In spite of South Africa being the current world champions, there has been intense debate during the 2024 Six Nations about whether team is truly the finest in the world.

Yet many people think that Ireland is the real top squad because of their performances in the premier competition in the northern hemisphere thus far.

Because Andy Farrell’s team is the “best team in the world,” according to Wales greats Jonathan Davies and Sam Warburton, we decided to assemble a combined XV.

For the Rugby World Cup, South Africa’s selections are clearly determined by their performance, but the Irishmen’s are a combination.

Springboks and Ireland combined XV

15 Hugo Keenan (Ireland): Keenan is currently a better international full-back than Damian Willemse, despite the latter’s stellar performance during the World Cup. Even if Willemse has the ability to surpass him in the upcoming four-year cycle, the Irishman still has great running lines, outstanding backfield coverage, and the ability to seriously threaten a counterattack.

14 South Africa’s Kurt-Lee Arendse:Arendse was always going to take this position, even if Mack Hansen was healthy. Arendse had a terrific debut to his international career and carried that form into the world cup. Though his amazing tries-per-game ratio was somewhat diminished by his two landings in France, he started all of their elimination matches en route to winning the championship.

13. Jesse Kriel, a South African, is a valuable member of the Springboks team. Robbie Henshaw and Gary Ringrose, who missed the first three Six Nations matches, are also excellent players. In actuality, Lukhanyo Am was not truly missed despite some people’s concerns after his injury. Their victory depended heavily on the 30-year-old’s superb defensive play in the challenging outside centre channel.

12 Bundee Aki (Ireland): The seasoned centre is demonstrating that the World Cup was more than a memorable event. In France, Aki went from being a respectable international player to a very elite player, and he hasn’t declined throughout the 2024 Six Nations. Though it is hard to overlook the outstanding Damian de Allende, the Irishman has been quite outstanding in recent weeks.

11. James Lowe (Ireland): This was a difficult one because Cheslin Kolbe is a Springbok favourite, but Lowe did well at the World Cup despite Ireland’s elimination in the quarterfinals, and he has been outstanding since recovering from injury before the Six Nations. He has scored twice in the competition thus far, and Wales, France, and Italy have all had difficulty stopping him.

10 Handre Pollard (South Africa): Jack Crowley has done a fantastic job filling the void created by Johnny Sexton’s departure as fly-half for Ireland. But Crowley still has a few tough tests ahead of him where he will have to prove himself, therefore in our opinion, Pollard, the South African who won both the semifinal and final matches, is the clear winner. The 24-year-old may very well emerge as the greatest player in the world based on 2024’s results, but he still has a lot to learn.

9. Jameson Gibson-Park (Ireland): Perfectly paces Farrell’s team. Thanks to his excellent passing and quick delivery, Ireland is able to consistently test the defending of its opponents. Additionally, he kicks well, which allows his team to apply pressure from the air. This was a simple decision because Cobus Reinach started the quarter-final and semifinal in 2023 and Faf de Klerk wasn’t performing at his best.

8 Caelan Doris (Ireland): One of the best players in the country, the Leinsterman has established himself as the number eight for both club and country in recent years with a number of outstanding all-around performances. Doris, who possesses exceptional athleticism, is an excellent attacker who generates opportunities for both himself and his teammates to score tries. In the lineouts and on defence, where he frequently runs out of gas, he is also reliable.

7 Siya Kolisi (South Africa): The captain of the Springboks finishes ahead of Josh van der Flier, the winner of the 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year award, who has somewhat lost his way in the last 12 months. But Kolisi has performed well over that time, not only because of his outstanding defensive performance and ball carrying ability but also because of his high calibre leadership abilities.

6. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa): Choosing Du Toit was tough because he was a standout performer for the Boks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but Peter O’Mahony, Ireland’s new captain, never lets his nation down. Not only does Du Toit have a stellar defensive work ethic, but he also risks everything as a ball carrier and is a valuable asset at the back of the lineout. He was named the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year.

5 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): Irishman Tadhg Beirne is unfortunate to be left off, but we could not leave the Springbok enforcer off our team because, despite his advanced age, he is still one of the best locks in the world. The 32-year-old consistently gives his all for the Bok cause, whether on attack or defence. He also does excellent lineout work and seldom ever backs down in contact.

4 Joe McCarthy (Ireland): Though he is only 22 years old, McCarthy plays with a maturity beyond his years. He made his debut last month in Ireland’s crushing of France in his first Six Nations Test, winning man of the match. In that match, McCarthy stood out for his intense toughness both on attack and defence. He also impressed with his efforts in the lineout, solidifying his place in his nation’s starting lineup.

3 Frans Malherbe (South Africa): Despite missing the Rugby World Cup last year due to a back ailment, there isn’t much argument about his place in this squad because, when healthy, he is perhaps the best tighthead prop in the world. Malherbe is known for his supremacy in scrums and his ability to defend, especially in close quarters.

2 Dan Sheehan (Ireland): Sheehan beats out Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi of South Africa because he has an exceptional all-around skill set that makes him indispensable to our team. In addition to being a powerful ball carrier who is adept at reaching the whitewash, he is brilliant at carrying out his primary responsibilities. He has already scored four five-pointers in this year’s Six Nations thanks to his try-scoring prowess.

1 Ox Nche (South Africa): South Africa is known for its scrummaging prowess, and they have one of the top players in the league in Nche. Nche made waves in the set-piece during the World Cup in France last year. In addition to his outstanding scrummaging, the 28-year-old plays strong defence as he gets in front of Andrew Port and is reliable with the ball in hand.