Former World Cup winner Stephen Donald has named his combined starting team from the double-winning All Blacks side of 2011-2015 and the Springboks equivalents of 2019-2023.

Speaking on the Sky Sport show, The Breakdown, here is his combined side:

Backs

15 Israel Dagg: Despite being controversially dropped from the 2015 final, Dagg played a huge part in both campaigns. In 2011, he finished the tournament with five tries, securing the full-back shirt off the legendary Mils Muliaina in the final.

14 Cheslin Kolbe: One of the most dangerous wingers in the world, the zippy star caused England all sorts of problems in the 2019 final. He was also a key member of the squad that fought through the challenging knockout stage of the 2023 World Cup.

13 Conrad Smith: A star of both the All Blacks’ World Cup-winning campaigns this century. He started all six matches of the 2015 tournament before retiring as a world champion.

12 Ma’a Nonu: Remarkably still playing top-level rugby now at 42 years old, he was once one of the best players in the world, and remains one of the greatest centres of all time. The powerful star was a key member of both the 2011 and 2015 campaigns, starting in both finals.

11 Julian Savea: Jonah Lomu-esque, as Donald described him. That’s as big a compliment as you can give an All Black winger. ‘The Bus’, as he was known, was at his world-beating best in 2015, powering through defences like they were made of paper. The streets will never forget.

10 Dan Carter: Although Handre Pollard will likely go down as arguably the greatest ever World Cup fly-half due to his performances in the clutch moments, it had to be Carter, arguably one of the greatest rugby players ever to have lived. Unfortunate not to have been involved in the 2011 final due to injury, but more than made up for it in 2015.

9 Aaron Smith: One of the greatest nines of all time. Although Faf de Klerk was a poster-boy for Springbok rugby in 2019, you can’t look any further than the double-winning Smith.

‘Top quality’ England star chooses ‘different direction’ after turning down ‘competitive deal’

Forwards

8 Duane Vermeulen: A giant at the back of the scrum in both Springbok campaigns. Player of the Match in both finals, even the great Kieran Read couldn’t displace him.

7 Richie McCaw: Considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, he captained the All Blacks to both World Cup victories, eventually picking up the World Rugby Player of the Decade award in 2021.

6 Pieter Steph du Toit: A two-time winner of the World Rugby Player of the Year, PSDT is one of the hardest hitters in world rugby and is regarded as one of the greatest Springbok players of all time. A key member of both the 2019 and 2023 World Cup-winning campaigns, there was little debate about his securing the number six spot in Donald’s team.

5 Eben Etzebeth: A talismanic figure in the Springbok pack, Etzebeth is now the most capped South African player of all time and was an important member of the World Cup-winning squads.

4 Brodie Retallick: Retiring after the 2023 final with over a century of caps for the All Blacks, and a one-time winner of the World Rugby Player of the Year award, Retallick has gone down as one of the greatest locks to have played the game. 

3 Owen Franks: Another All Black centurion. A talented scrummager and non-stop tackler, Franks put his body on the line time and time again, helping his side to win two World Cups.

2 Dane Coles: Malcolm Marx was a very close second, but the double World Cup-winning Coles won the battle based on how Donald would like his team to play.

1 Ox Nche: An incredibly powerful athlete, Nche was rightfully nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year this year after years of dominating at scrum time. However, it’s not just his ability in close quarters; he possesses an impressive skill level that has helped his side win back-to-back World Cups.

READ MORE: Loose Pass: Rugby’s search for ‘perfection’ continues as relentless negativity mooching rages on