FRONT ROW
Honourable Mentions: Vincent Koch (South Africa), Joe Marler (England), Peato Mauvaka (France)
1. Ox Nche (South Africa)
2. Julian Montoya (Argentina)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
On to the front row now, and we begin with arguably the best loose-head scrummaging performance at the World Cup. Springboks prop Ox Nche had a bulldozing run to glory in France, and lived up to his tried and tested life motto of ‘salad’s don’t win scrums’. The personification of powerhouse, Nche played in every match in the Springboks road to retaining their status as World Champions, with his starring role coming in the semi-final win over England.
Steve Borthwick’s men led the Springboks for the overwhelming majority of the match, yet upon his arrival via Rassie Erasmus’ ‘bomb squad’, Nche turned the tide with a dominant display up-front. Nche schooled Kyle Sinckler, with the Bristol Bears man giving away repeated scrum penalties, which Pollard was more than happy to send sailing over the posts. Nche formed a revered propping partnership with Vincent Koch, that got the better of Ellis Genge for the match-winning scrum penalty.
Onto the tight-head now, and we have selected Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong, who reminded the rugby world as to why he’s regarded as the world’s best in his position. Furlong deservedly took the number three jersey in World Rugby’s Dream Team of the Year, as his undeniable talents go further than Ireland’s quarter-final elimination. The Leinster prop started every one of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup matches, and put in an impressive shift on each occasion. Ireland’s quarter-final exit can’t be accredited to Furlong, who took the All Blacks to their very limit in his 52 minute run-out.
Finishing off the front row is Argentina’s Julian Montoya. The Leicester Tigers man put in inspired performances for Los Pumas, as he wore his heart on his sleeve to lead his side to a fourth-placed finish. Even with their backs pinned against the wall in the heavy defeat to New Zealand, Montoya kept his head up and lifted his teammates to fight alongside him. Montoya excelled far beyond the fundamental skillset of a hooker, as his outstanding work rate off the ball was a key factor of his game.
Montoya fought to get around the park, and tackled like a back-rower in each of his appearances. the front rower ended the World Cup with 58 completed tackles, which is the best effort from any non-back row player at the competition. Montoya also made several key turnovers in the tournament, with a key effort coming against England, as he halted Steve Borthwick’s men in the third-place play off.
SECOND ROW
Honourable Mentions: Sam Whitelock (New Zealand), Franco Mostert (South Africa), Iain Henderson (Ireland)
4. RG Snyman (South Africa)
5. Maro Itoje (England)
The locks were amongst the toughest decisions to make, as there were so many viable options for the two starting second rows in our squad. After much deliberation, we settled on Springbok’s titanic RG Snyman and England’s hard-hitting Maro Itoje to pack down the scrums. Snyman’s efforts could easily have flown under the radar as Etzebeth’s understudy, yet we believe that the Munster man’s efforts surpassed Etzebeth, who takes a seat amongst our replacements.
Coming into the World Cup, Snyman was expected to wait in the wings as Etzebeth took centre stage with Franco Mostert in the second row. However, Etzebeth suffered an early shoulder injury against Scotland, allowing Snyman to take over for the opening weekend’s victory, and the following round domination over Romania. Etzebeth returned to the starting line-up, but was repeatedly replaced early in the second half when the Springboks lost their grip on the match.
Snyman was introduced early against Ireland in the pool stage defeat, yet his starring roles came in the semi-final and final. Snyman scored South Africa’s late 70th minute try against England, to ignite the comeback for an eventual victory. Also, the lock was used to lift the Springboks scrum in the RWC Final, and batten down the hatches as New Zealand fired everything they had for a last-ditch grab at the Web Ellis trophy. Snyman slots in to start, and he’s partnered up alongside England’s form-finding lock Maro Itoje.
It had been a while since a stadium was filled with the chants of ‘oh Maro Itoje’, to the tune of Seven Nation Army. However, this was a frequent feature in France, as England fans voiced their appreciation for their long-serving lock that re-found his top form. As recently as the 2023 Six Nations, Itoje has battled against the critiques with under-par performances for his elite standards. However, the lock certainly silenced such views, as he repeatedly hit his revered top gear in France.
During the 2023 Six Nations, it was Itoje’s lock partner Ollie Chessum that took the spotlight, however at the Rugby World Cup, Itoje reminded England fans as to how good he can truly be. Flying out the line for a total of 62 tackles (eighth best at the tournament), Itoje also bossed the line-outs with flawless in-flight performances presenting a telepathic wave-length with Saracens hookers Jamie George and Theo Dan. The lock was ever-present at the breakdowns, and won key turnovers that earned him the pats on the back, amongst a roar of England celebrations.
Maro is back as England fans know him best, which presents exciting signs for the 2024 Six Nations. The Leicester Tigers duo of Chessum and Gorge Martin both flourished alongside Itoje, with a power struggle set to ensue as to who partners up with the Saracen for the foreseeable future. Rightfully earned his full 80 minutes in all of his six Rugby World Cup matches, Itoje was awesome in France.