2013 Rugby Championship Review - and Best XV!

With the Rugby Championship over, it's time to look back at the competition just completed. Once again, the All Blacks were the dominant side and completed their aims of winning the Rugby Championship and maintaining the now 10-year hold on the Bledisloe Cup.

The table and stats don't lie about the All Blacks being undoubtedly the best team in the Southern Hemisphere's annual international rugby championship - both them and the Boks scored 19 tries although a lot of the Boks' tries came from that game against Argentina at the start of the campaign.

The depth in the ABs is all clear to see - even without the experienced Carter and McCaw, the new generation of Barrett, Cruden and Cane still were good enough to beat the best the rest had to offer - frightening prospect two years out from the World Cup and a lot of work to do for the opposition if they want to catch them come 2015.

Willie le Roux had a wonderful campaign for the Boks

The Boks were the closest side to push the ABs and indeed matched them in terms of scoring tries and points against the Wallabies and Pumas who were very much second best. However, in both games against the ABs, the superiority of the ABs was clear with the Boks committing far more errors than the ABs even if they were very competitive at times.

This was evident in the game of the season - that thrilling Championship decider at Ellis Park just played this morning. The Boks definitely had the firepower to win the game but the ABs, even under the pump and playing with 14 men for much of the 2nd half, were just too clinical and took their opportunities when they had them.

Argentina and Australia played the role of also-ran to a tee.

As mentioned before, the Wallabies and Pumas were clearly second best to the ABs and Boks. It must be galling for Australian rugby fans that even with the change of coach to Ewen McKenzie, the Wallabies are still struggling for confidence and fluidity. McKenzie will be looking at the end of year tour to find out his team for next year as they look to get back to the form they showed in 2011 when they won the Tri Nations.

As for the Pumas, one thinks they may have taken a step back - they lost all their games this season and in their last game against the Wallabies, they got hammered at home. They remain very competitive but with the older players now slowly stepping aside for the new generation, they need to learn fast or remain the whipping boys of the competition for a while yet - mind you, they can take inspiration from Italy who were whipped in the first few years of the competition but have definitely improved in the last few years.

Anyway here's my team of the tournament.

1.Tendai Mtawarira - the Beast played his 50th test against the ABs on Saturday and was a key member in the Boks front row which was the best in the tournament.

2.Bismarck du Plessis - the big hooker had a great tournament and his absence was felt after that harsh red card against the ABs - he had scored a try before. Best hooker in world rugby right now.

3.Jannie du Plessis - the brother of Bismarck had a great tournament up front, demolishing front row after front row.

4.Sam Whitelock - best lock in world rugby right now. Reliable in the lineouts and great with ball in hand

5.Eben Etzebeth - the young Boks lock continues to rock the world with his rapid rise to class. Just edged out Brodie Retallick on the basis of his huge running game.

6.Juan Manuel Leguizamon - the standout player for the Pumas with his line breaks, tackling and tries in an average team. Just nudges out Steven Luatua who was in a far superior pack.

7.Richie McCaw - Captain Fantastic continues to wow - hard to believe he only came back to rugby only 3 months ago. His latest magic trick - coming back to the ABs just weeks after a severe knee injury sustained against the Pumas in Hamilton.

8.Kieran Read - best number 8 in the world right now. Period.

9.Aaron Smith - Smith had a solid campaign even if he didn't quite break the line as much as he did against the Wallabies and last season. Shaded Genia and du Preez who had average campaigns.

10.Aaron Cruden - it wasn't the tournament for first fives with the best first fives either injured and missing parts of the tournament or just not as they were (Morne Steyn). Cruden topped the best of an okay bunch - he continues to show that he's more than a match for the experienced Carter.

11.Bryan Habana - he may not play his rugby in South Africa anymore but Bryan Gary "Bailey" Habana still continues to wow nearly 9 years after his debut. Possibly the best winger ever produced from the Republic.

12.Jean de Villiers - just shaded Ma'a Nonu in my opinion with his consistency and line breaks. de Villiers is now very much the senior player in a young Boks backline and led by example throughout the tournament.

13.Conrad Smith - The second Smith in my tournament XV, Conrad had another consistent campaign for the ABs and was ever present in defence and attack - is Conrad our best ever centre?

14.Ben Smith - the All Blacks' player of the tournament - top try scorer with 8 tries, leader of the line breaks charts, and a mean defender as well. What can this Otago player not do?

15.Israel Dagg - started slowly but came to life towards the end of the tournament with his trademark big territorial kicks.

Game of the Tournament - 

Try of the Tournament - 

Player of the Tournament - 

Ben Smith

Congratulations ABs!