RUGBY/World Cup Team of the tournament: Gerry Thornley takes a look at the best players from the World Cup and selects his World XV side.

FULL BACK: Jason Robinson (England)

One of the stronger positions. The smooth-running Mils Muliaina, the tournament's joint leading try scorer, was in pole position ahead of Jaco van der Westhuizen, one of the Springboks' best performers, and the brilliant Samoan Tanner Vili, but Robinson's match-turning counter-attack in setting up Will Greenwood and near flawless try-scoring performance in the final counted for more.

RIGHT WING: Doug Howlett (New Zealand)

Simply fantastic, always a threat from anywhere on the pitch and one of the primary figures in giving rugby more global appeal than ever before. Not just a finisher, though he's probably the best finisher in the game and accordingly emerged as the tournament's joint top scorer.

OUTSIDE CENTRE: Stirling Mortlock (Australia)

He was probably Australia's stand-out weapon in the knockout stages, producing a man-of-the-match performance in their upset semi-final win over the All Blacks.

Just edges out the enduring excellent Will Greenwood, who scored a try more, including England's key tries in the wins over South Africa and Wales, and Brian O'Driscoll, who came good in spectacular fashion against Australia. The Pumas' Martin Gaitan made quite an impression, though not sufficiently on Marcelo Loffreda.

INSIDE CENTRE: Elton Flatley (Australia)

Yannick Jauzion was one of the most improved players around over the last year. Excellent throughout the tournament, forcing Damien Traille out of the French team. But Flatley's nerveless goalkicking right up to the final and solid play were incalculable in Australia's progress, whereas the superior Aaron Mauger had his tournament disrupted by injury and wasn't quite his brilliant self.

LEFT WING: Rupeni Caucanubica (Fiji)

A vintage crop. Joe Rokocoko remained the most stunning newcomer on the world scene, gliding in for six tries, Japan's searingly quick Daisuke Ohata would be a world star with any of the leading countries and Shane Williams was the catalyst for much of Wales's running game against the All Blacks and England.

Caucanubica's suspensions ought probably to rule him out, but he simply left the most abiding impression, especially with his try against France from his own half and his double whammy against the Scots in the quarter-final which should have earned one of the results of the tournament.

OUTHALF: Jonny Wilkinson (England)

A real toughie. Carlos Spencer, Stephen Larkham and Frederic Michalak all had better running games, but Wilkinson's extraordinary goalkicking, tactical kicking and, of course, eight drop goals (not to mention his tackling) undoubtedly made him the game's most famous player and supreme match-winner.

SCRUMHALF: Justin Marshall (New Zealand)

A non-vintage World Cup for the number nines. Agustin Pichot's high standards dipped, the outstanding Fabien Galthie and Matt Dawson had their moments, the teak-tough Samoan Sililo Martens tackled his guts out and took on more than the call of duty demanded, but Marshall was the pick of them - turning their pool decider around against Wales almost single-handedly.

LOOSEHEAD: Jean-Jacques Crenca (France)

Part of an imposing front row, forcing Sylvain Marconnet over to the tighthead side and making a big impression around the pitch. Consistently better than Bill Young, sensational against the All Blacks, and Trevor Woodman, though why Kees Meeuws is often kept in reserve is a mystery.

HOOKER: Keith Wood (Ireland)

An exceptional crop. Wood was an inspiring leader, from the front and off the pitch, and one of the tournament's biggest personalities whose final curtain call was one of the abiding memories of the last two months. Also the best darts' stats, unlike the otherwise excellent Steve Thompson, while Brendan Cannon, Raphael Ibanez and the sensational Keven Mealamu (Wood's heir apparent as the world's most dynamic hooker) also left indelible marks.

TIGHTHEAD: Phil Vickery (England)

Not too many spring to mind (maybe you have to be a connoisseur), but Vickery is the one you'd want in your team. Came good in the ultimate test against the French in impressive fashion, and as good as any prop around the paddock, before not letting Andre Watson's scrummaging interpretations get to him.

LOCK: Martin Johnson (England)

Probably man of the match in his extraordinary tour de force in the final, and my vote for man of the tournament. It's no coincidence that the world's outstanding number four and captain was missing in the Grand Slam defeats in Murrayfield and Lansdowne Road. Fabien Pelous also soldiered on right to the bitter end for France magnificently.

LOCK: Paul O'Connell (Ireland)

A bit biased perhaps, but it's hard to think of any one middle-of-the-line second row who performed better in the line-outs (and statistically he was right up there) or made a bigger impression in open play. And the scary thing is that, potentially, there's lots more there. Jerome Thion was the answer to France's prayers, Nathan Sharpe and Ali Williams went well.

BLINDSIDE FLANKER: Semo Sititi (Samoa)

There has to a Samoan in here and their inspirational captain was a magnificent, all-purposeful, rangy ball-playing back rower against England, who also was one of the few to maintain those high standards against South Africa.

The reinvented George Smith was one of Australia's best players, but he's still an openside, Richard Hill missed a lot of the tournament, Serge Betsen dirtied an otherwise outstanding tournament against England.

NUMBER EIGHT: Lawrence Dallaglio (England)

Another vintage crop. Simon Taylor excelled for the Scots, even Colin Charvis came good, Jerry Collins was the most dynamic back rower of all until shackled by the Wallabies but when the going got tough nobody got tougher than Dallaglio. Immense when it counted.

OPENSIDE: Richie McCaw (New Zealand)

Penalised, a bit harshly, by Chris White in the semi-finals and outnumbered by Smith and Phil Waugh, but was still immense in that game. Such a skilful, intelligent reader of the game who comes up with so many big plays.

Gerry Thornley's World XV

15 Jason Robinson

(England)

14 Doug Howlett

(New Zealand)

11 Rupeni Caucanubica

(Fiji)

13 Stirling Mortlock

(Australia)

12 Elton Flatley

(Australia)

10 Jonny Wilkinson

(England)

9 Justin Marshall

(New Zealand)

7 Richie McCaw

(New Zealand)

8 Lawrence Dallaglio

(England)

6 Semo Sititi

(Samoa)

5 Paul O'Connell

(Ireland)

4 Martin Johnson

(England)

3 Phil Vickery (England)

2 Keith Wood

(Ireland)

1 Jean-Jacques Crenca

(France)