partnership on this list, even though they played a lot of rugby together.

This top 10 lists features the most effective, enjoyable and most consistent rugby partnerships we have seen in modern rugby:

10. Morne Steyn and Fourie Du Preez  

This halfback pairing enjoyed some incredible highs donning their franchise and international colours. They won Super Rugby titles and Currie Cups with the Bulls and were incredibly consistent for the Springboks. Du Preez is highly regarded as the most complete scrumhalf to play for the Boks. With his tactical know-how, darting runs and smart kicks, Du Preez was a constant threat to opposition defences.

Steyn should be regarded as one of the most consistent flyhalves to have played for the Springboks. The Bulls flyhalf has won some of the biggest games with his boot and no one will forget his 31 points against the All Blacks in Durban. A master tactician at 9 and a consistent 10, what more could a team want?

9. Andy Ellis and Dan Carter (Crusaders) 

This two made a very successful partnership in a devastatingly good Crusaders outfit. Ellis only made 28 caps for the All Blacks compared to Carter’s 112 caps, so they wouldn’t be regarded as a memorable duo on the international scene. For the Crusaders, on the other hand, this halfback duo can be regarded as on of the most successful in New Zealand and Super Rugby history. The duo has won four Super Rugby titles together and were in the same team for New Zealand’s 2011 Rugby World Cup triumph.

Here’s Carter and Ellis partnering up for the Kobe Steelers in Japan:

8. Gordon D’arcy and Brian O’Driscoll

This centre pairing could easily be regarded as the best to have ever played for Ireland. This 15-year partnership saw the duo play together for Ireland and Leinster. These two will always be commended for their vision on the pitch, by creating try-scoring opportunities from nowhere, having impressive footwork and great distribution skills. These two also played a huge part in Ireland’s grand slam success in 2009.

7. Will Genia and Quade Cooper 

This halfback duo was probably the most mercurial partnership in the 2010’s. Their breakthrough year came in 2011 when they guided The Reds to their first  Super Rugby title. Genia’s darting runs, strength and elite distribution, along with Cooper’s fancy footwork, incredible ball skills and unpredictability made them an absolute joy to watch at the Reds, the Wallabies and more recently at the Melbourne Rebels and Kintetsu Liners in Japan.

6. Johnny Sexton and Connor Murray 

Ireland’s halfback duo, Flyhalf, Johnny Sexton and Scrumhalf, Connor Murray have been instrumental for Ireland over the last five years. These two have been mainstays in Ireland’s team in recent years and are two key men for Ireland going forward. The halfback pairing helped Ireland to a Six Nations Grand Slam and, for Munster and Leinster, were instrumental in their province’s good form in Europe. In 2018, they were regarded as the most feared halfback partnerships and that year saw them clinch a famous win over the All Blacks; and Sexton was awarded the World Player of the Year award.

5. Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith 

It wouldn’t be a bad shout to regard this midfield duo as New Zealand’s best centre partnership. Their fairytale final appearance for New Zealand in the World Cup final against Australia was a masterclass by both centres. Nonu’s robustness and classy ball skills effortlessly complemented Smith’s silky skills and his reading of the game. The duo combined very well at the Hurricanes as well. The two-time world champions have been hard to replace as a partnership since they left the international scene in 2015.

4. Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick 

This powerhouse lock pairing has been the most consistent locks in the 2010s. It’s also fair to call them generational talents with their sublime skills with ball in hand and their successes with the All Blacks and their respective franchises, The Chiefs and Crusaders. These two offer a lot in attack for players who are in a conservative position. The best way to describe this duo is, abrasive, athletic and skillful. With a wealth of experience and plenty of success,  Retallick and Whitelock will be instrumental in the All Blacks’ plans in the next few years.

3. Jean De Villiers and Jaque Fourie 

This midfield partnership was the Springbok’s answer to the All Blacks’ Ma’a Nonu/Conrad Smith and Ireland’s Gordon D’arcy and Brian O’Driscoll partnerships. This lethal partnership flourished for the Stormers and the Springboks and it was a joy for all South African rugby fans to watch these two play in tandem. Like any good partnership, they complimented each other well on attack and defence. They are also South Africa’s most capped centre pairing with 29 Tests together in the green and gold.

2. George Gregan and Stephan Larkham 

Australia’s most famous halfback partnership were in central control for the Wallabies and the Brumbies. These great tacticians of the game won a World Cup together and were instrumental  for the Brumbies in their 2001 and 2004 Super Rugby Championships. Gregan and Larkham are in the Wallabies Hall of Fame for their decade-long period at the pivot of Australian Rugby.

1. Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha 

The good cop/bad cop duo of Matfield and Botha was definitely regarded as the best lock pairing in the world, during their peak. The line-out genius and the enforcer enjoyed plenty of success for the Bulls and Springboks, winning the World Cup, three Super Rugby titles and a historic win over the British and Irish Lions in 2009. These two were the perfect combo in the engine of the Bulls and Boks and set the standard high for modern-day locks like RG Snyman, Lood De Jager, Franco Mostert and Eben Eztebeth.