All Blacks legend Marshall crowns Wallabies captain Wilson best No. 8 in the world

Justin Marshall, the 81-test All Blacks halfback, has declared Wallabies captain Harry Wilson the best number eight in the world — high praise from a New Zealand great delivered in the wake of a 50-19 Bledisloe Cup defeat for Australia at Eden Park last weekend.

Wilson finished top of the tackle charts with 27 tackles made from as many attempts, and also crossed for a late try under the posts. Despite the heavy margin, his individual display stood out sharply against a clinical All Blacks second-half performance that turned a three-point half-time deficit into a 31-point victory.

“The ability for him to get around the field as a ball carrier and as a defender was just incredible. He’s an absolute machine,” Marshall said. “His attitude, his hunger, his care for what he’s doing out there — you can see that he bleeds for his country. For me, he’s the best number eight in the world at the moment. He is the epitome of exactly what being a Test number eight is all about.”

Marshall added that Wilson’s performance was all the more remarkable given the scale of the defeat. “In a team that got beaten by 31 points, to be noticed and to put in effort like that — super impressed with him. Incredible.”

Legendary All Blacks No. 8 Kieran Read, the 2014 World Rugby Player of the Year, echoed the sentiment. “I’ve had big raps on Wilson for a long time,” Read said. “The effort is 100 per cent there from that guy. That is someone who leads men — a fantastic player. Those hits he put on a few guys near the touchline in the first half was just brutal. Concrete shoulders.”

Read retired from international rugby after the 2019 Rugby World Cup bronze final, less than a year before Wilson made his Wallabies debut against the All Blacks in 2020 under now-New Zealand coach Dave Rennie.

Wilson’s standing has risen sharply in 2025. He was named in the World Rugby Dream Team after leading Australia to victories over the British & Irish Lions and the Springboks, including a 38-22 comeback win at Johannesburg’s Emirates Airline Park in which he scored twice. The Wallabies also went five matches unbeaten under new head coach Les Kiss before last weekend’s loss ended that run.

With the Rugby World Cup set to be hosted in Australia, Wilson’s form and leadership will be central to how far the Wallabies can go on home soil.