The ideal lineup for 2025 according to OnRugby.it

It’s now a tradition: for a few years now OnRugby has been publishing, a few days before the evening of New Year’s Eve, a lineup compiled collectively by all the members of its editorial team, analyzing all the rugby played in the calendar year in conclusion.

In 2022 Ange Capuozzo received a plebiscite after making us fall in love forever with that action with which he changed the destinies of Wales-Italy in Cardiff, in the Six Nations of that year. In 2023 we anticipated the publication due to the Rugby World Cup: South Africa and New Zealand, finalists of the World Cup, dominated everyone’s choices.

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Last year Antoine Dupont won the hearts and pens of the entire editorial team, who had no hesitations in choosing the French scrum-half in their XV of the year.

During 2025 we chose the ideal line-up following the 2025 Six Nations and last November’s Quilter Nations Series, then looked back at what has happened over the last 365 days to compile a definitive ideal XV.

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The ideal lineup for 2025 according to OnRugby.it

15 Thomas Ramos – France and Toulouse
The great Six Nations played as a protagonist and the Top 14 achieved with Toulouse are worth the selection in the 2025 dream team at the end of Toulouse and the French national team, which shone above all in the first part of the year. The editorial team was divided on the position of number 15, with Damian Willemse who obtained the same number of votes, shining above all in the finale of the season.

14 Tommy Freeman – Inghilterra e Northamtpon Saints
The Northampton Saints winger had an excellent season with England, with Northampton Saints finalists in the Champions Cup and also wore the shirt of the British & Irish Lions in a 2025 season certainly to remember, in which he went from the role of an excellent player to that of a protagonist in the international arena.

13 Jesse Kriel – South Africa and Yokohama Canon Eagles
The center born in 1994 captained the Springboks in the absence of Siya Kolisi and was a cornerstone of the world champions throughout the year, one of Rassie Erasmus’s few certain starters and a certainty in terms of performances. Earning an honorable mention are Huw Jones, who was in amazing form until the injury that prevented him from playing in November, and Joseph-Aukuso Suaali’i, who impressed in his first season in rugby union.

12 Tommaso Menoncello – Italy and Benetton Rugby
Whenever we talk about Italy, Tommaso Menoncello is always at the top of the list of those to speak well of. An indispensable talent, he also gave Benetton an edge in the best outings of last season, especially in the Champions Cup. Votes from the editorial staff also for Damian de Allende, who had one of the best years of his career, and Len Ikitau, one of the secrets of Australia’s rebirth in the summer months.

11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey – France and Union Bordeaux-Begles
The editorial team’s consensus was unanimous for the amazing season of Bielle-Biarrey, who helped France win the Six Nations by equaling the record of tries scored in a single edition of the Tournament (8) and who won the Champions Cup with Bordeaux as protagonist.

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – Sudanese e stormers
The South African boy has conquered the whole world in 2025 with his performances. A monstrous talent that definitively exploded during the international season which seemed to herald a new candidate in the competition for the title of best rugby player in the world. Finn Russell also gets a mention, having won a Premiership as Bath’s demiurge in 2025 and finally enjoyed a Lions tour as a protagonist.

9 Alex Mitchell – Inghilterra e Northampton Saints
When Alex Mitchell plays, England are a different team. A 90 player with Northampton Saints, fundamental in the fortunes of one of the teams that did best in 2025 at international level, Mitchell also played a good tour of the Lions, capping off a good year. Special mentions for Cam Roigard, who made the difference when he was on the pitch for the All Blacks, and Cobus Reinach, who left everyone speechless in November.

8 Pablo Matera – Argentina and Honda Heat
In 2025 Argentina beat the British & Irish Lions, All Blacks, Wallabies and Scotland away. He seriously threatened to beat England. And Pablo Matera was always there. A different Matera: mature, less superheroic than in the past, but tremendously functional to the collective and with a technical refinement that has always been the distinction in a context of hard, abrasive and physical third lines as it also is.

7 Manuel Zuliani – Italy and Benetton Rugby
Manuel Zuliani’s white helmet was a recurring nightmare for every opponent who played against the Azzurri during 2025. It was the year where he finally took his place as a starter for the national team: he started the Six Nations as usual impact playerhe finished it with the number 7 shirt on his back and never left it again, consistently appearing among the best on the pitch in every match he played, including those in green and white. His worthy rival during the season was Fraser McReight, who shares with him the white bob and an infinite passion for turnovers on the ground, for which he was the clear world record holder in 2025.

6 Pieter-Steph du Toit – South Africa and Toyota Verblitz
The Best Player of the Year 2024 would not have stolen anything if he had also been granted the award for 2025. Furthermore, he was also in the small circle of candidate names. At 33, the giant flanker remains one of the most complete players on the planet, reinvigorated by a tailor-made role in the Springboks attack, and seems incapable of making mistakes. Among the third lines, the implacable Ardie Savea, the courageous Jac Morgan, the brilliant Ben Earl and Jack Willis, perhaps the strongest player who does not play international test matches, also received votes.

5 Will Skelton – Australia and La Rochelle
The Australian giant deserves a place in the XV of the year thanks in particular to his performances against the British & Irish Lions, where he played the role of immense totem around which the Wallabies anchored themselves to offer very valid opposition to the British and Irish selection. He narrowly prevailed over Tadhg Beirne, who emerged as the best player from the Lions series, and was able to carry that form into the rest of the year.

4 Maro Itoje – England and Saracens
Almost all of the OnRugby editorial team has chosen to entrust one of the two second row positions to Maro Itoje. After an already long career played at the highest levels, on January 14th Itoje was appointed captain of the English national team. In the summer he became captain of the British & Irish Lions. And as such he behaved with both one team and the other, an example for his teammates and opponents.

3 Thomas du Toit – Sudafrica and Bath
The thirty-year-old South African giant boasts the rare distinction of having been among the winners of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but not having been part of the Springboks that won the second consecutive World Cup in 2023. This year he completed his personal redemption by winning the Premiership with Bath and then playing a leading role in the terrible front line of the national team that won the most in 2025. Place of honor goes to Will Stuart, his colleague at Bath, who has emerged as a certainty on the right for England is capable of carving out a role for itself with the Lions.

2 Malcolm Marx – South Africa and Kubota Spears
Unanimous vote from the editorial staff for the second hooker capable of winning the Best Player of the Year award. A titanic undertaking, Marx’s 2025: his specific influence on South Africa’s successes was enormous, having played an unusual amount of minutes in today’s rugby for a player wearing the number 2 shirt, at 31 years old, with his mileage and his style of play that we can euphemistically define as rough.

1 Boan Venter – South Africa and Edinburgh
The first all-South African line is completed by Boan Venter. The 27-year-old has been playing in Scotland since 2020, with Edinburgh, and Gregor Townsend probably had half an idea of ​​selecting him for the Cardo XV. Rassie Erasmus arrived first: Venter made his debut in July against Georgia, with a try on his first appearance. From there he earned four Rugby Championship caps and three in November, establishing himself as a hard worker with great qualities in closed scrums. Probably the most improved player of 2025. Honorable mention for the Azzurro Danilo Fischetti, who has played well all year and has been present in all 11 matches played by Italy this year, starting in 10 of them.

XV of the year: all the teams chosen by the OnRugby editorial team

Valerio Bardi: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 How Jones, 12 Damian the Allends, 11 Louis Birey, 10 Sacha Feeberg Mngard, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Arener McReh Tadhg Biren, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Soon Venter

Lorenzo Calamai: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Jesse Criel, 12 Len Iitau, 11 Louis Birey, 10 Sacha Feeberg, 9 Cam Roigard, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Peter-Steph, 6 Peter-Steph, 5 Peter-Steer. Tadhg Birne, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Thomas you Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter

Michele Cassano: 15 Damian Williams, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Jesse Creel, 12 Tommaso Mencelo, 11 Louis Biirerty, 10 Air Mountain-Mngomezu, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Arl, 7 Manuel. Selton, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Thomas you Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ban Venter

Francesco Giannelli Savastano: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Joseph-Auukuso Switzerland, 12 Tomaso Menoncello, 11 Louis Birth, 11 Louis Birth, 10 Finn Russ, 20 Finn Russell, 8 Gunnel, 8 Jack Willis, 8 Jack Willis, 7 Frassi Frass, 5 Menoncei, 5. Itoje, 3 Thomas of Thom Tit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 May

Francesco Palma: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Pablo Matera, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Manuel Zuliani, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter

Matteo Salmoiraghi: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Jesse Criel, 12 Len Iitau, 11 Louis Biel-Barrey, 10 Sacha Feeberg, 9 Cobs Reinach, 8 Army Zulia, 6 Pablo Materia, 6 Pablo Materia, 6 Pablo Materia, 5 Will Sleiana, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Thomas thy Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Danilo Four Peical

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