Our Best in the World!

For four weeks, the world's best have been playing in their trial matches, all trying to attain the ultimate accolade.

Our captain: Tana Umaga

The Rugby World Cup? A Grand Slam? IRB ranking points?

Possibly, but each and every player will have had his heart of hearts set on only one thing: a place in this website's World XV.

It has taken us a long time to choose these. The notes we made had to be brought in by a hefty truck, as did the food and vitamin supplements required to sustain us through the long dark hours of debate.

But finally we stumbled out of the office, blinking, unshaven, and pasty white, each of us clinging a chosen XV in our ink-stained hands, and with a unanimously agreed World XV, as on November form.

Here are the fifteen men at the peak of their positions, as chosen by our extensive panel of experts. Pick a team to challenge it. We dare you!!!

15. Chris Latham (Australia). 'If you can keep your form, when all around you are losing theirs...' So might Rudyard Kipling have paid tribute to Latham's terrific performances for Australia during this test series. An inspiration to his team, and dare one suggest, a natural successor to George Gregan?

14. Rico Gear (New Zealand). He may have been wonderfully served by his team-mates, but Gear just could not stop scoring, from the hat-trick against Wales, through to his brace against Scotland. Lethal, and with an effortless gliding running style that was a pleasure to watch.

13. Tana Umaga (New Zealand, captain). Right the way through the series, and even from the stands, Umaga has been the figurehead of this magnificent All Blacks team. Direct, honest, immensely talented, and not afraid to confront difficult situations, Umaga is, and always will be, a credit to the game.

12. Yannick Jauzion (France). One of Bernard Laporte's mainstays of the November Tests, Jauzion is the spearhead of the penetrating Toulousain contingent constituting the large part of France's back-line. Unbelievably strong in the tackle and with silky smooth handling, Jauzion is a must in any set of three-quarters.

11. Cédric Heymans (France). A harsh call to leave out any other New Zealander perhaps, but Heymans' all-round game - attack, defence, kicking, handling - coupled with his power and flair for a gap, win the blond bomber the vote.

10. Dan Carter (New Zealand). Currently the most accomplished player strutting any pitch in the world. The IRB's Player of the Year single-handedly destroyed the Lions during June, notched well over half his team's points against Wales, and was the key to New Zealand's victory over England. Can anyone find a weakness?

9. Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (France). The performance against South Africa confirmed that Elissalde still has the nip, cheek, and buzz that messrs Gregan and Dawson have lost from their game. Elissalde has the fastest hands in the business, and is always good for a quick tap, or snipe, or kick through or...

8. Martin Corry (England). Has finally matured fully into the mantle of England captain - not before time either. He may not quite have the handling of Owen, or the speed of So'oialo, but Corry will have your forwards on the front foot every single time, and puts in a huge number of tackles.

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand). We are currently spoiled for choice in the world list of flankers, with the likes of Bonnaire, Smith and Charvis all queuing up for the top spot, but Richie McCaw is still the best in the business.

6. Jerry Collins (New Zealand). A simply towering performance against England nets the Hurricanes' players with the boxer's biceps the other back-row spot. Anybody who claims to have seen a performance with more running and tackling in it this November is lying through their teeth.

5. Victor Matfield (South Africa). An extraordinary performance at the line-out against France in Paris puts Matfield head-and-shoulders above the rest. Magnificent running away from the set piece also stood him out from the rest of his pack.

4. Chris Jack (New Zealand). Has maintained the high standards he set during the Lions tour, including his work at the rucks and mauls. The safest hands of any lock in the game.

3. Carl Hayman (New Zealand). Was perhaps overshadowed by Andrew Sheridan at Twickenham, but nobody else even came close to unsettling the hirsute Kiwi prop.

2. Dimitri Szarzewski (France). The young blonde hooker has been a revelation since he broke into France's first team ahead of Sebastian Bruno. He is exceptionally fast - to the point that one of us mistook him for Heymans during this series - and outside of the scrum, plays often like an extra loose forward. Just what any team could do with.

1. Andrew Sheridan (England). Will Matt Dunning or Al Baxter ever forget the mess that the brick of Sheridan made of the wallaby scrum? Will Carl Hayman relish the next encounter with him? We thought not....

Andy Jackson's XV: 15 Chris Latham (Australia), 14 Doug Howlett (New Zealand), 13 Tana Umaga (New Zealand), 12 Yannick Jauzion (France), 11 Cédric Heymans (France), 10 Frédéric Michalak (France) , 9 Agustín Pichot (Argentina), 8 Martin Corry (captain), 7 Colin Charvis (Wales), 6 Jerry Collins (New Zealand), 5 Ali Williams (New Zealand), 4 Bakkies Botha (South Africa),  3 Carl Hayman (New Zealand), 2 Dimitri Szarzewski (France), 1 Andrew Sheridan (England).

Danny Stephens' XV: 15 Chris Latham (Australia), 14 Rico Gear (New Zealand), 13 Yannick Jauzion (France), 12 Felipe Contempomi (Argentina), 11 Cédric Heymans (France), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (France), 8 Martin Corry (England), 7 George Smith (Australia), 6 Jerry Collins (New Zealand), 5 Victor Matfield (South Africa), 4 Chris Jack (New Zealand), 3 Phil Vickery (England), 2 Dimitri Szarzewski (France), 1 Andrew Sheridan (England).

Jan de Koning's XV: 15 Gareth Thomas (Wales, captain), 14 Rico Gear (New Zealand), 13 Jaque Fourie (South Africa), 12 Yannick Jauzion (France), 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu (New Zealand), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (France), 8 Rodney So'oialo (New Zealand), 7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand), 6 Yannick Nyanga (France), 5 Victor Matfield (South Africa), 4 Chris Jack (New Zealand), 3 Carl Hayman (New Zealand), 2 Mario Ledesma (Argentina), 1 Andy Sheridan (England).