The two television companies covering the series each picked their Dream Team.
Jessy Tremouliere (Photo: I Picarel)
First Florugby.com’s 23: Next Sky’s verdict, a XV only:
| 1 DeMerchant (Canada) | 1 Cornborough (England) | ||
| 2 Ngata (NZ) | 2 Thomas (France) | ||
| 3 Rogers (USA) | 3 Rogers (USA) | ||
| 4 Beukeboom (Canada) | 4 Blackwell (NZ) | ||
| 5 Blackwell (NZ) | 5 Smith C (NZ) | ||
| 6 Hermet (France) | 6 Cleall P (England) | ||
| 7 Elder (NZ) | 7 Diallo (France) | ||
| 8 De Goede (Canada) | 8 Hunter (England) | ||
| 9 Cocksedge (NZ) | 9 Cocksedge (NZ) | ||
| 10 Harrison (England) | 10 Demant (NZ) | ||
| 11 Smith K (England) | 11 Farries (Canada) | ||
| 12 Kelter (USA) | 12 Kelter (USA) | ||
| 13 Scarratt (England) | 13 Scarratt (England) | ||
| 14 Alarie (Canada) | 14 Boujard (France) | ||
| 15 Trémoulière (France) | 15 Trémoulière (France) | ||
| 16 Cornborough (England) | |||
| 17 Bern (England) | |||
| 18 Smith C (NZ) | |||
| 19 Fall (France) | |||
| 20 Slevinsky (Canada) | |||
| 21 Bourdon (France) | |||
| 22 Henrich (USA) | |||
| 23 Wickliffe (NZ) |
Kendra Cocksedge. New Zealand Black Ferns (Photo: Dave Lintott / lintottphoto.co.nz)
To prove what a very personal (and divisive?) choice this is, only six names appear in both columns. They include three from whom Florugby selected their Player of the Tournament. Their verdict: Kendra Cocksedge. Hard to dispute this judgement. The other two, by the way, were Scarratt and Trémoulière. No surprise either that Sky left the same choice of three to their viewers.
Only one sub-unit on the field, the centres, are identical. What a pairing that is!
For English eyes only: Scarratt was the only player to be chosen for the Dream Team of two successive World Cups, 2014 and 2017.
Sky’s jury consisted of Maggie Alphonsi, Giselle Mather and Danielle Waterman, three distinguished former England internationals, all quite capable of avoiding bias when necessary!
Florugby’s jury, though anonymous, probably consisted of Alex Goff, Florugby’s editor, and colleagues.
