2015 Rugby Championship: Best XV from 2nd Round of Games

New Zealand took a gargantuan step toward sealing a fourth consecutive Rugby Championship crown on Saturday, as the defending champions defeated South Africa 27-20 in their search of another title.

The All Blacks now sit level on nine points with Week 3 opponents Australia, who clinched revenge over Argentina in Mendoza this weekend, thanks to a 34-9 hammering of the Pumas.

Unfortunately for Argentina coach Daniel Hourcade, not one of his players was impressive enough to make our team of the round, featuring a host of talismanic performances.

New Zealand coach Steven Hansen and Wallabies chief Michael Cheika may be particularly pleased with the Week 2 results, moving toward the World Cup with momentum running in their favour.

We've crunched the numbers and analysed the tapes, selecting a best XV from Week 2 of the Rugby Championship. Let us know which players you do or don't feel belong in the lineup by commenting in the forum below.

Back Three

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15. Willie Le Roux, South Africa

Heyneke Meyer's Saturday was given a very welcome boost when full-back Willie Le Roux was fed by Jesse Kriel to open the scoring against New Zealand just nine minutes into their encounter. 

Having been embarrassed with a wayward kick against the Wallabies, Le Roux was far more assured in his clearances this time around, proving a menace to the opposition in broken play as usual.

No Springbok carried for more metres than their No. 15, who also claimed a match-high number of turnovers (three) and clean breaks (four).

14. Ben Smith, New Zealand

It was from the right wing that Ben Smith scored eight tries in the 2013 Rugby Championship to finish as that tournament's top scorer, and he again demonstrated his threat in that role against South Africa on Saturday.

Given just too much space out on the right flank with mere seconds remaining in the first period, the Highlanders utility kept a calm head under pressure, rounding his foes to go under the posts for a more kickable try. 

11. Charles Piutau, New Zealand

"Outstanding" was the word Sky Sports' Sean Fitzpatrick chose to describe Charles Piutau's performance against the Springboks, with it looking ever more likely the Blues star is World Cup-bound.

It's obvious Piutau has spent an extensive time at full-back when one sees the speedster coming from his wing to the opposite flank in order to provide cover from the high ball, just one of his many advantages.

The Auckland maestro was constantly involved in all aspects, as he ran for 102 metres from 14 carries, beating six defenders altogether and succeeding in all three of his tackle attempts.

Centres

13. Jesse Kriel, South Africa

There may not have been many who would suppose Kriel could make improvements on last Saturday's try-scoring Test debut against Australia when he ran into New Zealand, but the rising talisman did just that.

The Bulls prodigy maintained a 100 percent scoring record at international level thanks to a fine individual try, per Eat Sleep Rugby, which came after setting up Le Roux for the fixture's opener. 

Off-ball positioning and tackling nous will come along as Kriel develops, but his attacking worth outshines any glaring inadequacies for now. 

12. Damian De Allende, South Africa

Jean de Villier's injury absence had caused quite the negative stir in South Africa, but Damian de Allende is quickly salving such concerns as one of the team's emerging midfield marvels.

The Stormers bruiser beat six defenders from two clean breaks, with only Santiago Cordero and team-mate Handre Pollard beating more this weekend (seven), while mowing through 46 metres in possession.

As is natural for one so physical, De Allende also did a fantastic job of caging Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith, with his 10 tackles being the highest total managed by any back at Ellis Park.

Half-Backs

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10. Lima Sopoaga, New Zealand

Leading New Zealand to victory over bitter rivals South Africa is no small feat for a player making his international debut, and Lima Sopoaga will surely look back upon his triumphant Test bow in delight.

It was the Highlanders star who cut open the Springboks defence to set up Smith's score just before the break, and despite missing too many tackles (four), he stood out as a forward-thinking running asset to his side.

Australia fly-half Bernard Foley showed some improvements but was wayward from the tee against an inferior Argentina side to just miss out. 

9. Aaron Smith, New Zealand

South Africa may dominate our midfield, but New Zealand boast 100 percent ownership of half-back duties after Aaron Smith made a successful return to the All Blacks XV in Johannesburg.

The terrier-like playmaker made opposite number Ruan Pienaar look glacier-like in reaction time, and his promotion of fast ball to the back line aided New Zealand tremendously in claiming any forward momentum.

Back Row

8. Schalk Burger, South Africa

Schalk Burger's decision as South Africa captain to go with uncontested scrums proved tantamount to giving up all hope against the All Blacks, but one poor judgement can't eradicate an afternoon's worth of what was otherwise great quality.

The Springboks veteran was a leader figure to some of the less experienced figures in the team and lent aid in attack as well as defence, offering the backs a safe pair of hands when spreading the ball to the wings.

Ultimately, the numbers speak for themselves, as Burger carried for 20 metres—the most of any South Africa forward—as well as making 13 tackles, second only to Heinrich Brussow among the Springboks' ranks.

7. David Pocock, Australia

With former captain Michael Hooper relegated to a place on the bench, David Pocock is taking little time to prove why he belongs in the Australia setup, thanks to a star display in Argentinian territory.

No other player made more tackles than he did in Week 2 of the Rugby Championship, recording 18 in total, while backs Israel Folau (93) and Joe Tomane (56) were the only Wallabies to surpass his 54 carrying metres.

6. Richie McCaw, New Zealand 

A vintage display from the New Zealand veteran in his 140th Test appearance, Richie McCaw conjured up memories of years gone by when he collected a 73rd-minute Codie Taylor line-out to earn the All Blacks a crucial win.

So close to full time, it was the ideal manner for McCaw to celebrate his last fixture in South Africa, having also impressed with 16 tackles at Ellis Park.

Maintaining such high standards at Test level would be a trying task for any player in his pomp; the fact captain McCaw continues to do so for 80 minutes at 34 years of age is nothing short of astonishing.

Second Row

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5. Will Skelton, Australia

One half of an all-Australian second row to make this week's dream lineup, Will Skelton clocked up an admirable 30 metres with ball in hand on Saturday, the third-highest tally of any forward in Mendoza.

Self-discipline is still something the Waratahs weapon could do with improving, but after a slow start to Saturday's win, the 23-year-old kept a level head to show off some of his more amicable traits.

4. Rob Simmons, Australia

While his carrying attributes aren't quite as fearsome as partner Skelton's, Rob Simmons was nevertheless a hugely valuable asset for Cheika's side against the Pumas, mainly at the set piece.

The Wallabies made full use of Simmons' 6'7" frame, as he collected seven throws at the line-out, not including a precious steal close to his own line, completing 13 tackles and missing none in the process.

Front Row

3. Jannie du Plessis, South Africa

Jannie du Plessis' expertise as a scrum technician is well-founded, but perhaps the most impressive aspect of his 40-minute outing against the All Blacks was the groundwork skills he's apparently been developing on the quiet.

Like the All Blacks, Meyer's men failed to surrender a single scrum as the set piece became one particular advantage for the Ellis Park hosts. The only disappointment was that a niggling injury ended Du Plessis' day prematurely.

2. Dane Coles, New Zealand

There were some blistering pieces of attacking play on hand in Johannesburg this weekend, but few would have guessed hooker Dane Coles would provide one of the most electric breaks of Saturday's big occasion.

The Hurricanes star showed a surprisingly light pair of heels, as he burst through to score a vital 48th-minute score, throwing superbly at the line-out to quieten some of his critics. 

1. Tendai Mtawarira, South Africa

There wasn't an abundance of stellar loosehead performances in Week 2, but Tendai Mtawarira was a large component in the South African pack that initially excelled past New Zealand, only for scrums to go uncontested late on.

"The Beast" was just one of four Springboks from their starting XV to make all of his attempted tackles (four), and Owen Franks had no easy task on his hands in dealing with the Sharks star.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.