All Blacks to the fore in teams of decade
All Blacks totally dominate teams selected by former England rugby internationals on a BBC panel choosing the best XV of the decade.
Former England winger Ugo Monye, halfback Danny Care and BBC rugby correspondent Chris Jones picked their best side of 2010-19 between them while there was also one made up of votes from rugby fans in the UK.
The team chosen by Monye, Care and Jones featured seven All Blacks with Owen Farrell, England’s only player in either team, chosen ahead of All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu at second five-eighth.
The All Blacks in both teams were Beauden Barrett at fullback, Julian Savea on the left wing, Dan Carter at first five-eighth, Kieran Read at No 8, Richie McCaw in the flankers, and Dane Coles at hooker.
Earlier this week, Carter was named World Rugby’s player of the decade, beating fellow All Blacks great McCaw for the honour, and Kiwis dominating teams of the decade follows successive World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015.
The Springboks finished the decade as world champions, though, with the All Blacks surrendering the Webb Ellis Cup after losing 19-7 to England in the semifinals this year.
Wales were the second best contributors with four players in either team, and winger George North, centre Jonathan Davies and lock Alun Wyn Jones featured in both.
The panel’s team opted for Australia’s Will Genia instead of Aaron Smith at halfback, with former Wales captain Sam Warburton alongside McCaw in the flankers, Wyn Jones and South African lock Eben Etzebeth in the second row, and
Springboks prop Tendai Mtawarira in the front row with former All Blacks tighthead Owen Franks and Coles at hooker.
The fans’ team on the BBC had nine All Blacks with Nonu at secondfive and Brodie Retallick at lock,
with Australia’s David Pocock at blindside flanker, and Welsh prop Adam Jones at tighthead.
Mtawarira was another included in both teams after finishing his international career with a World Cup win.