Munster’s Craig Casey and Ross Byrne from Leinster form the half-back pairing for the United Rugby Championship Dream, which has been announced for the 2021/22 season.
Casey’s provincial colleague Jean Kleyn and in-form Ulster duo Nick Timoney and James Hume have also been selected, while the rest of the Dream Team line-up is dominated by players from the South African franchises.
The South African sides account for 10 members of a 15-man selection determined by a media vote. The addition of the Vodacom Bulls, Emirates Lions, Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers to the competition for the inaugural URC campaign and it has shown the impact they have made with the number of additions.
The Stormers are the best-represented team with five players making the cut. Leolin Zas, the URC’s top try scorer, is among four backs from the Cape Town-based outfit included.
The Bulls, who visit Leinster in Friday’s opening semi-final, contribute three players, including Ironman award winner Ruan Nortje, and the Sharks with two.
Players had to have made a minimum of nine appearances to be considered, with the media panel given a shortlist of 10 players per position, provided by URC StatMaster.
Dream Team: Warrick Gelant (DHL Stormers); Seabelo Senatla (DHL Stormers), James Hume (Ulster), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Leolin Zas (DHL Stormers); Ross Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster); Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks), Jean Kleyn (Munster), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Vodacom Bulls), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers).
