1
The World under-85kg XV - the lightest team on the planet
RugbyPass builds the best under-85kg team possible from the world’s professional playing pool.
- Damian McKenzie – 80kg
When healthy is already one of the world’s most elusive players. Can provide cover at 10 but has really set Super Rugby on fire from the back. When healthy, would be an automatic starter at the back.
ADVERTISEMENT
- Cheslin Kolbe – 80kg
Springbok and Toulouse winger is a hot-stepping phenom capable of unlocking any defence and can handle himself one-on-one with the world’s biggest power wingers. A safe pick for the right wing.
- Alex Lozowski – 85kg
Saracens utility Alex Lozowski offers ball-playing versatility in the midfield and can also cover flyhalf. Has regularly seen Premiership action wearing the 13 jersey so will slot in without any issues on the pre-match scales.
- Romain Ntamack – 82kg
The 19-year-old son of former international Emile Ntamack has cemented himself as one of the top midfielders in France already and debuted in the Six Nations at outside-centre against Wales. His natural position is at 12 where he can bring his natural ball-playing into the picture.
- Santiago Cordero – 79kg
The elusive outside back has become the Premiership’s most dangerous runner, with a league-leading 98 defenders beaten for the Exeter Chiefs. He is one of the world’s best-attacking talents with ball-in-hand and pushes out fellow Argentinan wing Bautista Delguy for the starting spot.
- Richie Mo’unga – 86kg
Crusaders flyhalf Richie Mo’unga is smaller in stature compared to incumbent All Black 10 Beauden Barrett but is just as effective. His attacking class has been on show the last two years for the back-to-back Super Rugby champions, leading to an All Blacks debut last year.
Mo’unga is an automatic selection at 10 and will just need to manage his preparation to drop that water weight before game day.
- Aaron Smith – 83kg
The easiest position to fill in the side with many available candidates under the 85kg mark. Why not just pick one of the best halfback’s in the world?
France and Toulouse halfback Antoine Dupont (82kg) would also be a strong pick on form.
ADVERTISEMENT
This is where the team gets tricky, as every under-85kg side knows, there are no real forwards on the pitch.
- Du’Plessis Kirifi – 96kg
The Hurricanes flanker is tipping way over the required weight at 96kg but the former youth halfback is a beast with ball in hand and is used to playing above his size in Super Rugby. With a full-offseason of fasting, Kirifi could drop 10kgs and find himself peeling off the back of the World under-85kg scrum.
- Jack Nowell – 89kg
Eddie Jones wants to play Nowell at openside but the only team he probably could do that with is in an under-85kg local side. With strong carrying and no fear of contact, we can make Jones’ wish come true if Nowell is prepared to eat two-minute noodles for the rest of the season to make the weight.
- Darcy Graham – 75kg
Scotland’s pocket rocket is a tough rooster with elite footwork. Lacking size but not heart, Graham possesses the type of toughness we need in this pack. At only 1.76m he won’t provide a third jumping option in the lineout, but that never stopped the Wallabies and Michael Hooper, right?
- Emiliano Boffelli – 83kg
Argentina’s elusive fullback is known for his game-breaking runs and ability under the high ball. At 1.91m, Boffelli can bring his height to the lineout and be used as a jumping option. His catching skills will hopefully bring a reliable pair of hands to the second row.
- Jordan Olowofela – 90kg
At 1.89m, Leicester Tigers’ speedster Olowofela would be a perfect second jumping option in the second row. Listed at 90kg, he would have to slim down a bit but is the option for lock.
- Leigh Halfpenny – 84kg
A goal-kicking front rower, Halfpenny brings a unique edge to the front row with years at fullback. He has the kind of upper body bulk required of an under-85kg prop, with big arms and chest area.
- Harry Thacker – 82kg
The only actual forward to make the pack in his position, Bristol’s Harry Thacker has proven that size isn’t everything for forwards. The rake brings much-needed scrum knowledge and throwing ability to the side.
- Sevu Reece – 86kg
Full of power, Reece has a robust upper body on a small frame with large traps that at least will make it easier to hold his own at scrummaging time. The Crusaders wing has been in sublime form and should be able to make those tight carries off 9.
Weaknesses – Set Piece/Lineout
ADVERTISEMENT
Strengths – Skills and Pace.
Style – Bringing 7’s style rugby to 15’s, the World under-85kg XV would take the ‘zero ruck’ defence strategy to attack, limiting any sort of tackle by keeping the ball alive at all costs. Would likely crush any local under-85kg club side by at least 100 points.
Comments on RugbyPass
Did the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to comments