Tadhg Furlong the only Irish player to make World Rugby ‘Team of the Year’

Patrick McCarry

A few eye-brow raising inclusions in there with plenty of undeniables.

World Rugby was never going to miss out on the Team of the Year action, and their ’15s Dream Team’ has been announced as part of a week-long sprinkling of accolades.

Rugby’s global governing body has already announced a slew of awards, such as Breakthrough Player of the Year [New Zealand’s Will Jordan] and Best Try [Damian Penaud, France vs. Scotland], and the dream team is the latest to be released.

It is dominated by the Springboks, who may have lost to England on their end-of-year tour and finished third in The Rugby Championship but did defeat the British & Irish Lions during the summer.

The rest of the XV is made up by three All Blacks, two Wallabies and one apiece for England, Wales, Scotland, France and Ireland.

Maro Itoje is the sole England player in the World Rugby Team of the Year. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)

Tadhg Furlong flies Irish flag

The sole Ireland player making the cut, as he has in other Best XV selections, is Leinster tighthead Tadhg Furlong. He is joined in the front row by Wales and Lions loosehead Wyn Jones and Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx.

Few will argue with the second row combination of Maro Itoje and South African menace Eben Etzebeth. Tadhg Beirne must have been in the conversation, though.

The back row has some bite to it, with Australia captain Michael Hooper joined by Boks Siya Kolisi and All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea. Antoine Dupont – tipped to win player of the year – partners Beauden Barrett in the half-backs department.

Samu Kerevi and Lukhanyo Am are in midfield, with Makazole Mapimpi, Will Jordan and Scotland’s Stuart Hogg rounding out the backline.

The World Rugby ‘Dream Team of the Year’ panel was made up by Maggie Alphonsi, Fiona Coghlan, Thierry Dusautoir, George Gregan, Richie McCaw, Brian O’Driscoll, Melodie Robinson, John Smit and Clive Woodward.