Three World Rugby POTYs snubbed in Bok RWC winners’ team of the series

Three former World Rugby Player of the Year winners have missed out on Steven Kitshoff and Trevor Nyakane’s team of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, with Malcolm Marx the only recipient of the award to make the XV comprising nine Springboks and six All Blacks.

The two World Cup-winning Springbok props named their combined team from South Africa’s 3-1 series victory over the All Blacks on the For the Love of Rugby: South Africa podcast, overlooking Ardie Savea, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Beauden Barrett.

Savea, the 2023 Player of the Year, scored three tries across the opening three Tests before a shoulder injury ruled him out of the finale in Baltimore. Jasper Wiese was nevertheless preferred at No.8, with New Zealand’s Luke Jacobson joining Siya Kolisi on the flanks.

Du Toit, who won the award in 2019 and 2024, was another notable omission despite featuring throughout the series, while two-time winner Barrett, now 35, also missed out after playing a reduced role across the four Tests. Ruben Love was instead selected at fly-half.

The only winner of the individual prize to make the team was reigning Player of the Year Marx, who was joined by Ox Nche and Wilco Louw in an all-Springbok front-row. Kitshoff and Nyakane had little hesitation over their choice at hooker after Marx’s influence across the series.

“I don’t think there’s much of a debate right here because we all know him,” Nyakane said when selecting their hooker. “Malcolm ‘Moose’ Marx, probably, arguably the best rugby player in the world. Malcolm gets that number two jumper for me and that’s what I think.

Kitshoff said: “Malcolm has just been exceptional throughout this tournament. I think putting him in the number two jersey or the number 16 jersey doesn’t really matter for the Springboks. He makes a impact every time he’s around the ball. He carries like a flipping tractor tyre and he tackles like a demon. He is really good at the moment and he looks fit. He’s conditioned.

“We saw him go down with a shoulder a couple of weeks ago. Got back into the squad. Went down with a little bit of a neck injury. What looked like there was ice pack on the back of his head. But also his head is so big that it’s difficult to think where he puts it when he makes tackles or carries the ball. I don’t know. He uses his head as a little bit of a battering ram. I had to mention it, but there’s no doubt.

“I thought Deon Fourie played well. I thought the New Zealand hookers played exceptionally well. Codie Taylor captained in Baltimore. But Malcolm was just – and Malcolm is maybe even my player of the tournament, to be honest – just incredible each and every game that he was on the field.

Nyakane added: “Now Moose, my man, well done. We really enjoyed watching you play. He is a one-man wrecking ball at this moment. Hard to stop. Beautiful to watch. Enjoyable. And Malcolm Marx gets that number two spot for us.”

Kitshoff and Nyakane’s team of the series: 15 Damian McKenzie (New Zealand); 14 Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 13 Jordie Barrett (New Zealand), 12 Damian de Allende (South Africa), 11 Ethan Hooker (South Africa); 10 Ruben Love (New Zealand), 9 Cam Roigard (New Zealand); 1 Ox Nche (South Africa), 2 Malcolm Marx (South Africa), 3 Wilco Louw (South Africa), 4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 5 Tupou Vaa’i (New Zealand), 6 Siya Kolisi (South Africa), 7 Luke Jacobson (New Zealand), 8 Jasper Wiese (South Africa)