Monday 5 December 2016 17:42, UK
A month of Autumn Internationals will have given British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland plenty of food for thought.
With England finishing the calendar year with four successive victories, Wales looking to develop their game, Ireland beating New Zealand for the first time and Scotland building game on game, Gatland has a wealth of talent at his disposal.
The Kiwi announces his assistant coaches on Wednesday in Dublin and if they were selecting a Test match XV from the past month of international action then it could look something like this.
15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
This autumn, Hogg has made the most metres for Scotland in every Test and in terms of carrying, he topped the charts against Georgia and Australia and was second against Argentina.
Hogg has pace to burn and is as adept at scoring tries as he is setting them up. His support lines are always on the money and he is lightning quick to spot the space behind opponents' defensive lines.
As a full back, the Scot delivers the key positional fundamentals alongside spark and creativity. He regularly makes something out of nothing and would thrive in any Lions backline.
14. Liam Willams (Wales)
Wales' autumn series was one of transition and certainly not as fruitful as they would have liked from a performance point of view. Yet Williams continues to show that he is an elusive runner with great vision and finishing skills.
He proved against New Zealand in the summer that he can cause the world leaders all manner of problems and this autumn reminded us all that he has got all the right tools in his locker.
Versatility pays dividends on Lions tour and in a cohesive side that are playing positive rugby Williams should shine further.
13. Jonathan Joseph (England)
In attack, Joseph's feet have the ability to make defenders look stupid and this autumn, he notched up four tries for England. But it is the intensity of his defence that is making the Bath centre stand out.
Joseph hardly misses a man, even in the most challenging of circumstances, and has the physicality and technique to prevent a further offload at the same time.
With the line breakers and elusive runners that New Zealand have, such an authoritative defensive centre - with the weapons that he has in attack - would be a great asset to a Lions Test XV.
12. Owen Farrell (England)
Farrell is the ultimate competitor and has a wealth of experience at club, international and Lions level.
The 25-year-old's vision in attack would combine with any fly-half selected by Gatland and the ability for the Lions to play off 10 or 12 would provide the required strings to their bow to keep New Zealand guessing.
In defence, Farrell is vocal and dominant and who drives a team's work rate. Plus, of course, there are his goal-kicking abilities.
This autumn, he accumulated 60 points and his level of accuracy means that opponents know that they will be punished almost every time.
11. Jonny May (England)
While the most vivid memory of May this autumn is likely to be his 'unique' scrummaging technique, away from that, the Gloucester winger has looked sharp as a pin.
May's pace sets him apart from those around him, he's electric and punishes sides in the blink of an eye. The 26-year-old came into the series off the back of a serious knee injury and still has more to offer.
Give him an inch and May will take a mile. Like Hogg, he is the type of player that creates something from nothing and regularly pops up all over the field.
10. George Ford (England)
Vision, rock solid decision making and playing at flat to the line as possible are key characteristics of George Ford's game.
The fly-half reads the game in a flash and sees opportunities quicker than most around him.
From looping missed passes to pinpoint cross-field kicks Ford's all-around skill-set means that he can open up defences and create the opportunities for those around him.
With crisp service from nine and the presence of a ball playing 12 outside of him any the side that Ford at the heart of would deliver a potent attacking game and couple that with astute and sensible game management.
Without a doubt Jonathan Sexton's outstanding influence and game management against New Zealand will have been noted by Gatland alas injuries have blighted the fly-half's autumn slightly. If he's fully fit then he's right in the mix to don a starting Test jersey at Eden Park or the Westpac Stadium.
9. Conor Murray (Ireland)
This autumn we've seen Conor Murray go up and level and prove exactly how much of a Test match animal he is. Murray has a world class kicking game and provides excellent distribution to his ten.
In Chicago he ran the show against New Zealand and throughout the autumn he has marshalled and lead Ireland with distinction. Defensively the scrum-half is physical and already has the All Blacks' number.
It's a very close call between Murray and Ben Youngs because the Englishman has also been exceptional. But, the fact that the Irishman toyed with the world leaders and punished them so acutely in Chicago just nudges him in front. Needless to say Gatland will be quietly content to have such depth at scrum-half.
1. Mako Vunipola (England)
What sets Mako Vunipola apart is the fact that he adds to his set piece prowess and physicality the hands of a centre.
Vunipola offloads out of contact with ease and sits very much in the Dane Coles' category of props.
At scrum time he made a few 'little technical changes to his bind' with the assistance of England's scrum coach Neal Hatley and throughout 2016, and the autumn, has been a unwavering in England's scrum.
2. Rory Best (Ireland)
The Ulster hooker is in arguably the best form on his career and etched his name into the history books by leading Ireland to victory over the All Blacks and all of the southern hemisphere's big three in a calendar year.
Best's lineouts were of the highest quality, finding a green shirt with 37 of his 41 throws over his three November Tests, and away from the set piece he plays like a loose forward, particularly at the breakdown.
The way Best communicates with referees has also improved and that will not have gone unnoticed by Warren Gatland.
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
Forget Lions bolter, Furlong has emerged as a serious contender for a starting jersey after an array of impressive performances last month.
The Wexford native looks the complete player, yet he only turned 24 last month. As well as excelling in his primary role in the scrum, Furlong is an important component of Ireland's maul, is adept at disrupting opposition ball at the breakdown, and also a menace in the loose.
Furlong put three All Blacks on their backsides during one powerful carry in the Dublin rematch, and missed just one tackle over his three November appearances.
4. Devin Toner (Ireland)
Toner has become an integral part of this Ireland side and was dominant once again during the autumn internationals.
The Leinster lock called 16 lineouts to himself, having forged a great understanding with Best, and was Ireland's fourth-highest tackler with 20 over three 80-minute performances.
5. Jonny Gray (Scotland)
The second-row is another area that Gatland is blessed with talent to choose from and one lock that has gone about his business with efficiency this autumn is the younger of the Gray brothers.
Jonny's industry, work rate and engine have been integral to Scotland's tempo. Gray carries with intent throughout and alongside that delivers the required solidity at the lineout that is crucial for any international side to succeed.
6. CJ Stander (Ireland)
Stander made his debut for Ireland during the Six Nations Championship last February and since he's been colossal for the side.
The back-row forward has stated that he's learned that everything at international level has to be instinctive and his instincts are up there with the very best.
He is a powerhouse and workhorse with seemingly endless reserves of energy. His ability to drive forwards and continually take opponents out of the game provides gaps for those around him.
7. Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
Since the Leinsterman arrived on the scene he's turned heads for all of the right reasons. The flanker played scrum-half until he was 14 and then found himself in the middle of too many rucks so made the shift.
His 55 minutes at Soldier Field were exceptional, making the second highest number of tackles within his side (13) and working himself into the ground.
A man of the match performance against Australia capped an autumn in which he announced himself onto the international stage.
8. Billy Vunipola (England)
The trajectory of Billy Vunipola's development since Eddie Jones has taken charge has been marked. His improved fitness levels now mean that he is able to deliver 80 minutes of the highest quality work.
The 24-year-old's impact on a game is enormous, if you want to get on front foot and make yards then Vunipola is your man, whatever the situation.
In defence he stops opponents' greatest ball carrying threats with ease and will be totally focused on getting back to fitness in time to book his place on the plane to New Zealand.
