Following a sensational international season in 2024, we invite our readers to vote for their Team of the Year.
The Planet Rugby writers have mulled over the best and brightest stars of the year and have drawn up a four-man shortlist for each position, leaving the rest up to you.
Run through the list and cast your vote and don’t forget to share it with your fellow rugby fanatics.
Having already released the backline options, here are our nominees and polls in the pack.
Number eight
The plethora of talent in the number eight jumper in international rugby in 2024 made it incredibly difficult to limit the options to just four. Ultimately, the likes of Joaquin Oviedo, Rob Valetini and Gregory Alldritt missed the cut for a quartet of world-class players.
Ireland captain Caelan Doris had a magnificent year where he was a consistent performer throughout 2024, helping the side to the Six Nations title and a drawn series against the Springboks in South Africa. Meanwhile, last year’s World Rugby Player of the Year, Ardie Savea, didn’t quite reach the highs that he did in 2023 but he was still fantastic for Scott Robertson’s side. The All Blacks star is in the running for the jumper along with Springboks powerhouse Jasper Wiese who was seriously impressive after returning from suspension. Finally, England haven’t had the best of years but Ben Earl has been sensational for Steve Borthwick’s side with his immense work-rate on both sides of the ball.
Cast your vote for the number eight below.
Openside flanker
Again, the entire back-row caused major debate at Planet Rugby towers with Juan Martín González especially unlucky to miss out on a nomination.
He is beaten to the shortlist by his international teammate Pablo Matera, who cracked World Rugby’s Dream XV, as well as the superb Wallaby Fraser McReight and Ireland’s work-horse Josh van der Flier. Finally, Springboks captain Siya Kolisi didn’t impress at Racing 92 but was sublime when he pulled on the Green and Gold jumper throughout the July internationals, Rugby Championship and Autumn Nations Series.
Cast your vote for the openside flanker below.
Blindside flanker
It’s quite telling of the competition on the blindside that a player who enjoyed such a great run of form in 2024 as Chandler Cunningham-South does not make the cut.
World Rugby Player of the Year, Pieter-Steph du Toit, does make the shortlist after a brilliant 2024 and is rivalled for a spot in our Readers’ Team of the Year along with Argentina’s Marcos Kremer, France’s Francois Cros and the Breakthrough Player of the Year, Wallace Sititi.
Cast your vote for the blindside flanker below.
Number five lock
The tough calls continued from the back-row into the second-row with Emmanuel Meafou, James Ryan and Grant Gilchrist all very unlucky to miss out. Then there was the likes of Springboks Franco Mostert, Ruan Nortje and RG Snyman who had spells on the sidelines.
The shortlist does include All Blacks star Tupou Vaa’i who was a standout all year for New Zealand as well as France and Toulouse lock Thibaud Flament. Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne was sublime all year whether he was playing flank or lock and he will vie for a spot in the team along with England’s powerhouse George Martin.
Cast your vote for the number five lock below.
Number four lock
Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth was nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year Award and he is shortlisted along with three stellar candidates in Ireland’s Joe McCarthy, England’s Maro Itoje and new All Blacks captain Scott Barrett.
Cast your vote for the number four lock below.
Tighthead prop
Into the front-row and while the debate was less heated, there were some notable players who fell short. Tadhg Furlong was one of them after missing the November Tests.
However, Bok Vincent Koch does crack the shortlist after a mighty 2024 where he played in 12 of the 13 Tests for South Africa even though he started just once. He was a key cog in the Springboks Bomb Squad and will rival the world-class All Black Tyrel Lomax, Scotland’s underrated Zander Fagerson and England’s ever-improving Will Stuart.
Cast your vote for the tighthead below.
Hooker
Another hotly debated position and while Malcolm Marx made World Rugby’s Dream XV, he missed out on our shortlist. Instead, his Springboks teammate Bongi Mbonambi makes the cut along with All Blacks star Codie Taylor.
Julian Montoya and Julien Marchand both miss out too but France’s Peato Mauvaka makes it, as does Wales’ shining light in a dark, dark season, Dewi Lake.
Cast your vote for the hooker below.
Loosehead prop
Finally, the loosehead prop shortlist was rather straightforward with four pretty easy picks in Springboks star Ox Nche, All Blacks powerhouse Tamaiti Williams, and Ireland’s Andrew Porter. Bok star Thomas du Toit completes the shortlist after an impressive year for Bath and the Springboks, doing so on both sides of the scrum. Thomas Gallo was the unluckiest loosehead to miss out along with Pierre Schoeman.
Cast your vote for the loosehead prop below.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/readers-team-of-the-year-eben-etzebeth-or-maro-itoje-vote-for-your-forwards-following-a-sensational-2024-test-season
