8. Duane Vermeulen (South Africa).
No-one typifies the Springboks gameplan better than their granite-hard number eight. He was very good throughout the tournament. In the final, he was magnificent. AFP
15. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand). The All Blacks might have seen their 12-year unbeaten World Cup record end against England, but Barrett was still fighting the good fight until the very end. AFP
14. Kotaro Matsushima (Japan). Kenki Fukuoka’s wing play against Scotland was more spectacular individual display, but Matsushima was consistently excellent in a side that captured the hearts of all rugby fans. PA
13. Semi Radrada (Fiji). Is there a more joyful sight in rugby than Radrada in full flight? He made most of his most telling contributions from the wing in this tournament, but plays outside centre in our team. Getty Images
12. Damian de Allende (South Africa). Few knew how skilled Lukhanyo Am was until his fine cameo in the final, given the ball rarely makes it past De Allende in South Africa’s backline. There is a reason for that. He is so reliable. PA
11.Josh Adams (Wales). Lesser players would have never recovered from being bulldozed like Adams was by the Fijian bus Josua Tuisova. He bounced back to score three tries against Fiji, and seven in all in the tournament. EPA
10. Handre Pollard (South Africa). It felt inevitable this guy would be a World Cup winner at some point. Immaculate from the tee in the semi-final against Wales, and a 22-point haul to put the game beyond England in the final. Reuters
9. Yutaka Negare (Japan). Japan’s scrum-half could get into this team based exclusively on the fact he passed the ball 75 times and did not kick once in the epic win over Scotland. There was more to him than that, though. Reuters
1. Tendai Mtawarira (South Africa). “The Beast” had moments of anxiety in the tournament, but he was colossal in the final. Took three scrum penalties from England as the Boks established a forward dominance that was the platform for their win. AFP
2. Shota Horie (Japan). Representative of the modern trend towards having adept playmakers in the front-row. Horie even cropped up in attacking play executing neat grubber kicks. Fits Japan’s style perfectly. Reuters
3. Kyle Sinckler (England). From being pushed into rugby as a child by his mother to help ease his anger issues, to becoming a national hero in England. His early exit with concussion from the final was a decisive blow for England. Getty Images
4. Lood de Jager (South Africa). Remarkably, the Springboks lost just one lineout on their own throw in the whole tournament. De Jager, who ended it with a dislocated shoulder, was at the forefront of their battery of second-row skyscrapers. AFP
5. Maro Itoje (England). His was the standout performance in a display by England against New Zealand that many are describing as the most complete performance in the country’s history. He is remarkable. PA
6. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa).
There was so much competition for this place, with Ardie Savea, Michael Leitch and Tom Curry all excelling. Du Toit edges it, though, on account of the fact he is going home with the winners’ medal. AFP
7. Sam Underhill (England). The template for how a modern openside flanker should play – and also a decent poster boy for safe tackle technique, too. He and his fellow “Kamikaze Kid” Curry made a huge difference for England. AFP
8. Duane Vermeulen (South Africa).
No-one typifies the Springboks gameplan better than their granite-hard number eight. He was very good throughout the tournament. In the final, he was magnificent. AFP
15. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand). The All Blacks might have seen their 12-year unbeaten World Cup record end against England, but Barrett was still fighting the good fight until the very end. AFP
14. Kotaro Matsushima (Japan). Kenki Fukuoka’s wing play against Scotland was more spectacular individual display, but Matsushima was consistently excellent in a side that captured the hearts of all rugby fans. PA
13. Semi Radrada (Fiji). Is there a more joyful sight in rugby than Radrada in full flight? He made most of his most telling contributions from the wing in this tournament, but plays outside centre in our team. Getty Images
12. Damian de Allende (South Africa). Few knew how skilled Lukhanyo Am was until his fine cameo in the final, given the ball rarely makes it past De Allende in South Africa’s backline. There is a reason for that. He is so reliable. PA
11.Josh Adams (Wales). Lesser players would have never recovered from being bulldozed like Adams was by the Fijian bus Josua Tuisova. He bounced back to score three tries against Fiji, and seven in all in the tournament. EPA
10. Handre Pollard (South Africa). It felt inevitable this guy would be a World Cup winner at some point. Immaculate from the tee in the semi-final against Wales, and a 22-point haul to put the game beyond England in the final. Reuters
9. Yutaka Negare (Japan). Japan’s scrum-half could get into this team based exclusively on the fact he passed the ball 75 times and did not kick once in the epic win over Scotland. There was more to him than that, though. Reuters
1. Tendai Mtawarira (South Africa). “The Beast” had moments of anxiety in the tournament, but he was colossal in the final. Took three scrum penalties from England as the Boks established a forward dominance that was the platform for their win. AFP
2. Shota Horie (Japan). Representative of the modern trend towards having adept playmakers in the front-row. Horie even cropped up in attacking play executing neat grubber kicks. Fits Japan’s style perfectly. Reuters
3. Kyle Sinckler (England). From being pushed into rugby as a child by his mother to help ease his anger issues, to becoming a national hero in England. His early exit with concussion from the final was a decisive blow for England. Getty Images
4. Lood de Jager (South Africa). Remarkably, the Springboks lost just one lineout on their own throw in the whole tournament. De Jager, who ended it with a dislocated shoulder, was at the forefront of their battery of second-row skyscrapers. AFP
5. Maro Itoje (England). His was the standout performance in a display by England against New Zealand that many are describing as the most complete performance in the country’s history. He is remarkable. PA
6. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa).
There was so much competition for this place, with Ardie Savea, Michael Leitch and Tom Curry all excelling. Du Toit edges it, though, on account of the fact he is going home with the winners’ medal. AFP
7. Sam Underhill (England). The template for how a modern openside flanker should play – and also a decent poster boy for safe tackle technique, too. He and his fellow “Kamikaze Kid” Curry made a huge difference for England. AFP
8. Duane Vermeulen (South Africa).
No-one typifies the Springboks gameplan better than their granite-hard number eight. He was very good throughout the tournament. In the final, he was magnificent. AFP
