Springboks and French dominate Nations Championship best XV

Springboks and French players are the dominant selections in our Nations Championship XV.

Springboks and French Tops

Some world-class Springboks don’t make the side because of a lack of game time, specifically at tighthead prop, at halfback, and on the wing, where Cheslin Kolbe only played in the opening Test against England.

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus picked what many felt was his best 23 for the Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park. The Boks won 45-21.

Erasmus made 10 changes to his run-on XV for Scotland at Loftus and the Boks won 42-28.

He made 10 changes to his starting XV for Wales in Durban and the Boks won 43-0.

The Boks, despite fielding three different teams, scored the most points of all 12 competing teams in the first half of the tournament.

The remaining three matches, all up north, will be played in November.

France’s Matthieu Jalibert played the first Test against the All Blacks at No 10 and the last two against Australia and Japan at fullback. For me, he has been the best playmaker in the tournament, be it at No 10 or No 15.  He gets my nod ahead of New Zealand’s Ruben Love at No 10.

France captain and scrumhalf Maxime Lucu edges All Blacks Cam Roigaard and South Africa’s Grant Williams for the No 9 jersey.

South Africa, in Thomas du Toit and Wilco Louw, have the two best tightheads in the game, but both were used sparingly in the Nations Championship, because of squad rotation.

Tighthead prop, when not considering the South African options, meant the selection of All Blacks No 3 Tyrel Lomax.

Springboks stand-in captain and twice World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit was the easiest selection to make.

Du Toit is included at No 7 flank but could have been picked at No 4 lock.

Keo’s Nations Championship Best XV

15. Damian Willemse (South Africa)

14. Will Jordan (New Zealand)

13. Jesse Kriel (South Africa)

12. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)

11. Théo Attissogbe (France) **

10.  Matthieu Jalibert (France)

9. Maxime Lucu (France)

8. Jasper Wiese (South Africa)

7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)

6. Fraser McReight (Australia) *

5. Emmanuel Latu-Meafou (France)

4. Joe McCarthy (Ireland)

3. Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand)

2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)

1.Gerhard Steenekamp (South Africa)

*McReight plays in the No 7 jersey for the Wallabies but as a specialist openside option. South Africa’s blindside flankers wear the No 7 jersey. McReight and South Africa’s Paul de Villiers were the best openside options, but in South Africa the openside, when selected, wears the No 6 jersey.

**Théo Attissogbe started the first Test on the left wing against the All Blacks and played right wing against Australia and Japan. He is equally good on either.

Country breakdown

6: South Africa

4: France

2: New Zealand

1: Scotland, Ireland, Australia