ITV.com/rugbyworldcup editor Luke McLaughlin picks his team of the 2011 Rugby World Cup tournament:
1. Jean-Baptiste Poux (France)French scrummaging was key to their march - or perhaps their stagger - to the final and Toulouse prop Poux was as good as any in the tournament. Front row colleagues William Servat and Nicolas Mas both warrant a mention. Poux can operate on either side of the scrum, but spent this tournament at loosehead.
2. Keven Mealamu (New Zealand)With a bit more game time, South Africa's Bismarck du Plessis may have secured his place as the outstanding hooker of the tournament but Keven Mealamu has been ever-present on the All Blacks' march to the final and produced another solid performance against France to clinch the trophy. A veteran of two previous unsuccessful World Cup campaigns, the composure of players like Mealamu arguably got the All Blacks over the line in a massively tense final against France. A deserved gold medal for a seasoned campaigner.
3. Adam Jones (Wales)Like so many Wales players, you only realised how important he was when he was gone. Losing Jones to injury early in the semi-final against France was just as big a blow as Sam Warburton's red card. The Welsh scrum was already going backwards following Jones's early departure with a leg injury - the loss of Warburton compounded the problem. One of the most consistent front-rowers in world rugby.
4. Brad Thorn (New Zealand)Simply immense. Showed his determination to succeed against Australia in the semi-final, when he got in the Wallabies' faces early on and refused to budge. Excellent at line-out time and in the loose, he was another All Black who would not tolerate another failure, having been around in 2003 when they lost in the semi-final - to Australia.
5. Lionel Nallet (France)The line-out was one of the few areas that France could approach the final knowing they had the upper hand on hosts New Zealand and veteran lock Nallet was a major reason for that. He and his team-mate Pascal Pape secured more line-out ball than any other second row pairing at the tournament. Also ferocious in defence, Nallet's performance in the semi-final was a big factor in frustrating Wales and France earned their place in a re-run of the 1987 final.
6. Jerome Kaino (New Zealand)The New Zealand forward unit gave them the platform to win a second World Cup. Kaino was exemplary throughout the tournament, particularly against Australia in the semi-final, and if you didn't see much of him it was because he was often at the bottom of a ruck trying to secure possession. Also figured in New Zealand's try in the final, claiming an early line-out and allowing Tony Woodcock to score a crucial five-pointer.
7. Sam Warburton (Wales)Forget the red card against France: in a competitive field Warburton was the most consistent, most brilliant openside in the tournament. His dominant performance against Ireland and their much-fancied back row was possibly the outstanding individual effort over the past seven weeks. Physical, fast and a natural leader, Wales fans can hardly contain their excitement at the thought of the 22-year-old Warburton captaining their team for several years to come.
8. Imanol Harinorduquy (France)It's incredibly difficult to leave out Toby Faletau of Wales, but Harinorduquy's composure and enormous power was one of the high points of France's campaign. Operating alongside Julien Bonnaire and captain Thierry Dusautoir, Harinoduquy and the French back row competed fiercely at every breakdown, and their defence was the key component to their win against Wales in the semi-final. Louis Picamoles was widely fancied as the successor to Harinorduquy at No 8 at the start of this tournament, but the Biarritz man put an end to the debate.
9. Mike Phillips (Wales)Will Genia impressed at times for Australia, Piri Weepu has assumed kicking duties for New Zealand, but with superbly taken tries in the quarter-final and semi-final, Phillips has to be the outstanding scrum-half in the tournament. Against Ireland, Phillips forced Wales back into the ascendancy with an opportunistic effort in the corner, while he spotted a gap against France to pull 14-man Wales into what should have proved a winning position. His physicality and pace allowed him to punch holes in the opposing defence time and again. Genia's speed of pass was more impressive for Australia, but Phillips did more to further his team's ambitions.
10. Rhys Priestland (Wales)This was another Rugby World Cup for stoppers rather than starters, with a lot of brilliant tackling and defensive organisation preventing the fly-halves from coming to the fore. However, Priestland was integral to Welsh progress to the semi-final, unlocking the fearsome ball-carrying power of centre Jamie Roberts and almost always taking the right option. His missed kick against South Africa in the narrow pool defeat was a rare slip - replacement James Hook's struggles in the semi-final only illustrated how cool under pressure the young Priestland had been. He will be one of the first names on the teamsheet when Warren Gatland sits down to plan his assault on the next Rugby World Cup.
11. James O'Connor (Australia)Elusive running, intelligent passing and nerveless goal-kicking. O'Connor's late penalty took Australia past South Africa in the quarter-final and he has come a long way since being dropped by Robbie Deans for oversleeping and missing the World Cup squad announcement in August. O'Connor's backline colleague Quade Cooper was widely backed to enhance his reputation at this World Cup but O'Connor was the outstanding performer for the Wallabies. Mentions too for Kurtley Beale and Will Genia, who justified a lot of the pre-tournament hype.
12. Ma'a Nonu (New Zealand)He did things simply and did them very well. He's always been a powerful and destructive runner in midfield, but Nonu's awareness and distribution have improved, and he was one of the most consistent players in the champions' squad. Sonny Bill Williams made an impact whenever he got a chance, and put Nonu under pressure for the No 12 shirt - but Nonu responded to that pressure with a string of world-class performances.
13. Jamie Roberts (Wales)Not the most imaginative of combinations with Nonu at 12, but this team of the tournament is about individual brilliance rather than picking an XV that would blend well together. Roberts was yet another outstanding performer in a Wales team that largely deserved a final place. His powerful running terrified defences everywhere and he is back to the form he showed with the British and Irish Lions in 2009.
14. Vincent Clerc (France)An ever-present in France's march to the final, six tries and 30 points for the Toulouse winger speak for themselves. His most notable moment may have been being tackled by Sam Warburton in the semi-final but that illustrates that his attacking play was a constant menace to opponents. One of the senior players in the France team who provided experience and guidance when perhaps the others weren't listening to coach Marc Lievremont.
15. Israel Dagg (New Zealand)Anyone who doubts Dagg's impact on New Zealand's campaign only needs to watch the first 20 minutes of the semi-final against Australia. Dagg's explosive running blew holes in the Wallaby defence, culminating in his superb run and offload that allowed Ma'a Nonu to cross for the only try of the match. Before Mils Muliaina's injury he was put forward as the more experienced option but New Zealand's highly dangerous back three was a constant threat to defences. Richard Kahui and Cory Jane were both outstanding and would deserve a place in this team, too.