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"contents": "The dream team:\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15-Will Jordan (NZ) — This was one of many tough calls with Aphelele Fassi and George Furbank also in contention. But Jordan shades it with his uncanny ability to ghost into gaps and create havoc while also being rock solid on defence.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14-Cheslin Kolbe (SA) — The Bok hot-stepper is simply in a class of his own, not only with his superb footwork, which is as rapid and lethal as a cobra strike, but with his brain, which works even faster. Kolbe almost always takes the right option, judging angles and space like a supercomputer.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13-Jesse Kriel (SA) — He was almost faultless this season, as he was in 2023. Defensively he is a giant, not only in terms of his own tackling but in organising the defensive line. And on attack, he has taken his game to a new level.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12-Damian de Allende (SA) — Maybe the most underrated player in rugby. He never has a bad day at the office. Simply brilliant with or without the ball in hand. Always makes metres, never dies with the ball, acts like an extra loose forward at the breakdown, tackles like a sledgehammer and has skills as soft as a down pillow. Wonderful player.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2523311\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2185142193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1746\" height=\"1139\" /> <em>Eben Etzebeth of South Africa tries to charge down a kick by Jack van Poortvliet of England at the Allianz Stadium on 16 November 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11-Caleb Clarke (NZ) — Another position with many candidates, but Clarke brings the extra dimension of colossal power allied to speed and guile. He’s been in the international game for a few seasons now, but this was his breakthrough year.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10-Marcus Smith (Eng) — The England playmaker showed his class all season, raising his game in the November Tests against the All Blacks and Boks. He was hugely influential in both matches, with sublime attacking skill in addition to strong basics. With a better team around him, he could become a great.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9-Antoine Dupont (Fra) — The little general was superb for Toulouse as they won the Champions Cup and Top 14, inspired France to Olympic Sevens gold and was always magnificent for Les Bleus even when the team wasn’t at its best.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8-Caelan Doris (Ire) — The Leinster No 8 never has a bad game and against the Springboks in the two-match series in South Africa he was sensational, leading from the front as Ireland earned a drawn series with victory in Durban. Carries strongly, defends powerfully and intelligently and relates well to officials, which is an underrated trait.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7-Pieter-Steph du Toit (SA) — The official World Player of the Year is part man, part cyborg. He never stops coming at opponents with crunching tackles, power runs and in-your-face intensity. Everything is done with 100% commitment and effort. PSDT is a modern great who will go down as one of the best to ever have played the game.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2523310\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2186836932.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1793\" height=\"1145\" /> <em>Codie Taylor of New Zealand attempts to break free from Ross Vintcent of Italy during their Autumn Nations Series match on 23 November 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo: Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2523309\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2186649418.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1824\" height=\"1148\" /> <em>Marcus Smith of England fends off Takato Okabe of Japan at Allianz Stadium on 24 November 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2523308\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2186524943.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1167\" /> <em>Antoine Dupont of France clears the ball during their 2024 Autumn Nations Series match against Argentina at Stade de France on 22 November 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo: Gaspafotos / MB Media / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6-Siya Kolisi (SA, capt) — His workrate is relentless and his willingness to do the unfashionable graft all over the park sets the Bok skipper apart. He’s not flashy but speak to any of his peers and they will tell you his contributions are enormous as he slows a ball here, makes an extra metre there. In tight games, the inches he makes are vital.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5-Tupou Vaa’i (NZ) — Perhaps the most unsung member of a very strong All Blacks pack in 2024. He grew into the season, became a vital lineout operator and a key ball carrier. A superb talent who was among the world’s best this year, and who is still improving. It’s a scary prospect for opponents.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4-Eben Etzebeth (SA) — What more is there to be said about the great man? He is an immense physical presence, lineout totem, ball carrier, playmaker and scrummager. Absolute giant of the game in every way.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3-Tyrel Lomax (NZ) — The All Blacks’ pack, particularly its scrum, was massive this year and Lomax was the cornerstone of that effort. A massive man; he was also handy in the tight loose with excellent carries and defence around the fringes.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2-Codie Taylor (NZ) — It seemed his Test career was over after a few less than stellar year, but in 2024 Taylor resurrected himself with consistently brilliant performances. His basics remain rock, solid but it was his work in the loose that reached its 2019 standards again.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1-Ox Nch</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">é</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (SA) — The most destructive scrummager in the game makes this one of the easiest choices to make. Only Lomax held his own against Nch</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">é</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while the Ox’s workrate in the loose is magnificent.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reserves:</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">16-Malcolm Marx (SA), 17-Frans Malherbe (SA), 18-Tamaiti Williams (NZ), 19-Tadgh Beirne (Ireland), 20-Wallace Sititi (NZ), 21-Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), 22-Handr</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">é</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Pollard (SA), 23-Blair Kinghorn (Scotland). </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "The dream team:\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15-Will Jordan (NZ) — This was one of many tough calls with Aphelele Fassi and George Furbank also in contention. But Jordan shades it with his uncanny ability to ghost into gaps and create havoc while also being rock solid on defence.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">14-Cheslin Kolbe (SA) — The Bok hot-stepper is simply in a class of his own, not only with his superb footwork, which is as rapid and lethal as a cobra strike, but with his brain, which works even faster. Kolbe almost always takes the right option, judging angles and space like a supercomputer.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">13-Jesse Kriel (SA) — He was almost faultless this season, as he was in 2023. Defensively he is a giant, not only in terms of his own tackling but in organising the defensive line. 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(Photo: Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11-Caleb Clarke (NZ) — Another position with many candidates, but Clarke brings the extra dimension of colossal power allied to speed and guile. He’s been in the international game for a few seasons now, but this was his breakthrough year.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10-Marcus Smith (Eng) — The England playmaker showed his class all season, raising his game in the November Tests against the All Blacks and Boks. He was hugely influential in both matches, with sublime attacking skill in addition to strong basics. With a better team around him, he could become a great.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9-Antoine Dupont (Fra) — The little general was superb for Toulouse as they won the Champions Cup and Top 14, inspired France to Olympic Sevens gold and was always magnificent for Les Bleus even when the team wasn’t at its best.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8-Caelan Doris (Ire) — The Leinster No 8 never has a bad game and against the Springboks in the two-match series in South Africa he was sensational, leading from the front as Ireland earned a drawn series with victory in Durban. Carries strongly, defends powerfully and intelligently and relates well to officials, which is an underrated trait.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7-Pieter-Steph du Toit (SA) — The official World Player of the Year is part man, part cyborg. He never stops coming at opponents with crunching tackles, power runs and in-your-face intensity. Everything is done with 100% commitment and effort. PSDT is a modern great who will go down as one of the best to ever have played the game.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2523310\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1793\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2523310\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2186836932.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1793\" height=\"1145\" /> <em>Codie Taylor of New Zealand attempts to break free from Ross Vintcent of Italy during their Autumn Nations Series match on 23 November 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo: Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2523309\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1824\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2523309\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2186649418.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1824\" height=\"1148\" /> <em>Marcus Smith of England fends off Takato Okabe of Japan at Allianz Stadium on 24 November 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2523308\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1750\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2523308\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2186524943.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1167\" /> <em>Antoine Dupont of France clears the ball during their 2024 Autumn Nations Series match against Argentina at Stade de France on 22 November 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo: Gaspafotos / MB Media / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6-Siya Kolisi (SA, capt) — His workrate is relentless and his willingness to do the unfashionable graft all over the park sets the Bok skipper apart. He’s not flashy but speak to any of his peers and they will tell you his contributions are enormous as he slows a ball here, makes an extra metre there. 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Eben Etzebeth of South Africa tries to charge down a kick by Jack van Poortvliet of England at the Allianz Stadium on 16 November 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Mike Hewitt / Getty Images)
Codie Taylor of New Zealand attempts to break free from Ross Vintcent of Italy during their Autumn Nations Series match on 23 November 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo: Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images)
Marcus Smith of England fends off Takato Okabe of Japan at Allianz Stadium on 24 November 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images)
Antoine Dupont of France clears the ball during their 2024 Autumn Nations Series match against Argentina at Stade de France on 22 November 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo: Gaspafotos / MB Media / Getty Images)