It is human nature for people to be biased. Everyone loves their own rugby players and sometimes we get so involved in supporting our team that we hardly pay attention to what the opposition is doing. It is natural. It is however the responsibility of bloggers, YouTubers, reporters and World Rugby to try their best to be objective. I can Imagine that is very difficult to favour a team that complains about the referee in lengthy videos. It is completely unfathomable to like any player from a team that manages to win crucial games despite bio bubbles, isolation periods, political and economic disarray and an extremely busy travel schedule. Let's face it, the rest of the rugby playing nations do not like the Springboks. They don't like our style of play, they don't like our waterboy and they don't like our set piece dominance. Above all else, the other rugby playing nations don't like it that we win when it matters most.

The Springboks go through these terrible times when they are utterly useless. The years 2000-2003 and 2016-2018 springs to mind. Then they come back and they win a World Cup, just as the rest of the world thought they got rid of them, they come back to life like a honey badger that has been bitten by a puff adder. If I was English, I don't think I would have liked the Springboks very much either.

Antione Dupont seems like special talent. He has a dangerous side step and he possesses all the skills required to be a world class scrum half. He is my pick to become the world player of the year. Samu Kerevi was instrumental in beating the Springboks twice. He is a powerful ball carrier and can rip any defence to pieces. Michael Hooper has an unbelievable work rate. He is good at everything that is needed to be a top class loose forward. From carrying the ball to stealing it after the tackle. I had my doubts about Maro Itoje, but he does not necessarily do one thing brilliantly. He is just really good at everything. He gets across the park well, defends well, good at the steal and in the lineout. He plays like an extra loose forward.

Ardie Savea has always been a fantastic rugby player and it is as if the leadership role that he has in the All Black team has made him even better. He is a complete loose forward and there were times during the course of this year that he was unstoppable. Eben Etzebeth has played a lot of minutes this year and he keeps delivering mammoth performances. He is a skillful and powerful ball carrier and plays a huge part in the set piece success of the Springboks. These two players have the right to feel aggrieved that they missed out on nominations. Other names have also been mentioned like, Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am, Siya Kolisi, Will Jordan, Beauden Barrett and Jordie Barrett. Couldn't they at least have waited till the last test matches of the year before announcing the nominations. Maybe six players could have been nominated. A lot of people will agree that this year, more than any other year, it just does not feel right.