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The Best Of The Rest: A Rugby Championship XV Minus The All Blacks

Nicolas Sanchez

If these guys were playing the Lions next year we might actually have a close game on our hands, writes Jamie Wall.

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New Zealand have been so dominant in the Rugby Championship this year – the 36-17 win over Argentina on the weekend was their closest result so far – that naming an actual tournament team would mean more or less copy-and-pasting the All Blacks starting line up.

So, instead, the Best of the Rest XV recognises the standout players from the three other teams of the 2016 Rugby Championship. In all honesty it would probably still be a stretch to see them challenging the All Blacks this season if they ever took the field.

Speaking of, there is another team made up of different nations coming down next year that won’t stand a chance on their tour of New Zealand either. Maybe the Lions could play these guys on the way so we can see a close game of rugby?

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Props: Tendai Mtawarira (RSA), Ramiro Herrera (ARG)
The Beast has been in career-best form, which is saying a lot considering said career spans 83 tests. Meanwhile Herrera has anchored the dependable Pumas scrum. Plus their names rhyme, which makes it easier for commentators.

Hooker: Agustin Creevy (ARG)
The only number 2 in the world who comes close to being as exciting as Dane Coles right now. Loves an offload or five every game.

Locks: Eben Etzebeth (RSA), Pieter-Steph du Toit (RSA)
The two Springbok big men have rekindled memories of when Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha used to rule both lineouts and breakdowns with an iron fist, Etzebeth sometimes hulking out of his jersey.

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The Incredible Etzebeth (Photo Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Incredible Hulkzebeth (Photo Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Loose Forwards: Warren Whitely (RSA), Michael Hooper (AUS), Facundo Isa (ARG)
Cheating a little bit here by including two Number 8’s, however it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine Whitely or Isa being just as effective at blindside. Meanwhile Hooper has been in typical pesky-good form.

Halves: Will Genia (AUS), Nicolas Sanchez (ARG)
The Queensland halfback turned back the clock in his performance against Los Pumas in Perth, looking like the player that was the cornerstone of the Reds’ Super Rugby triumph in 2011. Sanchez has seemingly shaken off the jitters he gets when playing the All Blacks and has been kicking goals from everywhere.

Midfield: Bernard Foley (AUS), Tevita Kuridrani (AUS)
OK, so Foley is in here more or less by default given that Los Pumas haven’t had the same midfield for two games in a row and the Boks combinations have been about as lethal as a wet sponge. Kuridrani’s good Super Rugby form has carried over to the test arena.

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Backline: Santiago Cordero (ARG), Bryan Habana (RSA), Joacquin Tuculet (ARG)
Another Bok veteran showing he’s still got it, the 122-test Habana sliced the All Black defence open just like old times when they met in Christchurch. Cordero and Tuculet showed that last year’s Rugby World Cup form was no fluke as well, looking constantly dangerous from the back.

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SK 27 minutes ago
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I think France have made really good improvements. They have found several players on the bench and in the wider squad who are able to now operate at the level of their starters, they have power and devastation on the bench and can change the game. Their gameplan has also evolved and they are able to stay in the fight for longer. Fitness and conditioning seems to have become primary work ons. They have worked massively on breakdown where they forced so many turnovers and always slowed down Irelands ball. How many times did you see a French hand on the ball fighting the first and second cleaner tooth and nail for access before being shoved off of it? They become like a pack of rabid dogs on turnover and transitions, they counter so much better now and you can see elements of the Bordeaux and Toulouse game written all over the team. Its almost like a swarm when they counter. They have great alignment between the Top 14 and the national team and they have a group of players who are well versed in playing this style. You could see clearly in this game why both Galthie and Erasmus now fancy a 7-1 stack against Ireland. It is by and large to overpower them and demolish their breakdown. Irelands attack has devolved. Its now more metronomic than creative. It involves phase after phase of attritional attack and hordes of possession but it lacks creativity and purpose after the second or third phase. The Ireland attack of old kept teams guessing. You didnt know if they were gonna go wide or close in, you had to worry about the offload, the inside pass, the blindside and the hooker on the wing. Now it seems like they move the ball side to side while patiently waiting for the dam wall to break. They also lack pace and bite in the outside channels without Hansen and Lowe. Nash and Osborne were not on it and they struggled to contain the outside French backs who were incredible. France had more leaders that stood up, more grit and more power and it all proved too much for Ireland to handle.

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