Have a look at this Team of the Championship. Do you agree with the picks? Now that the dust has settled in the southern hemisphere, we have chosen our XV of the Rugby Championship. Two upset results were the stories of the final round as while New Zealand had already locked up the trophy for another year, South Africas 27-25 victory on Saturday landed a psychological blow to their main rival ahead of the World Cup. Later on, Argentina claimed a debut win in the competition as they beat Australia 21-17 so it was far from a dull finale to 2014s tournament, with many players throwing their hands up for our XV. In the end we settled on five All Blacks, four Springboks and Pumas and two Wallabies. XV of the Rugby Championship 15 Israel Folau (Australia) - It says something that while he was nowhere near the form we were treated to in Super Rugby, the Wallaby full-back still sneaks into our side ahead of Israel Dagg. Joaquín Tuculet also earns a round of applause for his efforts for Argentina but with 2 tries, 27 defenders beaten, almost 500 running metres and 13 offloads, Folau dons our number 15 jersey. 14 Ben Smith (New Zealand) - Did well at full-back during the All Blacks early games and continued that fine work in the number 14 jersey during the rest of the tournament. Throughout the entire competition Smith was amongst the leading players with clean breaks (9), defenders beaten (18), metres gained (299) and offloads (6). He also scored two tries and impressed in the air where he was consistently good under the high ball. Cornal Hendricks with his searing pace was close here. 13 Conrad Smith (New Zealand) - Australias Tevita Kuridrani and South Africas Jan Serfontein have come on in leaps and bounds and Argentinas Marcelo Bosch also did well but New Zealands oldest Smith showed once again why he is still widely regarded as the worlds best outside centre with several superb performances. Smith always seems to make the right decisions, on attack and defence, and did well at bringing the best out of the All Blacks dangerous outside backs. 12 Jean de Villiers (South Africa) - 33 years of age but you wouldnt know it, De Villiers was outstanding as a leader, scoring two tries and carrying strongly throughout. His captaincy of the Springboks sees him respected not only by his team-mates but also the nations facing him this Rugby Championship. His stand-out performance of course was when those two tries were scored, against Australia at Newlands. 11 Julian Savea (New Zealand) - Steve Hansen has labelled him as being probably better than Jonah Lomu, which is some statement but one that has weight to it. Imagine Savea with his natural ability playing in 1995...it would be a similar story for opposition and yet he poses the same danger in 2014. His try-scoring record of 27 tries in 28 internationals is outstanding and he has developed a kicking game and knowledge of taking the right option in his still young career. Savea topped the Rugby Championship try chart with four. An easy choice. 10 Nicolás Sánchez (Argentina) - Top of the points scoring chart with 52 while he was up there with the Pumas leading tacklers, that explains in part why Sánchez got the nod here. Yes his opposing number tens chopped and changed over the Rugby Championship but Sánchez was a mainstay at ten, running well while more often than not taking the right option in the middle of solid scrum-halves and Juan Martín Hernández. Handré Pollard of course caught the eye late on. 9 Aaron Smith (New Zealand) - His slick service to his backline has always been impressive since he came into the All Blacks starting XV but he has added several strings to his bow this season. Was solid on attack, especially with his sniping breaks around the fringes of the rucks and maul, and showed great commitment in defence. Varied his options well and impressed at bringing his forwards into play with clever offloads. 8 Duane Vermeulen (South Africa) - Was arguably South Africas best player throughout the tournament after several inspirational performances. He has cemented himself at the base of the South Africas scrum and the way he played against the All Blacks in Johannesburg epitomised the way the Boks have grown as the tournament progressed. Vermeulens fine ball-carrying and physicality in contact are his main strengths but he was also superb at the breakdowns, on defence, and as a line-out jumper. Beats out All Blacks number eight Kieran Read who also deserves a mention after another fine campaign for the world champions. 7 Michael Hooper (Australia) - To see off Richie McCaw, who topped the tackle numbers on 77, says just how well Hooper played in 2014s Rugby Championship. He was a warrior at the breakdown for the Wallabies while his pace around the field caused fringe defences a great deal of problems. Alongside McCaw, he scored three tries, which was the second most in the competition. Marcell Coetzee was also very impressive. 6 Juan Manuel Leguizamón (Argentina) - Missed the last two matches due to injury but was an ever-present in los Pumas back-row prior to that. He played some games at number eight - where he also shone - but it was on the side of the scrum that he caught the eye, especially as a ball carrier and in defence. Leguizamón was also superb at the back of Argentinas line-out and edges out the All Blacks Jerome Kaino who, despite being superb when in action, only played in three matches in this years tournament. 5 Victor Matfield (South Africa) - The old master silenced those doubts over whether he could still cut it at 37 with a string of dictatorial displays at the lineout through this years tournament. Matfield still oozes class and while his work around the field might not have always been glittering (the chip-and-chase try remains a gem), his influence is priceless. Great competition for this spot from Sam Whitelock, while Argentina lock Mariano Galarza caught the eye. 4 Brodie Retallick (New Zealand) - What else is there to say? Retallick should feel seriously slighted if he isnt named IRB Player of the Year come the end of 2014, though Vermeulen will give him a good run for his money. The Chiefs lock has shown outstanding athleticism in this years competition and constantly dictated matches. New Zealand really missed his presence at Ellis Park. Scarily still only 23. 3 Ramiro Herrera (Argentina) - Part of the reason Argentina impressed us so much in 2013 was down to Juan Figallo, the tighthead prop who was uncontainable at the scrum and made a name for himself. Except Figallo hasnt been available for this years competition. Step forward Herrera, the Castres prop who had followed in Figallos footsteps with a string of top performances. 2 Adriaan Strauss (South Africa) - Bismarck du Plessis might be regarded as the worlds best hooker, but he hasnt been the Springboks best option at number two in this years tournament. Choosing between the two Boks isnt easy, but the way South Africas lineout changed so drastically for the worse when Du Plessis replaced Strauss in Wellington sticks out. The future Bull gets the nod. Mentions for Du Plessis and also Argentina skipper Agustín Creevy for his leadership. 1 Marcos Ayerza (Argentina) - Consistently the best loosehead over the course of the championship, Ayerza remains as potent at scrum time as ever. His technique wasnt completely flawless but Argentinas 88 percent scrum success was built around the Leicester props shoulders, while he never shied away in defence. James Slipper showed patches of brilliance.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 20:09:37 +0000