Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Team of the Series: Springboks DOMINATE selection as ‘best player in the world’ orchestrates All Blacks downfall
Malcolm Marx (right) and Jordie Barrett (left) feature in our Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Team of the Series
Following the conclusion of a gripping Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series between the Springboks and the All Blacks, here is our take on the Team of the Series.
Rassie Erasmus’ side came back from a 1-0 deficit following a defeat at Ellis Park to round out 3-1 winners come full-time in Baltimore, in a series that saw both sides cement their spots as the best two teams in Test rugby.
Without further ado, here is our Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry XV!
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Team of the Series
15 Damian Willemse (Springboks): A battle of the Damian’s at full-back, with Damian McKenzie coming in as our number two, but we’ve got the Boks baller in here. Willemse yet again added a layer of calmness to the Springboks’ side in each of his three appearances across the series, and chipped in well whenever called upon.
14 Will Jordan (All Blacks): Superb stuff from the All Blacks winger, who beats out Kurt-Lee Arendse to make it into our XV. It always seemed like things were going to happen whenever he touched the ball and he yet again showed his poacher’s touch with four tries in four Tests.
13 Jesse Kriel (Springboks): There’s a lot to like about the way Kriel goes about his business, and he played a key role in the Springboks’ series triumph. His powerful work in defence was vital in shutting down the All Blacks’ free-flowing attack, particularly in their aggressive blitz system when he led the line speed, but that was also backed up with some nice flashes ball-in-hand too. Quinn Tupaea was not far behind, though.
12 Jordie Barrett (All Blacks): Probably the hardest call of the lot, with Damian de Allende enjoying a stellar series in his own right, but Barrett was a real standout across the series and potentially even the visitors’ Player of the Series at that. Seemed to play the Tests in a dinner jacket with his classy efforts in attack, be it with the boot or ball-in-hand distribution, and that seemed to get the All Blacks system purring.
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11 Cheslin Kolbe (Springboks): Ethan Hooker can certainly feel hard done by to miss out, but Kolbe’s all-round game gets him into our side. The X-factor back, who even had a flirtation with full-back, yet again showed some devastating flashes in attack, but he also blended that with pinpoint goal-kicking to help fire the Boks to a series victory.
10 Ruben Love (All Blacks): Some lovely flashes from the emerging All Blacks fly-half, which seem to suit the way Dave Rennie wants to take his side. While Cam Roigard and Barrett led much of the attack, Love’s ability to inject himself into the play and take over got his side playing some lovely rugby ball-in-hand. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was our second pick.
9 Cam Roigard (All Blacks): One of the most consistent players across the four Tests for either side, with Roigard yet again showing why he’s the number one number nine for the All Blacks. His desire to play quickly, either with his distribution or carrying around the fringes, got the attack purring at times, and found a beautiful synergy with Barrett and Love around him. Morne van den Berg really took his chance in the latter Tests and wasn’t far off this side.
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8 Jasper Wiese (Springboks): Came into the series as the best number eight in the world, and left it the same way. Put in four monstrous efforts across the Tests, blending outright brutality in the tight with a shift in style towards becoming a strike option in broken field, and that played a vital role in his side’s victory come last weekend. Peter Lakai also went well for the All Blacks at number eight.
7 Ardie Savea (All Blacks): I know, I know. We’re slightly cheating here, but there was no way we couldn’t have Savea in our side; and given the fluid nature of the back-row and the fact he did shift to flank on occasion, we’ve opted to deploy him at openside. Provided a real rock of consistency for the All Blacks in each of his three outings, be it from a leadership perspective or with his efforts on the pitch, and was probably the best player on the pitch before his injury in Test Three too. Also got himself three tries in the process, which were very much deserved. Siya Kolisi was not far away from this side, though.
6 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Springboks): The man who continues to define world-class blindsidery yet again delivered in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, as we expected him too really. Everything he seemed to turn his mind to paid off for the Springboks, particularly in defence and around the breakdown, and really helped set the tone for their comeback and ultimate series win. Another bit of cheating here, but Luke Jacobson had a strong campaign.
5 Ruan Nortje (Springboks): Lock has been a major talking point for the Springboks this year, but Nortje emerges from the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series as potentially their main man here. Seemed to be in the thick of the action right across the four Tests, doing a lot of the ugly work that eventually laid the foundations for the Boks’ series win, and contributed well to a strong lineout which quickly became a weapon for Erasmus’ side. Tupou Vaa’i impressed as well.
4 Eben Etzebeth (Springboks): Joining his lock partner in this side is Bok enforcer Etzebeth, who gets in ahead of Fabian Holland in the process. He began in pretty strong fashion anyway, but come the end of the series he was one of the standout players for Erasmus’ side, charging around the park and throwing himself into every battle possible.
3 Wilco Louw (Springboks): A tough call between him and Thomas du Toit, but Louw edges the battle of the Springbok tightheads in this Team of the Series. Louw really hit top straps in the scrum this series, tearing through the All Blacks at will and milking penalties off the back of it, which in turn helped turn the series back towards the hosts.
2 Malcolm Marx (Springboks): Head and shoulders the best player in the world right now, after an unbelievable series. His ability to play big minutes deserves praise by itself, but it’s also what he did in those stints that gets in into our team with world-class efforts right around the park. It just seemed like whenever the Boks needed someone to come in and flip the game on its head, he was the man for it; scoring crucial tries with Tests in the balance, picking up crucial turnovers and just generally being a problem for the All Blacks. A remarkable rugby player who deserves all the flowers he gets. Codie Taylor went well too.
1 Ox Nche (Springboks): Led the utter domination of the All Blacks scrum right across the series, as he continues to prove himself as the best loosehead in the world. Just took whoever was against him to the cleaners right across the series, again winning penalties for fun and probably deserves credit for that insane penalty try from Test Three as well. Also showed really deft skills around the park, as his game evolves. Gerhard Steenekamp also caught the eye.