The greatest Rugby World Cup has drawn to a close with a fantastic final which kept us on the edge of our seats until the final few moments. But who made the team of final weekend?
Props
Hannah Botterman (41pts) couldn’t be contained in a final which saw her pinch two turnovers and make nine carries, the second highest among England players. Even a second-half yellow card couldn’t keep her out of the team of the final weekend. Botterman, along with fellow starter Maud Muir, were part of a dominant scrum which had the upperhand over Canada. Chryss Viliko (29pts) wraps up the prop line-up. She was an integral part of an all round team effort that saw the Black Ferns take the bronze medal game. Viliko ends the tournament with 56 tackles, third most among props.
Hooker
Amy Cokayne (68pts) had her biggest game of the tournament, surpassing the 67pts she accumulated in the semi-final against France. That takes her to the top of the table among hookers with 248pts across the six weeks. In the final, Cokayne scored a try, made the fifth most tackles (12), and created a line break. She peaked at just the right time.
Lock
Laura Bayfield (46pts) saved her best till last with a try and the most tackles (21) in the Black Ferns third-place play-off. She also took three lineouts for New Zealand, more than any of her teammates to cap off a complete performance. Abbie Ward (36pts) scored her third try of the tournament and dominated the lineout with seven takes and a steal of Canadian ball at their throw-in. She more than played her part in England’s outrageous defensive effort, making ten tackles.
Loose Forward
Jorja Miller (79pts) had her best game of the knock-out stages of the tournament. She led the way with three turnovers won, third with 15 tackles made, and she assisted a try. She ends the tournament with 385pts in the fantasy game, the third highest in the game. Alex Matthews (63pts) had her best game of the tournament as she capped an all-round effort with two tries. She also made 18 tackles, the fourth most in the match, and she even found the time to create a line break. Léa Champon (57pts) makes her first appearance in a fantasy team of the round. She scored a try and both made and assisted a line break. Plus, she made the sixth most tackles (11) in the match.
Scrum-Half
Natasha Hunt (47pts) also peaked for the final with 47pts representing her best return. She was the creator as she assisted two line breaks and two tries. She chipped in with her kicking, gaining England an extra 51m of territory via the boot.
Fly-Half
Ruahei Demant (52pts) was a presence all around the pitch as she gained points for scoring a try, her first of the tournament, assisting a try, forcing turnovers, winning interceptions, line breaks, plus she played the entire 80 minutes. The allround star performance.
Centre
Gabrielle Vernier (65pts) finishes the World Cup with 314pts, the most among centres. That is an area of particular focus for the French as teammates Marine Ménager and Nassira Konde both finished in the top four. Against the Black Ferns, Vernier had the joint most line breaks (2) and the third most carries (13) plus her total of 10 tackles was the most among French backs. Sylvia Brunt (59pts) created two tries and scored her own. She also bagged a turnover and played the full 80 minutes in what was statistically her best match in the tournament.
Outside Backs
Braxton Sorensen-McGee (69pts) finishes the tournament with 488pts, the most among any positions. She passed 50pts in every game aside from the first match against Spain. In the third-place play-off she scored two tries which took her to 11 for the tournament, the second highest total of all time behind teammate Portia Woodman who scored 13 in 2017.
Ellie Kildunne (67pts) another star of the game who turned it on for the final. Kildunne scored a try and made 99m with ball in hand. That took her to five tries for the tournament and 523m gained, second only to Sorensen-McGee (551m). Asia Hogan-Rochester (64pts) has arguably been the best player in the knock-out stages. She scored two tries in the final to take her to five for the tournament. That is the second most for Canada behind Julia Schell’s six, which you might remember all came in the same game against Fiji in round one. Hogan-Rochester’s two linebreaks also led the Canadians in the final.
