With some of the All Blacks ‘still hurting’ from last year’s loss to Ireland, Ian Foster and his team are already planning how to take down the world’s number-one side. Video / NZ Herald
The pool stage of the Rugby World Cup is over for another four years following Portugal’s impressive 24-23 win over Fiji in Toulouse on Monday (NZ time). The opening 40 matches of this year’s World Cup have been filled with plenty of ups and downs and incredible surprises. And throughout these matches, there have been stand-out performers.
Here is the stand-out 23 from the past few weeks.
1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
Probably the easiest selection for this team. Andrew Porter has been has been the driving force behind Ireland’s impressive scrum.
Peato Mauvaka has been a live wire with ball in hand and strong in the set piece.
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
A mainstay of the Ireland XV for years, Tadgh Furlong continues to stand up to the challenge and has been one of Ireland’s standout players.
4. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
The last Tadgh on this list by but no means the least. Tadgh Beirne thrives at the breakdown and has been superb for the Irish this campaign.
5. Theo McFarland (Samoa)
The Saracens’ star has been a stand-out for Samoa. Strong with the ball in hand and on defence, Theo McFarland has been imposing in the lineout too.
6. Courtney Lawes (England)
Courtney Lawes has been formidable. The match against Argentina may have been his best, leading by example and setting the platform for George Ford to take the game away with his boot.
Warren Gatland’s captain has been a superstar. He’s a menace on defence and is no slacker on attack, either.
8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
Probably the first name down on the team list for the All Blacks, barring captain Sam Cane. Ardie Savea has been relentless throughout the tournament and as devastating as ever on attack, a real handful for the defence.
Ardie Savea kicks the ball upfield ahead during the opening World Cup game between France and New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images
9. Antoine Dupont (France)
Hopefully, we haven’t seen the last of Antoine Dupont this World Cup. Dupont was near flawless in his two matches before fracturing his jaw. A master at steering his side around the park, Dupont is a maestro on attack and is a strong defender.
10. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
The conductor behind the ever-impressive Ireland side, at 38 Johnny Sexton is showing no sign of slowing down.
11. Damian Penaud (France)
Constantly dangerous, Damian Penaud has been electric through the pool stage. He leads the tournament with six tries and 11 clean breaks.
12. Bundee Aki (Ireland)
Bundee Aki has been a steamroller. He leads the tournament with 61 runs and has mounted up an impressive 372 metres with the ball in hand and only two handling errors. He’s beaten 23 defenders and has nine clean breaks.
13. Waisea Nayacalevu (Fiji)
The Fijian captain is one of the most inspirational leaders in France, where he has enjoyed a long career in club rugby. He has been one of the Flying Fijians’ very best and is a key reason behind the team’s success in getting through to the quarter-finals.
14. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
Impossible to leave out of the starting XV for the All Blacks, Will Jordan is an everywhere man. Whenever there’s a half chance, Jordan usually does the right thing and more often than not, that’s finding the tryline.
15. Thomas Ramos (France)
Thomas Ramos is a big reason the French will be confident heading into the knock-out stages of the World Cup. He’s great under the high ball and is sound on the counter-attack, and his incredible goal-kicking punishes ill-discipline.
Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.
