After another superb 12 months of rugby both locally and globally, this is the dream squad to face Mars.

The dream team:

15-Will Jordan (NZ) -- This was one of many tough calls with Aphelele Fassi and George Furbank also in contention. But Jordan shades it with his uncanny ability to ghost into gaps and create havoc while also being rock solid on defence.

14-Cheslin Kolbe (SA) -- The Bok hot-stepper is simply in a class of his own, not only with his superb footwork, which is as rapid and lethal as a cobra strike, but with his brain, which works even faster. Kolbe almost always takes the right option, judging angles and space like a supercomputer.

13-Jesse Kriel (SA) -- He was almost faultless this season, as he was in 2023. Defensively he is a giant, not only in terms of his own tackling but in organising the defensive line. And on attack, he has taken his game to a new level.

12-Damian de Allende (SA) -- Maybe the most underrated player in rugby. He never has a bad day at the office. Simply brilliant with or without the ball in hand. Always makes metres, never dies with the ball, acts like an extra loose forward...