Best XV from Autumn Internationals on November 22
With just one week left of autumn internationals, the southern hemisphere has enjoyed the lion’s share of victories.
Ireland struck a blow for the north this week with a hard-fought win over Australia, and England rallied to beat Samoa. But Wales, France and Italy all went down.
Among the big games, there were some outstanding individual performances that have come together to give us this team of the week.
Here is your first 15.
Stats are courtesy of ESPNScrum.com.
The Back Three
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Israel Folau
Israel Folau may not be plundering tries at quite the rate he did when he began his international career, but his all-round athletic ability is unrivalled by any other full-back.
In Dublin we saw his aerial prowess at its best, claiming high balls and, on one occasion, executing a one-handed pluck of a Jonny Sexton cross-field kick that was laser-guided to land in Simon Zebo’s bread basket. He also created havoc running in the wide channels when Australia attacked.
Honourable mentions for excellent displays go to Leigh Halfpenny and Rob Kearney. Kearney was superb at hoisting the ball high and chasing—and claiming—his own kicks for Ireland, and Halfpenny was solid in defence all evening for Wales against New Zealand, also wearing the burden of goal-kicking well.
Folau gets the edge for his greater attacking skills and unique athletic talents.
Jonny May
May’s early international career was all about his failure to finish off chances—think of the Ireland match in the 2014 Six Nations when he lost his grip on the ball in the act of scoring. This season, he has erased the poor finishing tag with three tries in as many autumn games.
We saw more of his raw pace for his first against Samoa as he slipped through a gap and made for the line. His second was a more straightforward run-in but well-taken all the same. England lack a clinical side to their game, but they have at least honed one sharp point of attack in the Gloucester man.
Tommy Bowe
The arch-poacher was at it again with a superb interception against Australia. The rest of the Irishman's game was as accomplished as it always is.
Julian Savea was his usual menacing self for New Zealand, but we didn't see too many fireworks against Wales.
Centres
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Conrad Smith
There were several eye-catching moments displayed by outside centres on Saturday.
There were the muscular bursts of Tevita Kuridrani and the swiveling hips of the promising Robbie Henshaw. But there is no more a cerebral player wearing the No. 13 jersey anywhere in the sport than Conrad Smith.
A relative midget among today's Test rugby giants, it was the All Black who found himself the target of a steepling cross-kick from Beauden Barrett.
The Wellington man steadied himself, caught the ball and palmed it off as thought he were lobbing a bread roll across a school canteen table to the on-rushing Jerome Kaino.
He was not quite able to unshackle himself from the oppressive Welsh defence for much of the contest in Cardiff, but his value was in the subtlety he brought to the crash and bash happening all around him.
Jamie Roberts
Jamie Roberts came face to face with Sonny Bill Williams in Cardiff and edged the battle with the cross-code star. Roberts ran some superb lines, broke the gain line and gave Wales a focal point for their attack all night. Williams was good, but forced too many attempts at offloads to make this one of his greatest nights.
Half-Backs
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Jonny Sexton
Sexton pushed his team around the field with great poise as Ireland went toe-to-toe with Australia. The Racing Metro man can manipulate the ball with his boot better than any other No. 10 in world rugby, and he showed that with a wonderful cross-field chip that was gleefully gathered by Simon Zebo for Ireland’s first try.
There were a few up-and-unders that drifted a little too deep for his chasers, but on the whole it was Sexton’s ability to boot the ball where Australia least wanted him to that stalled the Wallaby appetite for running back at Ireland with such damaging results.
Honourable mentions for a promising start in less intense circumstances for England's George Ford and the 15 points from the boot of Argentina’s Nicolas Sanchez that defeated France 18-15 in Paris.
Moreso to Beauden Barrett, who scored twice and played splendidly in Cardiff.
Nick Phipps
The Wallaby scrum-half had an outstanding night in Dublin. He showed a clean pair of heels to score a long-range try after Ireland had coughed up the ball and added a second that showed a natural sense of positioning and timing to make the most of Australia’s ability to cause havoc in tight spaces.
His delivery to Bernard Foley was of a high standard, and he went a long way to positioning himself as the first-choice No. 9 for Michael Cheika’s men. His tries edge him ahead of Wales’ Rhys Webb, who was excellent against New Zealand and was missed when he had to limp off.
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Back Row
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Sergio Parisse
The Italian captain was magnificent in a losing effort against South Africa. He ran for 55 metres and made 13 tackles, the highest totals for his side in either category. New Zealander Kieran Read deserves credit for a tireless display against Wales.
Richie McCaw
McCaw was magnificent once again against Wales. The All Black played on edge and went beyond it at times as far as the breakdown was concerned, but he still found time to make nine tackles and run for 35 metres with the ball.
Peter O’Mahony
The Munster captain was superb against Australia for Ireland. O’Mahony has become one of Europe’s best "jackaling" back-row players, clamping himself over the ball at the tackle and flipping it back on his side.
He is a genuine turnover merchant happy to let others roam the open spaces while he gets through spades of work in among the muck and bullets.
Second Row
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Brodie Retallick
World Rugby's new world player of the year prefixed his coronation with another totemic display against Wales. The All Black’s 12 tackles underline his intelligence since the challenge Wales posed for 65 minutes required a different role to that of the ball-carrying for which he has become so well known.
Paul O’Connell
O’Connell led from the front in a great tussle between Ireland and Australia. He took responsibility for the bulk of his side’s lineout ball and was in where it mattered to make those hard yards from Jonny Sexton’s regular inside pop passes.
An honourable mention must go to Alun Wyn Jones for another world-class performance at home in Cardiff.
Front Row
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Samson Lee
Lee has taken to his role as the first-choice No. 3 for Wales well. He scrummaged competently against Wyatt Crockett and put in a shift full of hard work.
Dane Coles
Barring another hissy fit that saw him needlessly run 20 yards to get involved in a bit of kiss-chase, the All Black had an outstanding night, carrying with purpose to the extent that his 37 meters matched the total of his side's No. 8, Kieran Read.
As the underdog in the physicality stakes between himself and opposite number Richard Hibbard, Coles made his greater mobility tell.
Ireland's Rory Best just misses out. He carried well, threw accurately and was part of many a choke tackle in a voracious Irish defensive effort.
James Slipper
There was another high tackle count from the hard-working loose-head, who is also a major reason the Wallaby scrum is no longer stuck in reverse gear. His forwards lost out overall to an impressive Irish unit, but this is better from Australia.
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