Fans' World XV of the Decade: Pick your wingers

Sun, Dec 29, 2019, 8:00 AM
AAP
by AAP
Who were the best wingers of the 2010s?
Who were the best wingers of the 2010s?

The final pieces of the backline are being added to the fans' World XV of the Decade, with the back three the final players to be chosen.

Today we're after the best finishers of the decade, the speed men who bamboozled defenders with their pace and guile to get points on the board for their teams.

There's a host of big names to choose from - vote now for your top wingers.

Julian Savea (New Zealand)

After making his Test debut in 2012, Savea's peak came through the 2014 and 2015 seasons, when he was nominated as world player of the year. A standout in the 2015 World Cup, Savea played the last of his 54 Tests for the All Blacks in 2017, finishing with a then-record Kiwi haul of 46 tries.

George North (Wales)

One of the youngest players ever to debut for Wales and a Test try-scorer at 18, North's career has coincided with the rise of the Welsh to once more become a power in world rugby. His 94 Tests have included two Six Nations title wins, two Lions tours and three Rugby World Cups and while his journey in Japan ended with a torn hamstring in the semi-final, he is determined to play on to earn 100 Test caps.

Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)

With an Olympic Games campaign and Test caps under his belt before the age of 20, Ioane burst on to the scene, scoring tries at an impressive rate of knots with performances that had him compared to some of the great All Black wingers. But he lost his place in the New Zealand team earlier this year after the team's Bledisloe Cup loss to the Wallabies in Perth, replaced by George Bridge, who held his place through the World Cup in Japan.

Marika Koroibete (Australia)

Koroibete only made his transition to rugby from the NRL at the end of the 2016 season but his rise has been rapid, culminating in being named the John Eales medallist this season. Named for a Wallabies tour just weeks after making his switch, Koroibete eventually made his Test debut for the Wallabies in 2017, becoming a dual international. He now has 28 Test caps and is one of the Wallabies' strike weapons.

Nemani Nadolo (Fiji)

He may have played just 29 Tests but Fijian giant Nadolo earnt comparisons during his career with the great Jonah Lomu for his physical try-scoring efforts. After a junior career in Australia that included stints with the Junior Wallabies and Waratahs squad, he made his senior Test debut for Fiji in 2010, played at the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and turned out in the last of his 29 Tests against Tonga in 2018 before retiring prior to this year's World Cup.

Semi Radradra (Fiji)


Another rugby league convert, Radradra headed to French Top 14 outfit Toulon after the 2017 NRL season before switching to Bordeaux. Despite only making his Test debut in 2018 and playing just 10 Tests, Radradra has a feared reputation as one of the most powerful, speedy and deceptive ball-runners in world rugby.

Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)

A bronze medallist in sevens at the Rio Olympics, the pint-sized speedster may have only made his Test debut for the Springboks in 2018 but has well and truly made his mark on the international stage. Scored a try in the final minutes of the World Cup final to seal South Africa's win and was among candidates for the world player of the year in 2019.

Chris Ashton (England)

While he played the last of his 44 Tests in 2019, Ashton made his debut in 2010, becoming a fixture on the wing for England through the early part of the decade. Injury and disciplinary issues stalled his career in 2014 however and he had a four-year break between international appearances from 2014-2018 before playing his final Test against France at Twickenham in February.

Bryan Habana (South Africa)

While he made his Test debut in 2004 and was the IRB player of the year in 2007, Habana's 124-Test career was still going strong into the 2010s, with his final match for the Springboks against Italy at the end of 2016. Played in three World Cups, including the winning Springboks campaign of 2007 and scored 15 of his 67 international tries in the tournament.

 
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