The scrum half of Toulouse and the Blues Antoine Dupont is the only French to appear in the world team of the year, revealed Wednesday by World Rugby.
In this "dream team" are three All Blacks, including winger Will Jordan, the revelation of the year who scored sixteen tries in eleven selections including fourteen this year, and the superstar Beauden Barrett as opener, in a gala hinge with Antoine Dupont.
South Africa represented in numbers
There are also five world champion Springboks (center Lukhanyo Am, winger Makazole Mapimpi, flanker Siya Kolisi, second-row Eben Etzebeth, hooker Malcolm Marx), an Englishman (second-row Maro Itoje), a Scotsman (fullback Stuart Hogg), an Irishman (pillar Tadhg Furlong), a Welsh (the other pillar Wyn Jones) and two Australians (flanker Michael Hooper and center Samu Kerevi).
A total of eight countries are represented for a combined number of selections of 850 capes.
Dupont (25 years old, 33 caps) is also in the race for the title of best player of the year, which will be awarded on Friday and of which he is the big favorite.
World XV of the Year 2021 according to World Rugby:
Stuart Hogg (SCO) - Will Jordan (NZL), Lukhanyo Am (RSA), Samu Kerevi (AUS), Makazole Mapimpi (RSA) - (o) Beauden Barrett (NZL), (m) Antoine Dupont (FRA) - Michael Hooper (AUS), Ardie Savea (NZL), Siya Kolisi (RSA) - Eben Etzebeth (RSA), Maro Itoje (ENG) - Tadhg Furlong (IRL), Malcolm Marx (RSA) , Wyn Jones (WAL)