The Bordeaux maestro started France’s opening game against New Zealand at out-half, then switched to fullback for their wins over Australia and Japan. And he created pure magic from the number 15 shirt, working in tandem with out-half Romain Ntamack.
Jalibert made five linebreaks, beat 19 defenders, and threw five offloads, kicked well and made some good defensive interventions. Jalibert is a lot of fun to watch.
Damian McKenzie was class for the All Blacks, South Africa’s Damien Willemse had an excellent campaign that included a stunning start at fullback, and Kyle Rowe shone for Scotland.
14. Will Jordan
Having only turned 28 in February, the Crusaders sensation is now New Zealand’s all-time record try scorer with 51 tries in 57 Tests.
The all-time Test record, Daisuke Ohata’s 69 tries for Japan, is doable if Jordan avoids serious injuries in the next few years.
His searing pace, footwork, balance, power through contact, and fending make him fiendishly difficult to defend against, but there is much more to Jordan’s game than just the tries. He’s a smart rugby player on both sides of the ball.
France’s 21-year-old Théo Attissogbe, equally brilliant in the air and on the ground, is unlucky to miss out here. He was devastatingly effective for the French.
13. Fabien Brau-Boirie
France centre Fabien Brau-Boirie. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
The Pau man is still only 20, but he looked like a Test-level veteran for les Bleus in his three starts at outside centre in this campaign.
Brau-Boirie was playing for the France U20s just last summer but had a magnificent Top 14 season and made his senior debut during the Six Nations. Also adept at inside centre, his balance of poise, cutting edge, defensive grit, and ball-playing skills are reminiscent of the great Yannick Jauzion.
Springboks’ outside centre Jesse Kriel was also in superb form, while Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Henry Slade also had good windows at number 13 for Australia and England, respectively.
12. Jordie Barrett
There was intense competition in this position, but All Blacks number 12 Jordie Barrett is the complete rugby player.
He can pass short and long off both sides, kick off both feet, win aerial contests in commanding style, run over people with his carrying, step defenders, make pacy outside breaks, chop tackle, choke tackle, jockey with agility, and hammer people in front-on tackles.
Barrett has pretty much every skill in the book, and you’d fancy him to play anywhere on the pitch aside from the front row. Key to everything is his blend of calm decision-making, ferocity in contact, and work rate off the ball.
Len Ikitau was brilliant for the Wallabies with his array of no-look passes, Yoram Moefana was a weapon for France, Sione Tuipulotu was as influential as ever for Scotland, Damian de Allende is class for the Boks, while Argentina’s Justo Piccardo and Fiji’s Josua Tuisova are powerhouses.
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
The Exeter man, who missed the Six Nations this year due to injury, was the game-changer England needed. His acceleration is startling, even though you know it’s coming, and Feyi-Waboso uses it to great effect on both sides of the ball.
His muscular frame also means he’s hard to knock off balance, so he can dominate carries, tackles, and aerial duels.
Feyi-Waboso is also an optimistic, positive rugby player and England needed that spirit in their team. He’s still only 23 and looks like he will continue to grow as a Test wing.
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Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang had a breakthrough campaign for France, showing his aerial prowess and athleticism, while Jiuta Wainiqolo’s individual performance against Wales – 19 defenders beaten and five offloads – was frankly ludicrous.
10. Ruben Love
All Blacks out-half Ruben Love. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
England’s Fin Smith had a happy Nations Championship window and Romain Ntamack looked energised for France, but Ruben Love takes the number 10 shirt after his first Test campaign with the All Blacks.
Love carried his scintillating Super Rugby form into the black jersey and showed that even if there is less time and space, he can still weave his wondrous attacking class in tandem with scrum-half Cam Roigard.
Love place-kicked well at 88% and tackled at 82%. It remains to be seen what happens when Richie Mo’unga re-enters the All Blacks equation soon, but this was a strong start for Love.
9. Maxime Lucu
The aforementioned Roigard had another impressive window, yet Lucu was brilliant for les Bleus.
While he was the heartbeat of Bordeaux’s Champions Cup-winning campaign, the 33-year-old missed out on France’s Six Nations glory due to injury, so he had lost time to make up for.
Lucu did as much with his combination of superb kicking, astute passing and running, accurate tackling, and solid place-kicking. The 33-year-old is ageing like the proverbial vin rouge.
1. Ethan de Groot
The All Blacks loosehead was determined to throw spectacular passes in this window, egged on by senior assistant coach Neil Barnes slagging him for having “shit skills.”
Some of his sweep passing at the line has been astonishing but more importantly, de Groot has been nailed-on in his physicality and set-piece work for the Kiwis.
All of this said, it’s difficult to overlook England’s Ellis Genge, whose utter belligerence in contact is thrilling to watch. Gerhard Steenekamp was also in fine form for the Springboks.
The Springboks hooker combines brutal physicality with set-piece accuracy and more than a hint of skill around the pitch.
Marx is an imposing presence around the pitch with his powerful ball-carrying and tackling, while he is a master jackaler at the breakdown too. He could undoubtedly excel in the back row.
On top of that, he’s an excellent lineout thrower and a dominant scrummager. The Springboks’ arsenal of strong-scrummaging props is remarkable, but Marx’s influence there should not be underestimated.
Ireland skipper Dan Sheehan was also impressive in his two outings, particularly against the All Blacks, while France’s Maxime Lamothe andFiji’s Tevita Ikanivere are high-quality operators.
3. Zachary Porthen
The fact that South Africa rotated their team so much meant most of their props only played once, but Porthen made two appearances off the bench and underlined how exciting a prospect he is.
The 22-year-old Stormers tighthead has plenty of competition in the South Africa squad, but he is an emerging force. The Springboks are scrum-first when it comes to their props, yet Porthen has major dynamism around the pitch and an aggressive mindset.
Wilco Louw was the only other Springbok prop to play twice in this campaign and could easily have been selected here, while England’s Joe Heyes also had a good window as he made three starts.
4. Joe McCarthy
The Ireland lock continued with the excellent form he has shown since making his return from injury for Leinster in December. At the age of 25, McCarthy is now consistently performing at the highest level.
In truth, he has been a first-choice player for Andy Farrell’s side pretty much since breaking through, with his size and explosiveness offering a different profile to most Irish locks.
This kind of heavy-duty yet dynamic lock is invaluable, as also shown by France’s behemoth Emmanuel Meafou, England’s in-form George Martin and new Springboks second row Cobus Wiese.
5. Josh Canham
Josh Canham competes at a lineout. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
One of Joe Schmidt’s parting gifts to the Wallabies was to unearth Canham as a Test-level force. The 25-year-old had already won a couple of caps in the last two seasons, but he bounded through in this window.
The 6ft 8ins Reds lock is a savvy lineout operator who offers quality on both sides of the ball, but he’s no lightweight technician. Canham can bang in contact too, bringing a nice edge to the collisions.
On top of that, he offers slick passing right at the line, allowing the skilful Australian backs to come to the fore.
South Africa’s Ruan Nortjé, England’s Alex Coles, Japan’s Warner Dearns and Scotland’s Scott Cummings were among the other standout lineout locks.
6. Pieter-Steph du Toit
Australia’s Rob Valetini deserves to be in a team like this one, but it would be absurd to leave South African totem Pieter-Steph du Toit out.
Perhaps the greatest example of a lock/blindside hybrid in the number six shirt, du Toit will turn 34 next month, but doesn’t appear to be slowing down in the slightest. He is all work rate, rugby IQ, technical skill and mental dominance.
Du Toit started in the second row against England as injuries affected the Boks, then he switched back seamlessly to the blindside for the wins over Scotland and Wales. His quietly spoken captaincy is also enjoyable.
Tupou Vaa’i delivered a brilliant performance at number six for the All Blacks against Ireland, combining his set-piece contributions with savage intent in contact and plenty of shithousery.
The rapid Josh Bayliss also had a major impact for Scotland off the bench against the Springboks and when starting against Fiji.
7. Paul de Villiers
The 23-year-old made a thrilling impression for the Springboks in his first Test campaign, with his array of defensive breakdown work, low-slung tackling and general nuisance-causing efforts showing that fetcher/spoilers remain precious.
De Villiers was outstanding for the Stormers this season, and though the Springboks have great back row talent, he looks like someone whose upward trajectory will continue.
There were plenty of other good opensides on show in this Nations Championship window, with Australia’s Fraser McReight as influential as ever, Ben Gunter making a dominant impact for Japan, and Henry Pollock impacting off the bench for England.
8. Ardie Savea
The All Blacks have a great array of threats across the pitch, but whenever they run out of steam, new skipper Savea can be relied upon to generate irresistible momentum. Even the sound of the number eight’s contact work is feral.
Savea is an all-rounder who contributes to every element of the All Blacks’ game, and that flexibility in skillset means he is the man for every different situation. His calm leadership seems to suit this Kiwi group.
Argentina’s utterly relentless Joaquín Oviedo was close to grabbing this spot, having beaten 18 defenders and bagged three tries, as well as offering defensive excellence.
South Africa’s Jasper Wiese is alarmingly good in contact, Ireland’s Jack Conan was superb in the absence of Caelan Doris, England’s Ben Earl was as busy as ever, and Fiji’s Elia Canakaivata brought notable punch.
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The 42's dream XV from the opening Nations Championship window
15. Matthieu Jalibert
The Bordeaux maestro started France’s opening game against New Zealand at out-half, then switched to fullback for their wins over Australia and Japan. And he created pure magic from the number 15 shirt, working in tandem with out-half Romain Ntamack.
Jalibert made five linebreaks, beat 19 defenders, and threw five offloads, kicked well and made some good defensive interventions. Jalibert is a lot of fun to watch.
Damian McKenzie was class for the All Blacks, South Africa’s Damien Willemse had an excellent campaign that included a stunning start at fullback, and Kyle Rowe shone for Scotland.
14. Will Jordan
Having only turned 28 in February, the Crusaders sensation is now New Zealand’s all-time record try scorer with 51 tries in 57 Tests.
The all-time Test record, Daisuke Ohata’s 69 tries for Japan, is doable if Jordan avoids serious injuries in the next few years.
His searing pace, footwork, balance, power through contact, and fending make him fiendishly difficult to defend against, but there is much more to Jordan’s game than just the tries. He’s a smart rugby player on both sides of the ball.
France’s 21-year-old Théo Attissogbe, equally brilliant in the air and on the ground, is unlucky to miss out here. He was devastatingly effective for the French.
13. Fabien Brau-Boirie
The Pau man is still only 20, but he looked like a Test-level veteran for les Bleus in his three starts at outside centre in this campaign.
Brau-Boirie was playing for the France U20s just last summer but had a magnificent Top 14 season and made his senior debut during the Six Nations. Also adept at inside centre, his balance of poise, cutting edge, defensive grit, and ball-playing skills are reminiscent of the great Yannick Jauzion.
Springboks’ outside centre Jesse Kriel was also in superb form, while Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Henry Slade also had good windows at number 13 for Australia and England, respectively.
12. Jordie Barrett
There was intense competition in this position, but All Blacks number 12 Jordie Barrett is the complete rugby player.
He can pass short and long off both sides, kick off both feet, win aerial contests in commanding style, run over people with his carrying, step defenders, make pacy outside breaks, chop tackle, choke tackle, jockey with agility, and hammer people in front-on tackles.
Barrett has pretty much every skill in the book, and you’d fancy him to play anywhere on the pitch aside from the front row. Key to everything is his blend of calm decision-making, ferocity in contact, and work rate off the ball.
Len Ikitau was brilliant for the Wallabies with his array of no-look passes, Yoram Moefana was a weapon for France, Sione Tuipulotu was as influential as ever for Scotland, Damian de Allende is class for the Boks, while Argentina’s Justo Piccardo and Fiji’s Josua Tuisova are powerhouses.
11. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
The Exeter man, who missed the Six Nations this year due to injury, was the game-changer England needed. His acceleration is startling, even though you know it’s coming, and Feyi-Waboso uses it to great effect on both sides of the ball.
His muscular frame also means he’s hard to knock off balance, so he can dominate carries, tackles, and aerial duels.
Feyi-Waboso is also an optimistic, positive rugby player and England needed that spirit in their team. He’s still only 23 and looks like he will continue to grow as a Test wing.
Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang had a breakthrough campaign for France, showing his aerial prowess and athleticism, while Jiuta Wainiqolo’s individual performance against Wales – 19 defenders beaten and five offloads – was frankly ludicrous.
10. Ruben Love
England’s Fin Smith had a happy Nations Championship window and Romain Ntamack looked energised for France, but Ruben Love takes the number 10 shirt after his first Test campaign with the All Blacks.
Love carried his scintillating Super Rugby form into the black jersey and showed that even if there is less time and space, he can still weave his wondrous attacking class in tandem with scrum-half Cam Roigard.
Love place-kicked well at 88% and tackled at 82%. It remains to be seen what happens when Richie Mo’unga re-enters the All Blacks equation soon, but this was a strong start for Love.
9. Maxime Lucu
The aforementioned Roigard had another impressive window, yet Lucu was brilliant for les Bleus.
While he was the heartbeat of Bordeaux’s Champions Cup-winning campaign, the 33-year-old missed out on France’s Six Nations glory due to injury, so he had lost time to make up for.
Lucu did as much with his combination of superb kicking, astute passing and running, accurate tackling, and solid place-kicking. The 33-year-old is ageing like the proverbial vin rouge.
1. Ethan de Groot
The All Blacks loosehead was determined to throw spectacular passes in this window, egged on by senior assistant coach Neil Barnes slagging him for having “shit skills.”
Some of his sweep passing at the line has been astonishing but more importantly, de Groot has been nailed-on in his physicality and set-piece work for the Kiwis.
All of this said, it’s difficult to overlook England’s Ellis Genge, whose utter belligerence in contact is thrilling to watch. Gerhard Steenekamp was also in fine form for the Springboks.
2. Malcolm Marx
The Springboks hooker combines brutal physicality with set-piece accuracy and more than a hint of skill around the pitch.
Marx is an imposing presence around the pitch with his powerful ball-carrying and tackling, while he is a master jackaler at the breakdown too. He could undoubtedly excel in the back row.
On top of that, he’s an excellent lineout thrower and a dominant scrummager. The Springboks’ arsenal of strong-scrummaging props is remarkable, but Marx’s influence there should not be underestimated.
Ireland skipper Dan Sheehan was also impressive in his two outings, particularly against the All Blacks, while France’s Maxime Lamothe and Fiji’s Tevita Ikanivere are high-quality operators.
3. Zachary Porthen
The fact that South Africa rotated their team so much meant most of their props only played once, but Porthen made two appearances off the bench and underlined how exciting a prospect he is.
The 22-year-old Stormers tighthead has plenty of competition in the South Africa squad, but he is an emerging force. The Springboks are scrum-first when it comes to their props, yet Porthen has major dynamism around the pitch and an aggressive mindset.
Wilco Louw was the only other Springbok prop to play twice in this campaign and could easily have been selected here, while England’s Joe Heyes also had a good window as he made three starts.
4. Joe McCarthy
The Ireland lock continued with the excellent form he has shown since making his return from injury for Leinster in December. At the age of 25, McCarthy is now consistently performing at the highest level.
In truth, he has been a first-choice player for Andy Farrell’s side pretty much since breaking through, with his size and explosiveness offering a different profile to most Irish locks.
This kind of heavy-duty yet dynamic lock is invaluable, as also shown by France’s behemoth Emmanuel Meafou, England’s in-form George Martin and new Springboks second row Cobus Wiese.
5. Josh Canham
One of Joe Schmidt’s parting gifts to the Wallabies was to unearth Canham as a Test-level force. The 25-year-old had already won a couple of caps in the last two seasons, but he bounded through in this window.
The 6ft 8ins Reds lock is a savvy lineout operator who offers quality on both sides of the ball, but he’s no lightweight technician. Canham can bang in contact too, bringing a nice edge to the collisions.
On top of that, he offers slick passing right at the line, allowing the skilful Australian backs to come to the fore.
South Africa’s Ruan Nortjé, England’s Alex Coles, Japan’s Warner Dearns and Scotland’s Scott Cummings were among the other standout lineout locks.
6. Pieter-Steph du Toit
Australia’s Rob Valetini deserves to be in a team like this one, but it would be absurd to leave South African totem Pieter-Steph du Toit out.
Perhaps the greatest example of a lock/blindside hybrid in the number six shirt, du Toit will turn 34 next month, but doesn’t appear to be slowing down in the slightest. He is all work rate, rugby IQ, technical skill and mental dominance.
Du Toit started in the second row against England as injuries affected the Boks, then he switched back seamlessly to the blindside for the wins over Scotland and Wales. His quietly spoken captaincy is also enjoyable.
Tupou Vaa’i delivered a brilliant performance at number six for the All Blacks against Ireland, combining his set-piece contributions with savage intent in contact and plenty of shithousery.
The rapid Josh Bayliss also had a major impact for Scotland off the bench against the Springboks and when starting against Fiji.
7. Paul de Villiers
The 23-year-old made a thrilling impression for the Springboks in his first Test campaign, with his array of defensive breakdown work, low-slung tackling and general nuisance-causing efforts showing that fetcher/spoilers remain precious.
De Villiers was outstanding for the Stormers this season, and though the Springboks have great back row talent, he looks like someone whose upward trajectory will continue.
There were plenty of other good opensides on show in this Nations Championship window, with Australia’s Fraser McReight as influential as ever, Ben Gunter making a dominant impact for Japan, and Henry Pollock impacting off the bench for England.
8. Ardie Savea
The All Blacks have a great array of threats across the pitch, but whenever they run out of steam, new skipper Savea can be relied upon to generate irresistible momentum. Even the sound of the number eight’s contact work is feral.
Savea is an all-rounder who contributes to every element of the All Blacks’ game, and that flexibility in skillset means he is the man for every different situation. His calm leadership seems to suit this Kiwi group.
Argentina’s utterly relentless Joaquín Oviedo was close to grabbing this spot, having beaten 18 defenders and bagged three tries, as well as offering defensive excellence.
South Africa’s Jasper Wiese is alarmingly good in contact, Ireland’s Jack Conan was superb in the absence of Caelan Doris, England’s Ben Earl was as busy as ever, and Fiji’s Elia Canakaivata brought notable punch.
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