Rugby World Cup 2023: Team of the Tournament

The 2023 Rugby World Cup was a fantastic tournament, and presented an incredible array of on-field talent. France was truly spoiled as a host nation, as the top stars of international men's rugby put on star-making performances, match after match. Narrowing down the on-field heroics for a 23-man team of the tournament has by no means been an easy feat, yet we have given it a go.

RUCK's Rugby World Cup Team of the Tournament, differs to the recently announced World Rugby Men's 15 Dream Team of the Year. Our squad only focuses on the performances during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, without any previous successes ahead of the competition taken into consideration. We have also included a shortlist of honourable mentions in each position, for the stand-out players who narrowly missed out on a spot in our match-day 23.

So, let's run through our picks on who made it into our squad. Here is RUCK's Team of the Tournament for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

We begin this Team of the Tournament in the back-three, with a trio of stand-out talents starting off our side. Beginning on the wings, Will Jordan finished his Rugby World Cup with a stunning eight tries for the All Blacks, equalising the record for a single Rugby World Cup campaign, set by Jonah Lomu in 1999. Jordan was one try away from surpassing Lomu's record, and should have done in the closing moments against Argentina.

However, his All Blacks halfback Richie Mo'unga didn't send the pass out wide to the unmarked Jordan, and decided to go alone in a missed opportunity. An incredible talent that will likely be back for more in four years time, Jordan is a serious contender to break Lomu and Bryan Habana's shared record, of 15 career tries at the Rugby World Cup.

At just 25-years-old, Jordan is more than on track to achieve this feat. The Crusaders star has burst onto the international scene, and is expected to retain his spot in the New Zealand back-three at either wing or fullback, once the new Head Coach comes into the fray, he is just that talented. It could well have come down to a coin-toss for the ring wing, with Emilliano Boffelli narrowly pipping France's Damien Penaud to the starting XV. Penaud takes a seat on our substitutes bench, as the Argentine was instrumental in the Pumas' extended World Cup run.

Argentina entered the Rugby World Cup as dark horses, that favoured their odds to graduate out of Pool D. However, an opening round defeat to a form-finding England set back their plans, with Boffelli at the helm to kick the all-important points to reach the semi-finals. The Edinburgh man brought his metronomic kicking to France, and slotted 57 points from the tee. Boffelli also crossed over for two tries at the World Cup, with important pool stage scores coming in the crucial wins over Samoa and Japan.

France's Thomas Ramos is our pick at fullback, after a scintillating tournament. Despite Fabien Galthie's side exiting the competition at the quarter-finals, Ramos ended his campaign as the tournament's highest points scorer, which was eventually overtaken by England's Owen Farrell. Ramos slotted 69 points from the tee, and added a try in France's one-way demolition of Italy, to close out Pool A. The French fullback was amongst the top performers for Les Bleus, as he contributed mesmerising running lines in attack, and a resilient last line in the French defence.

Honourable Mentions: Waisea Nayacalevu (Fiji), Manu Tuilagi (England), Jordie Barrett (New Zealand)

Despite once again crashing out with his Ireland teammates at the Quarter-Final stage, Bundee Aki was the first name on our team-sheet. Had Andy Farrell's side progressed further than their cursed final eight for the first time, we would have likely seen Aki take the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year Award from Ardie Savea last night. Aki was brilliant in every performance for Ireland, comfortably running out an 8/10 showing in each of his five World Cup appearances.

Aki ended his tournament with five tries in five matches, a stunning record which seeds him at third overall in the try-scoring charts. Aki is the only player in the top five try-scorers to play outside of the back-three, and also represented a nation that didn't play in the semi-finals, final, or bronze medal match. Aki began his World Cup campaign with two tries against Romania, in a dominant Man of the Match outing. The Connacht man followed this up with another brace the following weekend, as he ran roughshod on Tonga in Pool B.

Aki was a key man in Farrell's side that triumphed over South Africa, and cruised to victory over Scotland. The 33-year-old was never substituted, running out a full 80 minutes in each appearance. The centre scored his last try in Ireland's losing effort, as Auckland-born Aki lost against his birth-place of New Zealand. Partnering up in the midfield with the Ireland centre is South Africa's Damien de Allende, who had rose to the occasion, in the injury absence of long-time partner Lukhanyo Am.

De Allende adapted well to the new midfield axis with Jesse Kriel, and bossed the centre channels to take the Springboks over the gain-line time and again. He was an instrumental pivot in the World Cup winning side, and like Aki, did not miss a single minute of game time, in each of his five appearances.

De Allende scored one try at the tournament, yet what a key score it was for the Springboks. The Munster centre started and finished his 17th minute try against France, to put his side back in-front during the relentless start to the Quarter-Final. De Allende gathered a loose ball and powered through the France line before being halted close to the try-line. The Springboks reset their phases, with the centre battling through to score from close range.

Honourable Mentions: Richie Mo'unga (New Zealand), Johnny Sexton (Ireland), Gareth Davies (Wales), Matthieu Jalibert (France)

It speaks volumes of a player's impact upon a Rugby World Cup competition, to take a starting spot in the team of the tournament after not being initially named in the 33-man squad. This is exactly what happened with Handre Pollard, as a calf problem side-lined the Leicester Tigers man for the early pool stages. Pollard was later brought into the fray, as a spot opened up following the injury to hooker Malcolm Marx. Springboks fans were delighted to see Pollard back in the fold, after Manie Libbok's goal-kicking came under heavy scrutiny.

Pollard promptly returned to the squad for the pool stage win over Tonga, and played a vital role off the bench, to claw the Springboks passed France in the quarter-finals. As a matter of fact, Pollard's sharpshooting from the tee was so pivotal to the Springboks winning the Rugby World Cup, it could be argued that they would not have won back-to-back titles without the fly half. Pollard slotted the all important match winning penalties against France (29-28), England (16-15) and New Zealand (12-11), as the Springboks won each of their knock-out stage matches by only one point.

So, despite not playing in every single match, or running out for a marathon amount of minutes in gold and green, Pollard earns his spot for his history making goal-kicking in France. The halfback was also entrusted to lead the line for the full 80 minutes in the Rugby World Cup Final, and slotted four penalties against the All Blacks, for each of South Africa's 12 points in Paris. Coupling Pollard is Aaron Smith, who had to settle for silver medals, in his All Blacks farewell last Saturday.

Smith wrapped up his 11-year career in a black jersey at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and despite coming out on the loosing side in the final, was at his undeniable best throughout. Smith missed just one match for the All Blacks, as he earned a well-deserved break in the walkover against Uruguay. The legendary Highlander ended the pool stages in emphatic fashion, as he scored a hat-trick against Italy to mark the All Blacks intentions on World Cup glory. Smith's side was overlooked by fans and pundits alike against Ireland, yet the All Blacks reminded full well, as to why you should never bet against them.

The scrum-half was at his very best against Ireland, as he distributed quick-ball at a rate of knots that tore through Andy Farrell's side. After felling the monstrous men from the Emerald Isle, Smith enjoyed his penultimate All Blacks appearance, and scored a stunning solo effort in the landslide win over Argentina. Despite being unable to add a second Rugby World Cup winners medal to his collection, Smith retires form international duties as arguably the greatest ever New Zealand scrum-half, after another fantastic World Cup campaign. Leading the haka with a tear in his eye, the All Blacks will forever remember the icon of Aaron Smith.

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.

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.

From a pure on-field perspective, there is no better defensive duo to start on the flanks than Argentina's Marcos Kremer and South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit. It was an incredibly difficult decision to leave Siya Kolisi out of the side, given what he stands for as South Africa's immortal back-to-back Rugby World Cup winning Captain. However, when looking at key statistics in how the players performed at the Rugby World Cup, no flankers come close to the insane efforts of Kremer and du Toit.

Beginning with the blind-side Puma, Marcos Kremer's stock has risen insurmountably following the Rugby World Cup, with Clermont Auvergne likely to receive offers for the flanker from top European clubs before too long. Kremer was nothing short of sensational at the World Cup, as he led the tackle charts with a staggering 92 hits. This stood 12 tackles better than second place Ben Earl, who rightly takes the replacement back-row option on our substitutes bench.

Kremer played in every second of Argentina's Rugby World Cup campaign, as his incredible work-rate knows no bounds. This outstanding effort sees Kremer make history, as his 92 tackles is the most from a single player at any Rugby World Cup. A phenomenal effort from the Argentine, who slots in on our blindside flank to make even more clattering hits for our Team of the Tournament. Partnering Kremer is now two-time Rugby World Cup winner, Pieter-Steph du Toit.

The 2019 World Rugby Men's Player of the Year had an epic tournament in France, and often took the South African spotlight away from his back-row captain Kolisi. Du Toit was excellent in attack but unstoppable in defence, and got on the score-sheet with an opening round try against Scotland. Du Toit left his starring match for the World Cup Final, as he made an immense 28 tackles against New Zealand and smashed his way through countless rucks.

The All Blacks were left battered and bruised by du Toit, who made his own personal challenge to give Richie Mo'unga his toughest day at fly-half. Named as the World's Best when South Africa lifted the Web Ellis trophy back in Japan, du Toit missed out on this year's award, but makes it onto our Team of the Tournament. Wrapping up the side is the man who took the World Rugby Men's Player of the Year Award, as Ardie Savea was incredible in France.

Taking the prestigious accolade at Sunday's World Rugby Awards, Savea's efforts were recognised despite the heroic number eight leaving Paris without the Web Ellis trophy. He made immense contributions in New Zealand's run to the Rugby World Cup Final, and often captained his side due to the repeated absence of Sam Cane. Savea led the All Blacks out for their opening two pool stage matches, as Cane recovered from a lately sustained back injury.

Savea scored twice in the closing pool stage obliteration of Italy, and added a crucial try in the quarter-final win over Andy Farrell's Ireland. A true leader of men, Savea took over the reins in the Final, following the first half sending off to Cane. The number eight led his side to a one-point loss to the Springboks, and left it all on the line in an exhaustive Rugby World Cup campaign. An epic contribution from the newly crowned best player in the world.

19. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)