Six Nations 2024: Who are the rising stars? Who is like LeBron James and who still delivers

[CharlieH]

 

No Johnny Sexton, Dan Biggar, Owen Farrell or Antoine Dupont.

The 2024 Six Nations was an opportunity for new stars to emerge in the absence of some of the sport's household names.

 

BBC Sport takes a look at each nation and their young talent aged 22 or under who stepped up this campaign.

England

The international retirements of Courtney Lawes and Jonny May from England's old guard opened the door for 20-year-old flanker Chandler Cunningham-South and 21-year-old winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Harlequins forward Cunningham-South caught the eye of former Scotland captain John Barclay when he made a 14-minute debut from the bench in England's opening win over Italy.

"He's an enormous human being," Barclay said on the BBC's Six Nations Rugby Special. "He's the same sort of shape as LeBron James, he can move, he's physical, and we've just seen the very start of him."

A genuine X-factor player, Feyi-Waboso showed his finishing prowess with a try off the bench in England's defeat at Murrayfield.

Rewarded with a starting place in England's last-gasp victory over Ireland, the Exeter Chief wowed the Twickenham crowd with his pace and power and such was his impact, his talents were missed when injury ruled him out of the final game in France.

Leicester lock George Martin was ruled out of England's first two games because of injury but came back into the starting team to face defending champions Ireland.

A robust 80-minute performance followed where the 22-year-old may have established himself as England's number one enforcer with dominant tackles and carries throughout.

France

The temporary loss of superstar scrum-half Antoine Dupont to the France sevens team proved a bigger issue than first anticipated.

Fabien Galthie dropped Maxime Lucu for Racing 92 scrum-half Nolann le Garrec for the trip to Cardiff in round four and the 21-year-old repaid his coach's faith with a player-of-the-match performance in his first Six Nations start.

An audacious 40-yard reverse pass to set up a break down the wing summed up his fearless and energetic display, and he impressed again in the narrow win over England as France recovered their spark.

"Le Garrec has to be the find of this tournament," said former England wing Chris Ashton. "He's a real talent."

Louis Bielle-Biarrey broke into France's senior team at the World Cup but lost his place for the opening Six Nations game against Ireland.

The 21-year-old wing made his Six Nations debut in Les Bleus' victory at Murrayfield and conjured up one of the tries of the tournament with the match-winning score from a chip and chase.

Aged 19, Posolo Tuilagi, nephew of England's Manu, was the youngest Six Nations debutant this campaign.

Following a destructive display in his first start against Italy, illness ruled the lock out of the victory against Wales before he was released back to their Under-20 side in a bid to stop England's title challenge.

Weighing in at just over 23 stones, he has all the attributes to become a Six Nations great.

 

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