Boks and All Blacks are pick of the best
The Rugby Championship is over and we select the top 15 performers as well as 15 others who were close rivals in each playing position
After the 2018 Rugby Championship that showed signs of being competitive, thanks largely to the Springboks’ two epic battles against the All Blacks‚ we pick our composite team from the tournament’s standout players. 15: Willie le Roux (SA). Bubbling under: Ben Smith (New Zealand). The mercurial Le Roux delivered some brilliant performances interspersed with one or two below-par outings. But when he was hot‚ he was like rugby magma. His delivery against the All Blacks in particular played a huge part in the Springboks’ positive performances. He ghosted into space regularly and was solid under the high ball. 14: Rieko Ioane (New Zealand). Bubbling under: Israel Folau (Australia). Joint top try-scorer with five strikes tells only a small portion of the story for New Zealand’s main weapon. Powerful and quick‚ Ioane turns half chances into fully fledged scoring opportunities with his ability to stress and stretch defences. A rare talent who keeps improving. 13: Jack Goodhue (New Zealand). Bubbling under: Jesse Kriel (SA).
Goodhue did not have as much game time as he would have liked, but when he was on the field he created huge problems for the opposition. He was the centre that made the most metres with ball in hand and was also in the top 10 for offloads. He is a star in the making and is set to be a dangerous presence at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. 12: Jeronimo de la Fuente (Argentina).
Bubbling under: Damian de Allende (SA). Another position where no player was massively better than the next. De la Fuente though broke tackles and created problems while also showing defensive steel. 11: Aphiwe Dyantyi (SA). Bubbling under: Ramiro Moyano (Argentina). Dyantyi scored five tries in the competition‚ but offered so much more than that. His speed and intuition to snuff out what looked like sure tries highlighted his defensive ability. He is raw but there wasn’t a player who put more fear into defences. 10: Nicolas Sanchez (Argentina). Bubbling under: Handré Pollard (SA). Sanchez was the tournament’s leading scorer with 67 points. He was the general who operated behind a pack that was often on the back foot. He isn’t as flashy as some of his opponents‚ but his ability to keep the side moving forward, or to relieve pressure‚ are essential ingredients in Test battles. 9: Faf de Klerk (SA). Bubbling under: Aaron Smith (New Zealand). Feisty scrumhalf De Klerk was at his harrying‚ hassling best throughout the tournament. His defence and knack for making vital tackles was one of the key features of the Boks’ campaign, while his tactical kicking game improved over the course of the competition. 8: David Pocock (Australia). Bubbling under: Kieran Read (New Zealand). Turnover master Pocock didn’t disappoint with 10 pilfers in the tournament, as well as 72 tackles. His ability to link on attack was immense‚ which all added up to a thunderous return to the tournament for the brilliant Wallaby. 7: Pieter-Steph du Toit (SA). Bubbling under: Marcos Kremer (Argentina). One-time lock Du Toit has managed to establish himself as a world-class blindside flank. The top tackler in the tournament with 82 tackles‚ he also carried willingly‚ which allowed him to be in the top 10 for carries and offloads. 6: Pablo Matera (Argentina). Bubbling under: Siya Kolisi (SA).
Not a classic open-sider, Matera is one of those loose-forwards who is a little bit of everything. He was a dynamo for the Pumas‚ operating as a breakdown specialist and a linking kingpin. It was a coming-of-age campaign for him. 5: Scott Barrett (New Zealand). Bubbling under: Franco Mostert (SA). The biggest of the Barrett brothers grew into his own with his elevation to first-choice starter after Brodie Retallick’s injury. He was effective in the line-outs‚ a strong defender and shuddering ball carrier. No frills but an underrated performer in a strong team. 4: Eben Etzebeth (SA). Bubbling under: Sam Whitelock (New Zealand). The Bok hard man has a work rate that would make most athletes blush. He took the most line-outs (28), was second in line-outs stolen (2) and featured highly with carries and tackles. It was wonderful to see the great man back to his best. 3: Owen Franks (New Zealand). Bubbling under: Frans Malherbe (SA). The veteran tight-head is the opposite of flashy, but Franks quietly grinds opponents down while working hard in the tight loose exchanges. It’s never pretty but is always effective. 2: Malcolm Marx (SA). Bubbling under: Codie Taylor (New Zealand). Bok hooker Marx is a rare gem of a player, and while his throwing–in is a work in progress‚ his all-round game is peerless. He made eight pilfers – second only to Pocock – while making a whopping 51 tackles. He made three tackle breaks and carried 40 times. Immense. 1: Karl Tu’inukuafe (New Zealand). Bubbling under: Steven Kitshoff (SA). Tu’inukuafe is immovable on the fringes in the tight loose. Nothing flashy — but the find of the season.
JACK GOODHUE IS A STAR IN THE MAKING AND IS SET TO BE A DANGEROUS PRESENCE AT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP