Another year and another pilgrimage south for the Northern Hemisphere’s top rugby nations is nearing completion.

Still set to play out two more matches, Portugal will take on the world champion Springboks in a historic test match in Bloemfontein this weekend, while Georgia will renew its acquaintance with World Cup foe Australia.

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While these test matches are set to be intriguing as an indicator of how much two of the most promising Tier 2 nations have improved, the official July test series has now concluded.

With this in mind, it only seems right to name our official FloRugby team for the July series. So, without further ado, here is our ultimate XV from the past two weekends of the July series:

1. Ox Nche – South Africa

Far and away the most impactful player in a powerful Springboks pack, the Hollywoodbets Sharks loosehead obliterated the Irish scrum through two tests. 

Earning the player-of-the-match award in the second test despite his team’s late loss, Nche has developed into arguably the most well-rounded prop in the world with his carrying ability and relentless defensive work that saw him make the second most tackles for the Boks behind Pieter-Steph Du Toit. Runner-up: Thomas Gallo -Argentina 

2. Dewi Lake – Wales

In a world where Dan Sheehan and Malcolm Marx sit atop the hooker pile, the Welsh captain proved once again he is a world-class operator in his own right. 

Unbelievably physical, all the while maintaining a calm demeanor, his two maul tries kept Wales in the fight against the Wallabies. 

Away from the two scores, he topped the carries charts for his side in the second test with 19, while also completing a turnover.  Runner-up: Jamie George - England  

3. Tyrell Lomax – New Zealand

Spearheading a dominant All Blacks scrum against England, Lomax is worth his weight in gold to New Zealand Rugby in 2024. 

His elevation alongside Fletcher Newell as a top-class operator over the past season is a major boost as Scott Robertson’s side gets ready to contend with a fearsome Springboks pack in The Rugby Championship. Runner-up: Tadhg Furlong – Ireland 

4. Joe McCarthy – Ireland

Edging the experienced duo of Maro Itoje and Eben Etzebeth for the No. 4 shirt, ‘Big Joe’ is a physical menace the Irish pack had been crying out for before last year. 

A constant nuisance, McCarthy is the type of player who opponents hate to play against and one who his team rallies around. 

Crucially for the men in green, he does many of the hard yards around the ruck to free up Ireland’s explosive ball-carrying options. Runner-up: Maro Itoje - England

5. James Ryan – Ireland

Firmly re-installing himself as Ireland’s first-choice No. 5, Ryan was immense in both tests. He brought an explosion of power and physicality that stemmed the fast-running tide that was the Boks pack. 

His return to the engine room alongside McCarthy, and Tadhg Beirne’s subsequent shift to the backrow, brought much-needed bulk and aggression to what was a brutal two-test series. Runner-up: Tadhg Beirne - Ireland

6. Chandler Cunningham-South – England

A truly elite athlete, the England backrow has the physical tools to have been successful in any sport he would’ve attempted. 

Fortunately for Steve Borthwick, he is a rugby player, and a damn fine one at that, combining his physicality with an exceptional rugby brain; the man who grew up in New Zealand caused the All Blacks all sorts of problems with his carrying ability across both tests. 

Away from the glitz and glamour of the truly major tests in New Zealand and South Africa, French Rugby saw the first steps of a potential superstar, Lenni Nouchi, who annihilated an experienced Argentine pack with 26 tackles, 13 carries and two turnovers for a true world-class outing. Runner-up: Siya Kolisi - South Africa

7. Pieter-Steph Du Toi – South Africa

South Africa’s totemic pack leader continues to be one of the best players in the world, as he once again led the way in terms of tackles made (17) for his team. 

His head-to-head battle with Tadhg Beirne in Durban was one for the ages, as the two dominated around the breakdown and collided on several occasions. Runner-up: Josh van der Flier - Ireland 

8. Caelen Doris – Ireland

Taking over the mantle as captain for the second test from Peter O’Mahony, Doris is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most important player for Andy Farrell’s team. 

Carrying for 59 meters in traffic, while getting stuck into the breakdown, he willed his team over the line in Durban. 

While there can be arguments for Ben Earl, Kwagga Smith and Ardie Savea in this position, Doris is the best in the world in 2024. Runner-up: Ben Earl - England 

9. Baptiste Serin – France

While Alex Mitchell and Jake Gordon had good outings in their respective tests, the experienced French No. 9 was impervious as he guided his young team to a win in the first test against an experienced Los Pumas side. 

A week later, he would score the opening try, and if it had not been for a lack of experience elsewhere, it likely would have led Les Bleus to a rare series win in South America. 

Throw into the mix the very serious off-field issues around the French camp, and he led his team magnificently. Runner-up: Alex Mitchell - England.

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10. Marcus Smith – England

Head and shoulders the stand-out 10 over the past two matches, Smith had his best showings in a white shirt to date. 

Displaying his full bag of tricks with two clever kicks to secure England’s two tries, Smith had the ball on a string in New Zealand. 

Carrying the ball 11 times for 40 meters, he kept the All Blacks' defense honest as he set up those around him superbly. Runner-up: Jack Crowley - Ireland.

11. Mark Telea – New Zealand

It could be argued that despite having Ardie Savea on the team, Telea could well be the best player on the All Blacks squad at the moment. 

Striking for two tries in the second test to secure the win for his team, Telea is the complete winger with his ability to trail run, create space and finish. 

On the other side of the whitewash, England’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was immense, while Ireland’s James Lowe was his usual weird and wonderful self in South Africa. Runner-up: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso - England 

12. Hunter Paisami – Australia

A hallmark of all good Joe Schmidt teams has been a center who can carry well into traffic but has the subtle skills to distribute the ball. 

In Paisami, the new Wallabies boss has just that and more! 

Clearly relishing the attention to detail that Schmidt brings to his inside backs, Paisami was the perfect release valve for young fly-half Noah Lolesio as he got to go forward ball even when his team wasn’t on the front foot. 

As the Wallabies continue their rebuild, expect the Reds man to be a key chess piece for Schmidt’s team. Runner-up: Robbie Henshaw - Ireland 

13. Garry Ringrose – Ireland

The key to unlocking the Irish attack and the lock who keeps the defense nigh-on impenetrable, Ringrose truly was world-class in his return from injury. 

His ability to rapidly shut down space on his outside cut off the Springboks as they attempted to go wide was noticeable as soon as he entered the fray from the bench in Pretoria. 

Offensively, he brings a playmaking that the direct duo of Henshaw and Aki just don’t quite offer without him. 

For those eagle-eyed rugby fans who want to get a sneak peek of yet another exciting prospect, make sure you check out France’s Emilien Gailleton, who was incredible against Argentina. Runner-up: Emilien Gailleton - France

14. Filipo Daugunu – Australia

Shifting from left to right in our team, Daugunu was too good to leave out of our side this time around. 

Scoring two tries in the second test, the second of which was pure magic, the former Melbourne Rebels flyer looked uber comfortable in the new Wallabies setup. 

Topping the carries chart in Melbourne with 21 for 114 meters with three defenders beaten is one heck of a stat line. Runner-up: Tommy Freeman - England 

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15. Jamie Osborne – Ireland

He had 27 carries in the second test and 38 in total… Yes, you read that right! 

Irish Rugby’s latest star might finally be the one to put the world-class Hugo Keenan under serious pressure for his place in the team when he returns from the Olympics. 

Having survived a barrage of high balls from Handre Pollard and company in the first test, Osborne’s ability to dominate the sky flipped on the Springboks as he peppered the South African’s new man Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu with shots of his own. 

Despite playing pretty much all of his club rugby this year in the centers, Osborne was impervious in the green No. 15 shirt and now will give Andy Farrell some wonderful headaches in the future about where to fit him into the team. Runner-up: Tom Wright - Australia 

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