Thoroughly deserved…the number 4 lock attribution is also interesting:
4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): Simply immense, our Player of the Tournament and a man who has calmed his aggression to offer a complete lock package. An all-time great.
Runner-up: Maro Itoje is back to his very best, the England lock is a menace in every aspect, getting better and better as the tournament progressed.
Etzebeth has finally got the recognition he has deserved for years. The best lock of his time, perhaps ever.
It’s also interesting that mobile locks like Mostert and Itoje are changing the game. The emergence of lock flanks like Du Toit and Courtney Lawes, is matched by flank locks like Mostert and Itoje.
Lawes and Du Toit are bigger men than their lock counterparts. But it hardly matters as long as all the bases are covered,
The right combinations blend brawn, mobility and specific skills like the lineout.
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5 Franco Mostert (South Africa): The unsung hero of Springbok rugby racked up the third most tackles in the competition with an incredible breakdown work rate. He goes under the radar for many.
Runner-up: All Blacks veteran Brodie Retallick had another stellar tournament; he always rises to the occasions in his brutality on either side of the ball. He was immense in the final game, dismantling the Boks’ set-piece. A word for South Africa’s RG Snyman, who was huge in every way and rose to the occasion in the semi-final to score a match-winning try