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Seven Springboks make World Rugby men’s 15s dream team of the year
By Liam Heagney reporting from Monaco
Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks have dominated World Rugby men’s 15s dream team of the year with a seven-strong representation. Just four countries gained selection, with Andy Farrell’s Ireland providing four players, New Zealand three and Argentina one.
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World Rugby’s 2024 player of year award winner Pieter-Steph du Toit was one of four South African forwards included in the selection announced in Monaco on Sunday night. He was joined in the pack by fellow countrymen Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Eben Etzebeth.
The three South African backs who made the cut were Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Cheslin Kolbe. Etzebeth and Kolbe were du Toit’s challengers for the player of the year award along with Caelan Doris, who headed up his Ireland team’s four-strong dream team picks.
Tadhg Beirne, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe were the three other Irish selected, while the three All Blacks recognised were Tyrel Lomax, Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan. The final place on the dream team was filled by Argentina forward Pablo Matera.
World Rugby men’s 15s dream team of the year: 15. Will Jordan (New Zealand); 14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 13. Jesse Kriel (South Africa), 12. Damian de Allende (South Africa), 11. James Lowe (Ireland); 10. Damian McKenzie (New Zealand), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); 1. Ox Nche (South Africa), 2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa), 3. Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand), 4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 6. Pablo Matera (Argentina), 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), 8. Caelan Doris (Ireland).
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How did Marx get in? He's been a bench man for the Boks and has only played over 40 minutes for them three times this year out of his 12 games.
How many tackles must Frans Malherbe make and crush the likes of Lomax to be considered the best? I smell some bias here from Kiwis on the panel.
DMac? Brave young man but Beauden was brought back to flyhalf to rescue the ABs. None of them have the reality of double World Cup winner Pollard.
De Allende and Kriel. What a joke
DMac is the joke. Even the aged BB can lift him out the No10 shirt. Consolation prize for AB's The three best teams in the world are SA Ireland and France.
Double World Cup winners are outplaying everything in their way, including overrated Aki. The only other centre in their league is Gail Ficou.
I can't believe that not one French player made the cut
The limeys and their disciples will never admit that the French are better than all of them. They will show they are the best in the Six Nations.
Peato Mauvaka for one.
hahaha all the DMac haters, looking silly round about now... 😂
Not at all. The judges look silly. He can't even hold his place during one of the worst years for the AB's in the past decade.
Matera as on of the flankers is an odd choice, I thought he was outplayed by JMG, Oveido, and Kremer when fit. In fact he probably comes off the bench in Argentina's top 23.
Albornoz at 10 over DMac as well. Marcus Smith has been very good but is guilty by association with England's terrible results.
Matera is a very strange choice I agree. Personally I would have picked Wallace Sititi
Only 7?!!!! 😂
No10 is debatable but all other choices are sound. Congrats to all the Dream Team.
Darcy Graham over James Lowe and Finn Russell has to be No. 10
I’d take Wiese over Doris 9 days out of 10.
Me too, but Wiese lacks the size of Doris.
Wiese has never outplayed Doris at club or international level, fairly sure he's also never won a game against him in either....
Hells yeah to that
Only time Damian hasn't looked small 😂
Thomas Albornoz instead of DMac
Coming from a Kiwi I too was surprised that DMac has made the team. I don't think it was a brilliant year for any 10s but for me I would have said Marcus Smith.
Agreed. He’s been brilliant this year.
Finn Russel or Marcus Smith?
Five Kiwis, four of whom are also Maori All Blacks. Shot. Also, I thought DMac was excellent v ENG cameo & v IRE full match. So very, very, happy to see him recognized. And for all those saying Jordan's a wing? Let it go. It ain't happening.
I’ll let it go but it should happen.
would have put Finn Russell over DMac, but otherwise quite comprehensible
100%
Dmacs season was suspect for more than half of it.