Planet Rugby's Team of the Tournament rewards three-round bodies of work over single-match explosions, which is why the Springboks — unbeaten through the southern leg — dominate with five selections: Willemse, Kriel, De Villiers, Du Toit and Marx. The one exception to the volume principle is Willemse himself, whose Ellis Park 50th-cap performance is judged the tournament's single greatest individual display and earns him the 15 jersey over Jalibert. Du Toit is named Player of the Series — three rounds, three different roles, none below elite standard — while De Villiers is the genuine revelation: handed a debut an hour before kick-off, he started all three Tests and closed the month as the top-rated Bok in the Durban shutout. Will Jordan and Ardie Savea anchor the All Blacks' contribution, with Jordan's Wellington hat-trick taking him past Doug Howlett as New Zealand's all-time Test try scorer. The most intriguing pick is Japan's Warner Dearns at lock — his underlying numbers across linebreaks, metres and gainline success lead every Nations Championship lock with substantial minutes since the last World Cup, and his inclusion is framed as vindication for the tournament's expanded format.