Best XV from 4th Weekend of Rugby Championship
New Zealand tightened their grip on this year’s trophy with a hard-earned win over South Africa in Napier, while Australia held off a late charge by the gallant Pumas on the Gold Coast to make it two wins in two weeks.
There were a number of players whose contributions stood out for different reasons in Round 4, from youngsters with points to prove to veterans still producing performances out of the top drawer.
Here are the men of the moment.
Full-Back
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15. Israel Dagg
Israel Dagg’s propensity for the occasional daft decision was nowhere to be seen in Napier. The No. 15 kicked intelligently, counterattacked with intent and was key to the plan to put plenty of width on the ball.
He has taken his chance back in the side with both hands.
Now that Ben Smith looks set to be deployed either on the wing or at centre following Ma'a Nonu's broken arm, per the New Zealand Herald, Dagg will have the rest of the tournament to re-establish himself at full-back.
Wings
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14. Cornal Hendricks
A second excellent finish in as many weeks earns Cornal Hendricks another inclusion in B/R's Best XV. His angle for his try was unstoppable, and he showed world-class feet to arc his run at full tilt to leave the last defender with nothing but a fistful of fresh air.
11. Julian Savea
Mark the date in the diary as a Test match in which Julian Savea did not score. There aren’t many of them. Nevertheless, he was difficult to bring down all evening, and he was able to bring others into the game while green-shirted defenders tried to haul him to the deck.
A quick mention here for Argentina’s Manuel Montero. The giant wide man scored a brilliant try as he brushed off three Wallaby tackles, but he let himself down with a clumsy piece of handling that gifted Michael Hooper a criminally easy try.
Centres
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13. Jan Serfontein
A stout defensive performance from the South African outside centre was highlighted by one outstanding stop on Richie McCaw. Jan Serfontein’s positioning and work rate helped prevent the dam from bursting against New Zealand’s deadly outside backs.
12. Ben Smith
Ben Smith played well in the first half on the wing but earns plaudits for effortlessly shifting to the inside-centre berth with the departure of Ma’a Nonu at the break. Being versatile is one thing; being world class wherever you get told to play is quite another.
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Half-Backs
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10. Handre Pollard
Handre Pollard came into this round of fixtures as the most under-pressure player in the tournament.
He rose to the challenge manfully with a brave performance that saw him take the ball to the line and keep a cool head throughout.
Bernard Foley may have made more game-breaking plays and Aaron Cruden initiated more attacks, but the context in which Pollard had to perform and the way he played spoke volumes about a player with a bright future.
9. Nick Phipps
Nick Phipps was a constant danger to the Argentine defence and created a fine try for Peter Betham with a break that took him from his own half to the visitors’ 22-metre line.
Aaron Smith gets an honourable mention for another high-octane display for New Zealand.
Back Row
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8. Kieran Read
Kieran Read put in his best performance since shaking off his concussion problems from earlier this year. His leap and take to set up Richie McCaw showcased his unique skill set, while his industry at the tackle area was integral to the All Blacks’ victory.
7. Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw has slipped back into top gear. The All Blacks skipper showed his attacking nous with a well-timed run for his try, but he was brilliant in his defensive role against South Africa.
Credit to Wallaby skipper Michael Hooper for a two-try display against Argentina, but McCaw takes the spot for delivering his performance in a Test of higher quality and intensity.
6. Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Coetzee tackled himself to a standstill for the cause in Napier. The flanker was a thorn in New Zealand’s side all night and went a long way to justifying his place in the side ahead of Willem Alberts.
Second Row
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5. Victor Matfield
Victor Matfield seems to have lost none of his aerial prowess, and he was as imperious as ever in the line-out. He also belied his years with his work rate, topping the tackle count for South Africa.
4. Brodie Retallick
Brodie Retallick was used as a willing runner off first phase on countless occasions. He also ploughed through a huge amount of work at ruck time and displayed flashes of his outstanding offloading ability.
Front Row
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3. Owen Franks
Owen Franks held his own against Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira and popped up here and there for some ball carrying on a night that was all about the basics for the front-row boys.
2. Adriaan Strauss
Adriaan Strauss rubber-stamped the decision to give him the starting jersey with accurate line-out throwing and a robust performance around the field. His place was probably made even safer when he was replaced by Bismarck du Plessis, whose throwing in was awful.
1. James Slipper
The smart money was on the Argentine front row to make light work of their Wallaby opponents, but James Slipper held his own against Ramiro Herrera for much of the contest. The Pumas did get on top in the scrum during the last third of the contest, but Slipper had, by then, done enough to warrant a pat on the back for his display.
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