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No Etzebeth or Savea in Midi Olympique's XV of the year

By Ian Cameron
Ardie Savea of the All Blacks (L) and Rieko Ioane of the All Blacks in the huddle after the match during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Ireland at Forsyth Barr Stadium on July 09, 2022 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Midi Olympique have thrown the cat among the pigeons with their team of the year for 2022 – leaving out Eben Etzebeth and Ardie Savea from their selection.

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The selection includes five Frenchmen, four Ireland players, two New Zealanders and just two South Africans. There’s a lone English player and an Azzuri shoo-in to make up the 15.

The broad fan consensus that Etzebeth was by some distance the best lock in the world in 2022 was lost on those selecting the team. No doubt his underwhelming exit from Toulon and the Top 14 will have played into their thinking. Tadhg Beirne and Sam Whitelock were Midi’s pairing in the second row.

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There was also no room for Savea, who was the All Blacks‘ standout player in a year in which the men in blacks admittedly struggled to convince under the guidance of head coach Ian Foster.

There was also no room for Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am, who shone brightly for both the Springboks and the Sharks in the URC. The French outlet went for fellow Bok midfielder Damian de Allende and Ireland’s Garry Ringrose, who have both been in fine form in the latter quarter of the year. Am’s time spent on the sidelines during the same time period may have cost him.

The inclusion of Harlequins’ flyhalf Marcus Smith at ten ahead of Johnny Sexton will certainly raise some eyebrows considering the Leinster 10 steered Ireland to the World Rugby No.1 spot in a calendar year in which his influence on the sport seemed stronger than ever.

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Midi Olympique team of the year for 2022:
15. Ange Capuozzo (Italy)
14. Damian Penaud (France)
13. Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
12. Damian de Allende (South Africa)
11. Caleb Clarke (New Zealand)
10. Marcus Smith (England)
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
1. Cyril Baille (France)
2. Julien Marchand (France)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
4. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
5. Sam Whitelock (New Zealand)
6. Siya Kolisi (South Africa)
7. Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
8. Grégory Alldritt (France)

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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