It’s been a year of transition for a lot of teams, as is often the case in the 12 months after a World Cup, which means new stars have emerged but my team of 2024 has a very familiar look to it.
South Africa are used to peaking for the sport’s big dance but they’ve kept their form going on this occasion and it’s hard to argue with as many as seven Springboks being included in the starting XV.
They may be back-to-back world champions but this year was just their second Rugby Championship title in the past 15 years and a record of 11 wins from 13 Tests is pretty much as well as they’ve ever done in a non-World Cup year.
Champions Cup best SA XV not in SA teams | RPTV
Robbie Fleck and Nick Mallett pick their best South African XV playing in the Champions Cup, but not in South African teams. Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV
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Champions Cup best SA XV not in SA teams | RPTV
Robbie Fleck and Nick Mallett pick their best South African XV playing in the Champions Cup, but not in South African teams. Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV
Watch now
Rassie Erasmus also used no fewer than 50 different players in the calendar year, which shows he’s evolving his side and they have phenomenal depth, and he is the coach of the year without a shadow of a doubt.
Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Half of my forward pack would be Boks and it’d be a brave man to leave out any of Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ox Nche or Malcolm Marx. The latter may only have started a couple of Tests but we all know about how South Africa utilise their bench and he’s been the standout hooker for me.
Jesse Kriel’s consistency at outside centre has been a huge factor in their success, Aphelele Fassi has really burst onto the scene with five tries in his eight Tests this year and some would argue it hasn’t been Cheslin Kolbe best year but he’s still been beating people for fun and was outstanding against England.
Will Jordan surpassed Jonah Lomu’s number of tries in an All Blacks jersey in the autumn, despite having played 22 fewer Tests than the great man, and Sione Tuipulotu is surely going to be the starting inside centre for the British & Irish Lions this summer.
He’s taken to captaincy like a duck to water and it seems to have taken his game on to another level, so much so that it’s hard to see Andy Farrell picking anyone else in the number 12 jersey now.
If anyone quibbles with the selection of Antoine Dupont at scrum half, they need to give their head a wobble. The world’s best player might only have played three Tests in the 15-a-side game but he won the Top 14 and Champions Cup double to go with his Olympic gold medal.
He also averaged a phenomenal 2.4 tries and assists per 80 minutes in club rugby in 2024.
Argentina’s Los Pumas fly-half Tomas Albornoz (C) evades South Africa’s Springboks scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse during the rugby union Championship match between Argentina’s Pumas and South Africa’s Springboks, at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, on September 21, 2024. (Photo by GERONIMO URANGA / AFP) (Photo by GERONIMO URANGA/AFP via Getty Images)
Fly half was probably the toughest position to pick as I don’t think any have stood head and shoulders above the rest. Damian McKenzie scored a boat load of points but was playing second fiddle to Beauden Barrett by the end of the year.
Ireland, France, England and South Africa all chopped and changed at number 10 and Tomas Albornoz might not have started every Test for Argentina but he made a big difference to them when given the shirt and played a key role in wins over the Springboks and Wallabies.
There should be at least one Puma in there too after they beat New Zealand, South Africa and Australia in a single Rugby Championship campaign for the first time ever, while also coming within a whisker of beating Ireland in Dublin.
The Irish are less represented than they would’ve been in the past few years but a Six Nations title and only losing to England, South Africa and New Zealand is still a good 12 months and Tadhg Beirne and Caelan Doris have been two of their best performers.
Beirne has been a menace at the breakdown whether he’s been in the back row or second row and got through a hell of lot of work, while Doris has now played in 40 consecutive Tests and looks nailed on to be the British & Irish Lions captain this year.
Jack Willis (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Jack Willis might be a pick that some disagree with but surely that would only be based on the fact he hasn’t been playing international rugby. I’ve no doubt he’d be tearing up trees for England as well if he was eligible for selection.
The former Wasps man is another Top 14 and Champions Cup double winner with Toulouse, has arguably been their best player for much of the last 12 months and is an out and out number seven, which I like.
Ardie Savea has only worn the All Blacks number seven jersey once this year, Siya Kolisi has been good but has had better years and I don’t think there’s anyone else who has had the impact on games that Willis has had.
Thomas du Toit deserves a mention for excelling at both lossehead and tighthead, Angus Bell for beating more defenders than a lot of backs and Wallace Sititi for slotting into the All Blacks back row like he’s been there all his life.
They’d all get a place on the bench but my team of 2024 is fittingly dominated by a South Africa side that is looking ominously good at the start of this next four-year cycle and will definitely be the team to beat once more in 2025.
My Team of 2024 – Andy Goode
15 Aphelele Fassi
14 Cheslin Kolbe
13 Jesse Kriel
12 Sione Tuipulotu
11 Will Jordan
10 Tomas Albornoz
9 Antoine Dupont
1 Ox Nche
2 Malcolm Marx
3 Tyrel Lomax
4 Tadhg Beirne
5 Eben Etzebeth
6 Pieter-Steph du Toit
7 Jack Willis
8 Caelan Doris
Replacements
16 Peato Mauvaka
17 Angus Bell
18 Thomas du Toit
19 Scott Barrett
20 Wallace Sititi
21 Jamison Gibson-Park
22 Beauden Barrett
23 Damian de Allende
Coach: Rassie Erasmus
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