World Rugby Dream Team for 2022 is mad, Etzebeth and Savea snubbed

Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier was named men’s Player of the Year and included in the World Rugby Dream Team for 2022.

On a night to remember in the iconic Salle des Étoiles, a ceremony under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Princess Charlene of Monaco saw the greats of the game past and present and the rugby family celebrate the outstanding achievers of the year.

van der Flier said: “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have great teammates and coaches that have really pushed me on, as well as my wife and my family supported me a huge amount. I’m lucky to have some very experienced, top quality players and especially in my position both in Ireland and in Leinster, so I’ve always felt I’ve needed to be playing at my best the whole time or I wouldn’t be playing, so that’s certainly driven me on.”

RUAHEI DEMANT.
JOSH VAN DER FLIER.

The 2022 Women's and Men's 15s Players of the Year in partnership with @mastercard #WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/Sunkoyu6ox
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 20, 2022

New Zealand fly-half Ruahei Demant won the women’s Player of the Year award after helping the hosts beat England in the World Cup final earlier this month.

Van der Flier played an influential role as Ireland won an away series in New Zealand for the first time and moved to the top of the world rankings.

He was also named in World Rugby’s controversial 2022 Dream Team, see full XV below, which saw in-form forwards Eben Etzebeth and Ardie Savea missing out.

Nine of the winners were selected by the star-studded World Rugby Awards panels, while the rugby family had the opportunity to cast their votes for the International Rugby Players Men’s and Women’s Try of the Year categories on World Rugby social platforms.

International Rugby Players Men’s Try of the Year – Rodrigo Fernandez (Chile, v USA on 9 July)

With 50 minutes on the clock in the first leg of the Americas 2 qualifier in Santiago, Chile fly-half Rodrigo Fernandez fielded a box kick just outside his own 22 and side-stepped the onrushing USA defender. Defying the treacherous conditions underfoot caused by the heavy rain, Fernandez wasn’t done there and slalomed his way past five more players to score a sublime 75-metre solo try.

International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year – Abby Dow (England, v Canada on 5 November)

England turned the ball over metres from their own line early in the second half of their Rugby World Cup 2021 semi-final with Canada in Auckland, working the ball quickly out wide to Claudia MacDonald. She set off from behind her own try-line, stepping her way through the defence before finding fellow winger Abby Dow in support who then raced 65 metres to score.