1
Springboks, All Blacks dominate Rugby World magazine's World Cup XV
Rugby World magazine have named a Rugby World Cup team of the tournament dominated by last month’s finalists South Africa and New Zealand, along with host nation France. These three countries account for 12 of the available positions, with Ireland, Wales and Tonga filling the remaining three spots.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Springboks had just a single player – Eben Etzebeth – included in the World Rugby dream team for the 2023 calendar year, but Rugby World magazine confined its choices to performances at the World Cup in France and it resulted in the inclusion of five South Africans.
Four picks were in the pack – loosehead Ox Nche, second rows Etzebeth and Franco Mostert and World Cup final player of the match Pieter-Steph du Toit. Winger Cheslin Kolbe was their sole back to gain recognition.
The runner-up All Blacks dominated the backline with three picks – out-half Richie Mo’unga, centre Jordie Barrett and winger Will Jordan – with Ardie Savea, the World Rugby player of the year for 2023, named upfront at No8.
France had three players picked, hooker Peato Mauvaka, scrum-half Antoine Dupont and full-back Thomas Ramos. Irish centre Bundee Aki, Welsh openside Jac Morgan and Tongan tighthead Ben Tameifuna completed the line-up.
?What's in your #RWC2023 collector's edition/Rugby World December issue ?
We have a match summary, magic moment, quotes from both teams, line-ups, scorers, refs and star men from all 48 games!
BUY MAG: https://t.co/MC1QLcClxE pic.twitter.com/f6ykmkrJVy
— Rugby World (@Rugbyworldmag) November 9, 2023
Test-level newcomer Morgan was named the team of the tournament’s captain with Portugal’s Patrice Lagisquet named as coach.
Regarding its half-back selection of Mo’unga and Dupont, Rugby World explained: “Richie Mo’unga’s triple threat boosts any side and his form over the entire tournament edges out Handre Pollard, who didn’t miss a kick for the Boks.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Antoine Dupont’s ability to bounce back from a fractured cheekbone and still hit the heights that others simply cannot completes the half-back pairing.”
Switching to the front row, Rugby World added: “At loosehead is bomb squad extraordinaire Ox Nche. It’s no exaggeration to say that South Africa would not have won without his scrum supremacy against France and England.”
Rugby World Team of the Tournament:
15. Thomas Ramos (France); 14. Will Jordan (New Zealand), 13. Bundee Aki (Ireland), 12. Jordie Barrett (New Zealand), 11. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa); 10. Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand), 9. Antoine Dupont (France); 1. Ox Nche (South Africa), 2. Peato Mauvaka (France), 3. Ben Tameifuna, 4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 5. Franco Mostert (South Africa), 6. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), 7. Jac Morgan (Wales, captain), 8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand). Coach: Patrice Lagisquet (Portugal).
Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to comments