It has been an excruciatingly long season that has seen reputations enhanced and broken. Gregor Paul does his best to pick over the bones and select his World XV.
KEY POINTS:
Many of the usual suspects made convincing claims for inclusion while others, such as Paul O'Connell, Brian O'Driscoll, Victor Matfield and Andrew Sheridan have gone the wrong way.
As always, the hard part was deciding who to leave out and Mils Muliaina, Ma'a Nonu, Ricki Januarie, Andrew Hore
and Ryan Kankowski can all feel hard done by. There were others such as Gareth Cooper (Wales), Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland), John Barclay (Scotland) and Delon Armitage (England) who caught the eye in November and look like they have big futures.
15: Lee Byrne (Wales)
It has been a while, a very long time in fact, since the Northern Hemisphere produced a fullback with genuine attacking threat. You'd have to go back to Gavin Hastings to find the last world-class fullback from north of the equator. In the last decade, the men to watch have been Christian Cullen, Matt Burke, Andre Joubert and Chris Latham.
But the Welsh have produced a fullback who really can play. Byrne, 28, is a late developer. He failed to make Wales' World Cup squad last year - probably no bad thing - but has blossomed under Warren Gatland. He memorably cut through the All Blacks this November and was the player who did most to unsettle the Wallabies a week later.
He's quick, strong in the tackle and can kick long - he's a certainty to wear the No 15 shirt for the British Lions in 2009.
14: Lote Tuqiri (Australia)
There was a point in 2006 when Tuqiri was threatening to be a phenomenal waste of talent. He'd seemingly become too focused on contract negotiations, weighing up the merits of union versus league, all the time forgetting that if he didn't put it on the field, the negotiations would be academic - no one would want him.
Once he finally made up his mind to commit to the 15-man code, he slowly gained in form and confidence, peaking this year with some devastating performances.
He's a huge man, invariably beats the first two tackles and has improved his positional play and defensive work.
13: Conrad Smith (New Zealand)
Smith is one of the most underrated players in world rugby. He doesn't have the signature power of Stirling Mortlock, the rasping acceleration of Brian O'Driscoll in his prime or the defensive clout of Tana Umaga.
But he has the full range of skills - the ability to do everything to an exceptionally high standard.
His relatively wiry frame deceives many into believing he's conceding weight to his opponents when in fact he's almost 100kg. He rarely misses a tackle, organises others with minimum fuss and picks some clever angles to attack the ball.
His key strength is the speed and accuracy of his decision-making. Under pressure, he makes good choices and that low error count was a major factor in helping the All Blacks win 13 tests this season.
12: Stirling Mortlock (Australia)
It is true that Mortlock is better suited to playing one berth out, where his power on the outside break can be used. But he's shown his versatility this year by slotting in at second-five and playing superbly. It's possible that No 12 could yet become his preferred position in much the same way it did for Tana Umaga in the latter part of his career.
The beauty of Mortlock is that he can break defences a number of ways - either on the outside break, cutting against the grain or just busting straight through the tackle.
He also frequently dislodges the ball with the power of his own defensive work, while he can kick cleverly out of hand and also accurately for goal.
He brings passion, experience and an edge no one enjoys playing against him.
11: Shane Williams (Wales)
When Williams came to New Zealan with the British Lions in 2005, he was one of the more enterprising and creative players to wear the red jersey. He was, however, entirely ineffective, as he couldn't find any space in the tests and the All Blacks hammered him.
The old chestnut of him being too small was aired and the Lions selectors bought it.
It was harsh on Williams who had been one of the stars of the 2005 Six Nations. But he got over it and has shown with Wales, a team that play with width and flair, that he is a deadly finisher and his lack of size is his greatest strength and not necessarily his greatest weakness.
He's deadly from short range as he's so elusive but he's also shown this year that he can attack from long range, making him one of the most potent wings in the game.
10: Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
Not really much of a contest this.
Carter produced the best form of hiscareer this season. So much was made of the way he played in 2005 but really that was one outstanding game against an ordinary team.
This year, he was consistently excellent in big matches. His running game was restored to full health, he kicked cleverly and accurately and he made himself the controlling and dominant figure in every game he played.
There was no better example of his value than when he switched from second-five to first-five in the second half of the final Bledisloe test. When Carter shifted to No 10, the All Blacks flowed, they had more space and time and they found their rhythm.
9: Mike Blair (Scotland)
Now that Agustin Pichot has retired and Fourie du Preez struggled with injury this year and Ruan Pienaar is being used as a first-five, the world needed a halfback to step forward and become the undisputed standard bearer.
That man was Blair, the Scottish captain who caused the All Blacks all sorts of problems at Murrayfield this year.
Blair is a livewire, he picks his time to run well and when he goes, he really goes. He torched through the All Blacks defence in the opening minutes this year and was rightfully nominated as an IRB player of the year.
He passes well, is courageous and would be the frontrunner to win a test place with the British Lions next year.
8: Pierre Spies (South Africa)
This was easily the hardest choice. Rodney So'oialo did nothing wrong all year and the new rules, with their greater emphasis on aerobic
fitness, played right into his hands. Andy Powell of Wales made a dramatic impact late in the season and he is a powerful runner, although he still blows hot and cold. Ryan Kankowski was explosive and impressive
with the Sharks earlier in the year before fading.
But Spies pips the lot with his greater size, explosive power and the direct threat he poses when he picks from the base and runs straight.
7: Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
A bit like Carter, there isn't really any need to justify the All Black captain's inclusion in a World XV. He is, by some distance, the world's best openside.
That's not to say the quality of opensides around the world is diminishing - it is an acknowledgement that McCaw continues to improve, to refine his game to levels that have many astute judges believing he is the best the game has ever produced.
In Cape Town this year, McCaw was incredible and, when his test performances are analysed, they reveal that in 70 tests, he really hasn't ever had a bad one.
6: Rocky Elsom (Australia)
This big lug has been a good player in the making for several years. The
physique and athleticism have always been apparent but he never quite
managed to pull things together and deliver in line with the sum of his
component parts.
This year was his breakthrough. He carried the ball with some venom. It took more than one man to put him down and he was still running hard late in the game.
The Wallabies missed him when he wasn't fit in Auckland and they will miss him while he enjoys his sabbatical with Leinster.
5: Ali Williams (New Zealand)
Williams played his best football earlier in the season, possibly peaking in June. At that point, he was in the best form of his career. He did all that was expected of him in the tight while still making an enormous contribution in the loose.
The ankle injury he picked up against England and exacerbated against South Africa robbed him of some mobility and sharpness but he bounced back well enough on the end of season tour.
He's beginning to mature into the kind of player opponents fear and the New Zealand Rugby Union should be doing all they can to re-sign him beyond next year.
4: Bakkies Botha (South Africa)
This wasn't necessarily a vintage year from Botha but he did enough to show he remains one of the most physical and confrontational locks in the game.
The statistics strongly support the idea that the Boks are not the same team without Botha. When he plays, the Boks are a different proposition. He is relentless and that aggression and thunderous rage wears opponents down.
Botha is not just a slugger, though, he is a mobile athlete who can carry the ball and get around the pitch to support the more nimble runners.
3: Euan Murray (Scotland)
Murray earned rave reviews for his scrummaging during the Six Nations and became a name whispered in connection with the Lions. The Brits, though, have a nasty habit of talking players up well before they are any good. Any doubts about the veracity of Murray's ability vanished when he gave young Jamie Mackintosh a most uncomfortable test debut at Murrayfield.
Murray has held his own in the Guinness Premiership this season, frequently giving the Northampton scrum the edge it needs. He's strong and mobile, comfortable on the ball and having nearly died while playing
a few years back - he convulsed after being knocked out by a stray knee to the head - he's determined to make the most of his career.
2: Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa)
Sure, Andrew Hore had a great season and would be a justified entry
in a World XV. Du Plessis nudges him out, though, on the strength of his ball carrying. Rugby is all about the collision and in that regard, du Plessis is the best there is.
He's a destructive runner, tackles with explosive power and does his basic chores well enough. The fact that the Boks felt compelled to move captain John Smit to tight-head to accommodate du Plessis says it all.
1: Tony Woodcock (New Zealand)
Woodcock is now recognised internationally as the best loosehead in the world. He is an aggressive scrummager who destroyed the Irish, Welsh and English scrums in November.
Earlier in the year, he showed enough pace in Brisbane to score a dramatic try charging down the wing. He outpaced some blokes with high numbers on their jerseys to get there.
He's a ball-playing No 1 who does all the nasty bits there aren't many of them around.
