Best XV in World Rugby for Weekend of December 26-28

This week’s team features a number of heavyweight names from the pack of Toulouse with a smattering of talent from the Bath back line.

After their seventh straight win, Mike Ford’s Bath are established as the key contenders to reigning champions Northampton, who had another stellar showing from Samu Manoa to thank for a win against Harlequins.

In a suffocating contest in France, Toulouse struck a blow against top-four team Racing Metro, with all the points from the boot but a monumental shift put in by a forward pack who, collectively, made 102 tackles and are therefore well represented in this week’s first XV.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPNScrum.com.

The Back 3

15. Anthony Watson

Watson scored a try in Bath’s 30-14 win over Exeter and made many a dangerous raid on the Exeter rearguard. The England youngster perhaps deserves a run in the No. 15 jersey for his country, with Mike Brown struggling for the excellence he displayed last season.

14. Craig Gilroy

Ulster wing Gilroy displayed his finishing class against Connacht with a wonderfully taken try. The right wing burst on to an inside pass to split the Connacht defence before performing two quick pirouettes out of tacklers’ grasps to plunge over the line.

11. Horacio Agulla

Bath’s Puma was on the prowl for work as Mike Ford’s men defeated Exeter. The Argentine bagged a try and tallied 93 metres made with ball in hand, with nine defenders beaten in total. A voluminous afternoon’s work from the South American.

Centres

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13. Thomas Combezou

Castres centre Thomas Combezou bagged a brace of tries to help his team to a 27-9 win over Montpellier in their struggle to vacate the bottom rung of the Top 14 ladder.

12. Kyle Eastmond

Eastmond’s dangerous footwork did damage to Exeter as Bath extended their unbeaten run to seven games. The England centre showed off his ability to make clean breaks in heavy traffic and got himself on the scoresheet with a second-half try.

Half Backs

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10. Jules Plisson

Three penalties and three conversions from the young French No. 10 helped Stade Francais to their 30-5 win over Toulon. The 22-year-old pivot was picked in last season’s Six Nations but now seems behind the likes of Camille Lopez and Remi Tales in the pecking order. Piloting his team to the top of the pile may give Philippe Saint Andre cause for a re-think.

9. Rory Kockott

Castres’ South African–born scrum-half notched 17 points as last season’s finalists overcame Montpellier 27-9. Kockott kicked a conversion and five penalties to guide his side to a vital win that leaves the bottom team a point behind La Rochelle.

Back Row

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8. Samu Manoa

Northampton’s Toulon-bound No. 8 scored one try and made another as the Saints held on to top spot at Twickenham.

The Amercian is a man to have in your side when the chips are down, as they were when Saints lost prop Salesi Ma’afu to the sin bin.

In that 10–minute period, Manoa rumbled over for his try to stretch his team’s lead when, by rights, it should have been shrinking. Honourable mention for Sergio Parisse who was a stand-out performer and try scorer for Stade Francais.

7. Tom Wood

England flanker Wood made 17 tackles at Twickenham as his Northampton side ran out 30-25 winners over Harlequins. Quins, per Paul Rees in the Guardian, had 74 per cent of the possession in this contest, which underlines the importance of Wood’s defensive work to this victory.

6. Thierry Dusautoir

Dusautoir put in a huge shift as Toulouse overcame top-four dwellers Racing Metro 15-9. In a match that becomes an arm wrestle like this, the French skipper is just the sort you want wearing your colours.

Dusautoir made 19 tackles to help cancel out Racing’s attacking threat and enable his goal-kickers to nick this tight contest. Indeed, all but one of Toulouse’s forwards reached double figures for their tackle count.

Their sports masseur will be working overtime this week.

Second Row

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5. Patricio Albacete

Toulouse’s Argentine enforcer Albacete was magnificent in defence as Toulouse downed Racing Metro. The South American made 13 tackles and forced a turnover as his team ground its way to a 15-9 win over the Parisians.

4. Joe Tekori

Alongside Albacete in the Toulousain engine room, Tekori made 14 tackles and ran for 19 metres, forcing two turnovers. The big Samoan is proving to be a key figure in the side’s rise after a dismal start to their league campaign.

Front Row

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3. Census Johnston

Samoan behemoth Johnston had a sterling day at the coalface for Toulouse. He made an impressive 13 tackles and forced one turnover of his own,

2. Mike Haywood

A total of 15 tackles from Dylan Hartley’s stand-in made for a busy night at Twickenham for Haywood. He also hit his man 15 times in the lineout, losing only two of his own throws. Honourable mention to Corey Flynn, another impressive member of the Toulouse pack. The former All Black made just one less tackle than Haywood

1. Tom Court

Both London Irish props got on the score sheet in the battle of the Exiles, as Irish downed London Welsh 24-9. Former Ulster man Court’s try came in the 67th minute to add to his seven tackles and one turnover. Fine work.