In the final of a six-part series, SA Rugby magazine’s writers pick their world team of the year, based on performances throughout 2022.
Zelím Nel
Bok rookie Kurt-Lee Arendse scored five tries in five appearances, including a strike against each of the two top-ranked teams in the world during the November tour.
If you’re looking for someone to tag as the best back on the planet, you can do far worse than Emiliano Boffelli. Arguably the ultimate all-rounder, Boffelli lined up on the wing and at fullback for Argentina and scored 146 points in 12 Tests by way of four tries, 21 conversions and 28 penalties, including 25 points in a 30-29 victory against England at Twickenham.
Ange Capuozzo was instrumental in helping an outgunned Italy team win five of 11 Tests in 2022, scoring two tries in a historic victory against the Wallabies in Florence.
Dylan Jack
Emiliano Boffelli was highly influential in Argentina’s memorable 2022 under Michael Cheika. A total of 146 points and Man of the Match performances in historic wins against England and the All Blacks makes it easy to pick Boffelli on the wing. Kurt-Lee Arendse was unlucky to miss out on a nomination for Breakthrough Player of the Year. Seven tries in seven Tests is an incredible stat for a winger in his first Test season, especially considering 2022 was Arendse’s third year of professional rugby. There is no fullback more crucial to his nation’s gameplan than Willie le Roux. After being slated throughout 2021, Le Roux won back the Springbok fans with some sparkling performances in 2022, including crucial roles in the comeback win against Wales, and the mauling of the All Blacks at Mbombela.
Devin Hermanus
The fleet-footed Kurt-Lee Arendse, who earned his first international callup this year after starring for the Vodacom Bulls, finished the Test season as the Springboks’ top try scorer with seven tries in as many matches.
Arendse has added attacking, defensive and try-scoring dimensions to the Boks, and expect the 26-year-old pocket rocket to shine as one of the superstars at France 2023.
Rounding out the standout back three of 2022 are Argentina right winger Emiliano Boffelli and Italy fullback Ange Capuozzo, the former a goal-kicking machine who starred in historic wins against New Zealand and England, while the latter scooped World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year after his dynamism and crisp finishing for the Azzurri came to the fore in memorable victories over Wales and Australia.
Ollie Keohane
Duhan van der Merwe remained a force for Scotland on the left wing and was among the most consistent wingers in a year where not too many stood out across the bigger rugby nations, playing in 10 Tests and scoring five tries. Van der Merwe continues to bully opposition backlines with his distinctive cutting runs from out wide towards the middle of the field.
The All Blacks are almost always positioned well when Will Jordan is on the right wing. He is not a flashy player, but he is one of the most effective. Jordan’s eye for space behind the defensive line, and the speed at which he gets into it, makes him a huge threat on the outside of the game. He ended 2022 with four tries and eight assists in eight games.
Ange Capuozzo was one of the wonderful surprises of 2022, and the young French-Italian fullback was instrumental in Italy’s success during the season. He created a try from nothing to secure a last-minute win against Wales, and scored two tries in Italy’s historic victory over Australia. He scored against the Springboks too, and has been electric in every game in the blue jersey.
Simon Borchardt
Damian Penaud was a lethal finisher in 2022, as he showed by scoring what proved to be the match-winning try against the Wallabies in Paris. The France wing received the ball outside his 22 and beat three defenders on the right touchline.
Emiliano Boffelli‘s precision goal-kicking played a big part in two famous Los Pumas wins this year. He kicked seven out of seven against the All Blacks in Christchurch (six penalties and a conversion) and his 25-point haul against England at Twickenham included a try, six penalties and a conversion.
World Rugby got one award winner right when Italy fullback Ange Capuozzo was named Breakthrough Player of the Year. He beat several defenders on his way to scoring a match-winning try against Wales in Cardiff, and proved too quick for the Bok cover defence in Genoa.
Photo: Getty Images
