In the fourth of a six-part series, SA Rugby magazine’s writers pick their world team of the year, based on performances throughout 2022.
Dylan Jack
While many will go for Antoine Dupont, I feel the Frenchman wasn’t always at his best this year. Aaron Smith, on the other hand, enjoyed a return to power and provided a reminder of why he is such a dangerous weapon in the All Blacks’ arsenal. Even when his pack was getting smashed backwards, Smith was on hand to put a teammate into space with his bullet passing. The Test centurion remains a key player for New Zealand going into 2023.
Johnny Sexton may not be at the top of his game physically, but he is still a playmaking and tactical genius. Ireland and Leinster are always better when he is on the park, speaking to his immense influence as both a game-driver and a leader.
Devin Hermanus
He lost his crown as World Rugby’s Player of the Year but scrumhalf Antoine Dupont remains one of the best players on the planet and invaluable to France, after leading Les Bleus to a first Six Nations title in 12 years, then capping off a perfect year with a 13th straight victory that confirmed their status as favourites for their third World Cup on home soil.
The highly talented Damian Willemse announced himself as an exciting prospect in the green-and-gold No 10 jumper, thriving as the first-choice flyhalf for the Springboks in the end-of-year Tests, after shooting the lights out against Wales in July. He also played an instrumental role in the DHL Stormers claiming the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship title, featuring at flyhalf, fullback and centre as a vital cog in an electric backline.
Zelim Nel
Antoine Dupont has been central to a French revolution as Les Bleus won the 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam and went unbeaten in 10 Tests, extending their streak to 13 wins since November 2021.
Despite what was a down year by the standards of the 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year, Dupont continued to serve as a transformer between a powerful pack and an electric back corps.
Johnny Sexton is physically past his best but his game management was crucial to Ireland’s historic series victory in New Zealand in July. The tourists lost the opener after the veteran flyhalf went off with a head knock, but he returned to lead Ireland to successive wins against the All Blacks.
Simon Borchardt
His constant chatting to referees may be annoying, but credit where it’s due – 37-year-old Johnny Sexton played a leading role in Ireland’s series win in New Zealand that took the Irish to No 1 in the world, as well as victories against the Boks and Wallabies.
While less influential for France in 2022 than in 2021 (when he won the World Rugby Player of the Year award), Antoine Dupont remained a big attacking threat around the fringes due to his speed, acceleration and power, and defended like a fourth loose forward.
Ollie Keohane
Antoine Dupont was World Rugby Player of the Year in 2021 and very nearly awarded the title in 2022. French rugby is the strongest it has been in a long time, but it is Dupont’s presence that is often the differentiator. He is a player whose quality is almost more apparent in his absence from the side, and following a brilliant 2021, he took 2022 by storm.
Injury to Handre Pollard and the chaos surrounding Elton Jantjies meant that Damian Willemse finally ran out for the Springboks at flyhalf. Circumstance more than genius from a selection point of view, but wow, Willemse impressed. A distinctive Man of the Match performance in South Africa’s win over Australia showed just how deadly the versatile playmaker can be, and trusted with the jersey for the remainder of the season he continued to impress.
