All Blacks ommitted as ex-England duo pick Nations Championship team consisting of SEVEN Springbok stars

Former England stars Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson have named their dream XV from the opening three rounds of the Nations Championship.

Speaking on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast, the duo selected the following team.

Backs

15 Damian Willemse: He dominated the skies against England at Ellis Park in a terrific all-round performance before being moved into the midfield against Scotland. After helping to contain the brilliant Sione Tuipulotu, he signed off his brilliant summer with a lively cameo off the bench against Wales in Durban. This summer, he truly stepped up as one of the world’s best fullbacks.

14 Cheslin Kolbe: A 15-point haul against England was enough to show the world that he’s still one of the premier wingers. Cadan Murley won’t ever forget being on the end of one of Kolbe’s famous out-to-in steps, as he scored yet another wonder try against the old rivals. He was on fire from the tee too, scoring five conversions to take the Springboks beyond reach. His defence and aerial work were superb, once again proving his incredible aptitude for the all-round game.

13 Jesse Kriel: Scored in all three of his matches this summer, with his try against Scotland proving crucial to the overall victory. He led the Springbok defensive line well, but was also imperious in attack. It’s no wonder that Rassie Erasmus rates him so highly.

12 Sione Tuipulotu: He kicked off his campaign with two impressive tries in Scotland’s opening round victory over Argentina, beating seven players in the process, and was utterly phenomenal against the Springboks, finishing with a match-high 72 metres gained from 14 carries and two clean breaks. He signed off with a 20-minute bench showing against Fiji, which helped Scotland secure a fantastic comeback victory.

11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso: His star only grows with each showing. Against Argentina, he made 99 metres from 11 carries, beat 12 defenders and made three linebreaks. He beat another nine defenders against Fiji. Even with a difficult afternoon against the Springboks, his tournament totalled 246 metres gained, six line breaks, 27 defenders beaten, 16 successful aerial takedowns, one assist and two tries from 30 carries. 

10 Matthieu Jalibert: Moved to 15 due to the return of Romaine Ntamack, but he didn’t miss a beat. Against New Zealand, he was the orchestrator from 10, but at 15 against Australia and Japan he showed all the class and dynamism – with a little extra space – that has made him one of the most revered stars in world rugby. Again, he was incredible this summer.

9 Maxime Lucu: Genuinely, who needs Antoine Dupont when you’ve got Lucu? At times during the championship, particularly against Australia, he was forced to deal with messy ball – but he found no struggle in the task. Two tries to his name and countless assists later, and he’s once again justified his reputation as one of the world’s very best.

Forwards

8 Jasper Wiese: Clearly the best Boks number eight, he was tremendous against England and equally dangerous against Wales, scoring a try as he made thunderous carry after thunderous carry in a dominant display that kept the visitors pinned down a long way from home.

7 Fraser McReight: No doubt one of the best opensides in the world, he was everywhere in the opening two matches, putting in incredible shifts to empty the tank. His ruck work was crucial for the Wallabies, while his tackle percentage was off the chart. He was the man for his side, finishing with a well-deserved win over Italy.

6 Pieter-Steph du Toit: Because of his immense talent and previous form, unless he’s truly spectacular, it almost feels like a bad game for him. In reality, he’s never less than an average world-class player, even in his weaker games. This being said, none of his showings constituted anything close to a weaker game for him. He was given extra lineout responsibilities which he managed alongside his other roles, proving that he has one of the highest work rates in the game.

5 Emmanuel Meafou: Scored the opening try against Australia – the country of his birth – and made impressive showings against both Japan and New Zealand. His work rate and tackling capabilities were on full display, as he melted any attacker that headed down his channel.

4 Ruan Nortje: Like Du Toit, his work rate is what sets him apart. Rested against Wales after putting in two ginormous shifts in his opening two matches, the giant lock continues to become a key figure in the green and gold of South Africa.

3 Joe Heyes: A genuine revelation in the England front row over the past season or two. He made a mammoth 20 tackles against Argentina and was tremendous in the scrum throughout the series.

2 Malcolm Marx: The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year scored a try, dominated in contact and was a force over the ball against England, before backing up that performance against Wales, where he was part of a brutal scrummaging display. Two quality appearances, two impressive victories.

1 Ellis Genge: Like his prop partner, his work in the scrum cannot be understated, and his power in the carry was, as always, devastating. He powered over to score against the Springboks, which will live fondly in his memory.

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