All Blacks World Cup-winning hero Stephen Donald has named his top three drop-goal kickers of all time, giving special mention to a Springboks legend that didn’t quite make his list.
Donald, speaking on The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav podcast, reflected on England’s victory over the All Blacks on Saturday, crediting playmaker George Ford for leading his side to victory.
Not only did Ford control the match expertly, but he also slotted two drop goals in quick succession just before the half-time break, in a move that truly altered the swing of the match.
It wasn’t the first time the Sale Sharks fly-half has kicked three points from open play; in fact, he’s become rather prolific at it in recent years. Many will remember his hat-trick of drop goals in England’s opening round victory over Argentina in the 2023 World Cup, as well as being familiar with his regular three-point returns from goal-line dropouts in the English Premiership.
It’s Ford’s ability to strike the ball so cleanly, under so much pressure, that has earned him a spot in the top three drop goal kickers of all time, according to Donald.
Choosing to select former Springbok Morne Steyn at number one and England’s World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson at two, Donald felt that Ford deserved to go in at number three. He did, however, believe that one other former star deserved a mention.
“There’s one who I haven’t put in the top three, but he did one that broke a nation’s heart. Joel Stransky, of course, the great South African who destroyed many a Kiwi heart in ’95. He did it on the biggest stage.”
Who stood out for England?
Claiming that “George Ford led them to victory,” Donald was also impressed by others in the white of England. Talking about Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, a player he’s been impressed with in the past, he said: “They created space for him, a lot of space on the edges, and the boys, the scramble got him in the end, but you feel that, you wouldn’t want to give him too much more.
“I thought Earl was great in the loose forwards. We talked about last week that the English loose forward make-up physically is just a bit different to what Kiwis are probably used to. You know, the chunks of meat, they’re a bit more like a South African, but without the massive height that the South Africans are possessing at the moment.
“It takes a lot to get rid of them at the breakdown; they just carry, there’s no complications to their carry. We call it T-boning, and it’s not the perfect scenario, but they just back their physical mass to try and create momentum.”
“Lawrence at centre, tough to ignore,” Donald said, admitting that he had been misinformed by friends before the match who claimed that the Bath player was one-dimensional in his play.
“He was outstanding, really, really powerful in the midfield, so much of the big moments were in and around his work.”