The 2024 edition of The Rugby Championship is in the books. Just as in most years, there is a clear champion team, two elbowing each other for runner-up, and an obvious last place team, albeit with typical identities shuffled and a clear vision of pudding to come for the wooden spoon holder.
The Wallabies were expected to lose almost every match but did win one. Their showing in the first Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney and one half of the Wellington loss, together with the upset in Argentina provide Joe Schmidt a view of the way forward.
The Pumas beat all their rivals once in a tournament for the first time; their future under intense Felipe Contepomi looks bright if cohesion amongst far flung squad members can be maintained, and a few props can be found.
The All Blacks wound up second but had no chance of winning the trophy after Round Four, an unacceptable outcome in New Zealand, as it was based on being swept in South Africa using young playmakers, and losing at home to Argentina.
South Africa almost won the tournament with a round to spare but in the end made a mockery of the ‘final’ by putting seven tries on Argentina who ran out of petrol and ideas in Santiago against a Springbok side strategically without Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe, and sporting only a couple dozen caps in the back five.
Cheslin Kolbe of the Springboks in action during the Rugby Championship 2024 match between South Africa Springboks and Argentina Pumas at Mbombela Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Small wonder those six players were all within a shout of Man of the Match at Mbombela Stadium at Nelspruit as Eben Etzebeth won his 128th cap and finally was able to hold this Southern Hemisphere trophy aloft after a full six rounds.
Having looked over all six rounds, requiring a decent body of work in this tournament, picking players in the roles they actually had, and avoiding the ‘best team’ or ‘best over a career’ or ‘who I would select to beat the Lions’ fallacies, here is my Team of the Tournament.
1. Loosehead prop
Having served his apprenticeship on the famed Bomb Squad in the Rugby World Cup, Ox Nche has taken over the legendary number one jersey for the Boks (Ox for Os). Not content with generating scrum penalties at will, Nche carried with force, leading two-forward pods in the Tony Brown system, and manned a second channel in defence. He is on all short lists for World Rugby Player of the Year. Backing him up is big Australian Angus Bell, whose troublesome feet are also his greatest asset, shifting at the point of contact and winning most of his scrum contests.
2. Hooker
Crusader rake Codie Taylor had one of his best tournaments ever, in a long and winning career. He did all the boring things better than the other hookers but on top of that was one of the All Blacks’ best carriers in traffic, a duty they sorely needed filled. The reserve is almost a coin flip between the Bok hookers and Pumas captain Julian Montoya, but the Leicester Tigers skipper takes it with his superlative leadership of a team having its best year in history, beating three of the top four.
3. Tighthead prop
The South African scrum ended up on top, but had a few wobbles early. Plus, Vincent Koch and Frans Malherbe split plenty of minutes, whilst Kiwi Tyrel Lomax maxed out. We will start Lomax on the right side of the scrum and use Malherbe – who hit the second most rucks of his team in Round 6 — in the unusual role of reserve.
4. Lock
Etzebeth has silenced all but the most dishonest of his doubters by now. On Saturday, even Victor Matfield bowed to his greatness (what a pair they would have made if their primes had coincided) as the big man became the most capped Bok ever. In truth, in this edition, no other enforcer lock even came close enough to mention. We are watching one of great tight forwards in rugby history enter the homeward stretch, which may culminate in Australia in 2027.
Eben Etzebeth. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
5. Lock
A case can be made for rookie Ruan Nortje, given the job of lineout caller and going the full eighty more than Etzebeth, but predictably, lineout wobbles ensued. The gung-ho Nortje will be the bench lock behind Tupou Vaa’i, who was a bundle of kinetic warrior spirit for the All Blacks in the carry, tackle and set piece.
6. Blindside
Every competitor to Pieter-Steph du Toit, once again in consideration for World Rugby Player of the Year, was superlative in one area or even two. But du Toit covered all the bases: set piece excellence, ruck work, kick chase, wide and tight carries, phenomenal tackling dominance, and he even jackals more than ever. Note: South Africa gives its blindsiders the number seven, so placing du Toit here is not changing his role. Wallace Sititi plays his way on to the bench with stirring and shuddering force; his metres post contact was off the charts, and he leaps well.
7. Openside
The only team using classic fetchers is Australia: splitting time between Carlo Tizzano and Fraser McReight, both of whom were among their team’s best, but split the vote too much to be picked. Argentina moves Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera and Juan Martin Gonzalez across the two flanker positions, Kolisi is a hybrid who now roams in the trams more than ever, and the mature version of Sam Cane is tackle more than jackal. The player who had the biggest and best matches was Matera.
8. No. 8
Ardie Savea was not the best All Black loose forward this year. Harry Wilson was likely the best captain found this season and never attempts a soft carry or tackle. If the editors allow me, Wilson will be Player 24 and serve as squad captain. But Jasper Wiese, the Kalahari Pain Train, simply steamrolls his way to this jersey. He loves contact like a bear loves honey, but also feels the way to space with alacrity. When the Boks needed the hardest of yards, it was to either Damian de Allende or Wiese their scrumhalf turned.
9. Scrumhalf
The biggest what-if feels like Cam Roigard. What if he had been healthy? TJ Perenara competes harder than anyone, but his body is obeying his brain about as spottily as referees listen to him, now. Luckily, Cortez Ratima stepped into the void. Quick to the ruck, decisive in his pass, a handful on the snipe, and the best box kicker in most matches, he benefits from the platoon system of the Boks (Grant Williams, Morne van den Berg, Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrickse) splitting time, and the style vacillation by the Pumas. Ratima takes the nine jersey, and Hendrickse’s blend of kicking, steering, and precision passing (with goal kicking in the finale) gets him the backup slot.
10. Flyhalf
Damian McKenzie was bailed out by Beauden Barrett all year until replaced. Noah Lolesio was not nearly as bad as many Australians claimed but there is still the sense Schmidt has not yet found his Johnny Sexton. But Argentinians rejoiced to have a true flyhalf again, with Tomas Albornoz pulling the strings masterfully until the last round. He takes the ten shirt. Again, the Boks used plenty of playmakers: Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu, and Manie Libbok. None of them ever played poorly, but they diluted each other for this experiment. Pick one? The presence of Pollard allowed Rassie Erasmus and Brown to use Feinberg-Mgomezulu and Libbok without much worry about the tee or cap count. This will be the most controversial pick but Pollard seemed the Saffa glue which held the experiment together this time.
11. Left wing
Caleb Clarke was one of the best players in the best team in Super Rugby Pacific this season, having achieved his highest level of fitness, worked on the high ball, and adding dominant tackle turnovers to his arsenal. Kurt-Lee Arendse has his moments but Clarke takes this one going away.
12. Inside centre
Not many No.12s can debate Damian de Allende for his status as world leader now (Bundee Aki is one but was outplayed by the big Saffa who offers more than just gainline with his superior play over the ball and offloads): Santiago Chocobares is one of the few. Overall, de Allende had more impact over more games.
13. Outside centre
The combination of aggressive de Allende and supercut Jesse Kriel is potent sauce; Kriel has added a more diagonal inside line to his attack and still meets man and ball on well-timed blitzes better than any rush defender. Lucio Cinti asserts a claim here, as well as the excellent Len Ikitau, but Kriel simply enjoyed more ball, thanks to his pack and willingness of his ten and 12 to give it early.
14. Right wing
Cheslin Kolbe fed the scrum, was first receiver, threw into a lineout, took drop kicks, hung back as fullback, and oh yes, scored tries and made breaks for fun on both wings. There is very little he cannot do on a rugby pitch; give him 40kg and he would probably be one hell of a prop, if the power he showed in bumping Scott Barrett off is any indication. Will Jordan was as wonderful as he ever is, but he will man the Player 23 spot because he can cover even more spots than Kolbe.
15. Fullback
Tom Wright was not easy to dismiss, but just fell short of the standard shown by Juan Carlos Mallia, Beauden Barrett, Willie le Roux and the irrepressible counter-attacker Aphelele Fassi, whose lanky form will populate the nightmares of Argentinian cover defenders. He grew throughout the tournament, ruling the air in Folauesque ways, and will not give the jersey back to Damian Willemse easily.
Harry Jones’ team of the tournament (1-15): Ox Nche, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Eben Etzebeth, Tupou Vaa’i, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Pablo Matera, Jasper Wiese, Cortez Ratima, Tomas Albornoz, Caleb Clarke, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Aphelele Fassi.
Reserves: Angus Bell, Julian Montoya, Frans Malherbe, Ruan Nortje, Wallace Sititi, Jaden Hendrickse, Handre Pollard, Will Jordan.
A dozen Boks, seven All Blacks, three Pumas, and a Wallaby: my team. What’s yours?
