There were wins for the Springboks and All Blacks in Round 5 of the Rugby Championship.
Read on for our Team of the Week.
Dane Haylett-Petty
After being forced to spend the first chunk of his Test career on the right wing, Haylett-Petty is clearly relishing the switch to fullback. The Wallabies custodian had another solid outing in the Port Elizabeth defeat, proving a reliable option under the high ball and that he can beat defenders in heavy traffic. His 17 carries were the most of any player in Round 5.
Waisake Naholo
It may not have been as breathtaking as his opening performances of the Rugby Championship, but Naholo still delivered another fine performance in Round 5. His involvement was limited, but he certainly made his touches count in five runs for 55 metres, three clean breaks, three beaten defenders and a five-pointer. Naholo just gets the nod ahead of the gutsy Cheslin Kolbe.
Reece Hodge
The Wallabies’ Mr Fixit, Hodge enjoyed his best performance in the gold No.13 jersey to date despite the concentrated rush defence of the Springboks’ backline. The Rebels utility showed great power to rumble his way over from Will Genia’s classy long ball, and finished with 11 runs for 44 metres and two clean breaks. Hodge would have had a try-scoring double but for a flying cover tackle from Springboks winger Aphiwe Dyantyi.
Sonny Bill Williams
It was a quiet week for those who donned the No.12 jersey in Round 5, the involvement of all four players more about their defence than attack. But there was one wonderful moment supplied by Sonny Bill Williams, the All Blacks centre producing one of his trademark offloads to put Rieko Ioane in the clear. Somewhere in Auckland Tana Umaga was smiling, pondering the duo replicating that play in the presence of Ma’a Nonu.
Rieko Ioane
Is there a better sight in world rugby than Ioane in the clear? The All Blacks winger seems to float across the turf, but at a significant rate of knots. Ioane ran for a round-high 139 metres against the Pumas, adding four clean breaks, five beaten defenders and two tries in the process. Crucially, he is showing no signs of the hamstring injury that kept him out of the early part of the tournament.
Handre Pollard
Argentina’s Nico Sanchez had yet another excellent night but for Pollard’s all-round game in Port Elizabeth was simply too good too ignore at No.10 this week. Not only did Pollard make the break that put Faf de Klerk over, he peppered the Wallabies’ back-three with pinpoint high balls and made all of his nine tackles. The Bulls playmaker seems to be getting back to the form that saw him burst onto the Test scene at only 20 years of age.
Will Genia
When Will Genia runs the Wallabies are a better team; it’s that simple. The Australia scrum-half set up both of the visitors’ tries at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, finishing off their second himself. He finished with 10 runs for 55 metres, and showed his backline teammates just what can be achieved by playing flat up at the line.
Ardie Savea
Asked to deputise for the ill Luke Whitelock shortly before kick-off, Savea stepped up and led an undermanned All Blacks pack from the front. Without their two most influential forwards in skipper Kieran Read and lock Brodie Retallick, Savea tore into the Pumas’ defensive line all game in proving why he is among the toughest players to tackle in world rugby. Savea ran for the most metres [73] of any forward in the match, adding a further 13 tackles in defence. Special mention for David Pocock who again played his heart out in a beaten team.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
One of the heroes from Wellington a fortnight ago, du Toit put in another epic shift in Port Elizabeth on Saturday evening. The Springboks back-rower, who plays more of the typical blindside role than someone who wears the No.7 jersey, was tireless in making a game-high 17 tackles.
Siya Kolisi
Playing the natural openside role but for the No.7 jersey, as is the South African way, Springboks skipper Kolisi had a dominant game in both attack and defence. The Stormers back-rower found open space down the right touchline on two occasions, only a desperate Wallabies tackle denying the Springboks a third try during the first half. Kolisi finished the match with six runs for 74 metres — the most by any forward in Round 5 — two clean breaks and 12 tackles.
Scott Barrett
Starting for the injured Brodie Retallick for the second straight Test, Barrett enjoyed a solid 80-minute hit-out. As well as disrupting the Pumas’ lineout, the Argentines shipped five balls own their own throw, Barrett made 10 tackles.
Eben Etzebeth
It was a typically brutal showing from the towering Etzebeth, the Springboks lock playing the role of chief opposition provocateur yet again. He certainly made life tough for the misfiring Wallabies lineout, combining that set-piece dominance with eight runs and nine tackles.
Ofa Tu’ungafasi
It was another dominant night from the entire All Blacks scrum, of which Tu’ungafasi was a key cornerstone on the tighthead side. The Blues prop gave opposite Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro all kinds of problems before the Pumas loosehead was replaced with 22 minutes to play; Tu’ungafasi also chipping in defensively with eight tackles.
Codie Taylor
The All Blacks hooker gets the nod this week, after a busy all-round game. Taylor’s lineout throwing was largely satisfactory, so too his defence. He may not have found the same amount of open space to roam as usual, but should be proud of his 60-minute showing.
Karl Tu’inukuafe
Predicted to have a major impact on the Buenos Aires Test pre-match, Tu’inukuafe did just that as he again proved a rock at loosehead prop. But the former bouncer is much more than just a scrum enforcer, as proven by his perfect 14 from 14 tackles.