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Springboks dominate the World Rugby Dream Team of the Year
By Liam Heagney
Jacques Nienaber's Springboks are the dominant force in the 2021 World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year, Eben Etzebeth leading the charge towards securing five places in an XV featuring players from eight different countries. South Africa signed off on their 13-game season with a last-gasp loss last month to England at Twickenham.
However, they have now trumped Eddie Jones' side on a five-to-one score in the World Rugby dream team selection which features a combined total of 850 Test caps across the 15 picks. Malcolm Marx, Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am were the five chosen Springboks compared to Maro Itoje being the sole England pick.
The All Blacks were the next-best in terms of representation, Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett and Will Jordan giving them three picks. The Wallabies secured two inclusions, Michael Hooper and Samu Kerevi, with Wales' Wyn Jones, Ireland's Tadhg Furlong, France's Antoine Dupont and Scotland's Stuart Hogg the other players who were chosen.
World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year
1. Wyn Jones (Wales)
2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
6. Siya Kolisi (South Africa)
7. Michael Hooper (Australia)
8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
10. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)
11. Makazole Mapimpi (South Africa)
12. Samu Kerevi (Australia)
13. Lukhanyo Am (South Africa)
14. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
In the women's dream team selection, six countries were represented in a 539-cap XV dominated by France and England, who respectively had six and five picks.
World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year
1. Annaëlle Deshayes (France)
2. Agathe Sochat (France)
3. Sarah Bern (England)
4. Safi N’Diaye (France)
5. Abbie Ward (England)
6. Zoe Aldcroft (England)
7. Karen Paquin (Canada)
8. Poppy Cleall (England)
9. Laure Sansus (France)
10. Caroline Drouin (France)
11. Abby Dow (England)
12. Beatrice Rigoni (Italy)
13. Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)
14. Caroline Boujard (France)
15. Jasmine Joyce (Wales)
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Latest Comments
You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.
The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.
Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.
There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.
I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.
When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.
You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it
Go to commentsThe main difference is that it was waaaaaay easier back then while the quality at the top end on the world rankings is much closer. One mustn't forget how Bryce Lawrence tactically decided to completely ignore refereeing the breakdown which opened the door for an Aussie win against SA at NZ home World Cup.. farcical. The other difference is that NZ won one (well - two) on home soil whilst the Boks won both away from home on the bounce having to play the top 4 sides to get there.. toughest route to glory.
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