You won’t find any Australian forwards here, but amazingly there was room for one back. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself, provided you look beyond tackle stats.
1 – Marcos Ayerza (Argentina) Another fine performance from an increasingly important member of the Puma pack. Proving a more than capable replacement for Rodrigo Roncero.
2 – Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa) Any worries that he might not be back to his best were calmly put to rest on Saturday. The Boks have the two best hookers in the world right now.
3 – Jannie du Plessis (South Africa) Not nearly as boisterous as his brother but rock solid and well ahead of any competitor in his country at the moment. Solid efforts both from Juan Figallo and Charlie Faumuina as well.
4 – Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) Another monstrous performance. Raising the bar for number four locks around the world.
5 – Sam Whitelock (New Zealand) Doing the same for the number five shirt. An amazing athlete for a big man.
6 – Willem Alberts (South Africa) Wearing seven but playing blindside, he brutalized the Wallabies in the contact area. Honorable mention to Steven Luatua.
7 – Pablo Matera (Argentina) Competed very well against McCaw & Co., he seems to get better by the minute. A huge future ahead.
8 – Kieran Read (New Zealand) The finest all-around loose forward in the world? It’s hard to argue otherwise.
9 – Aaron Smith (New Zealand) Simply outstanding. Two tries were just rewards for a great performance.
10 – Morne Steyn (South Africa) Kudos to Nicolas Sanchez for standing strong, but Steyn controlled the game once again. Not everyone’s cup of tea but works perfectly for the Springbok game plan.
11 – Bryan Habana (South Africa) No real standouts here, so Habana gets the nod for a tidy performance.
12 – Jean de Villiers (South Africa) Superb leadership and a well-taken try. Jan Serfontein’s time will come but for the moment Jean is the man.
13 – Conrad Smith (New Zealand) Like de Villiers, an absolute presence in the midfield for his country. His distribution skills are sublime.
14 – Willie le Roux (South Africa) Looked more comfortable on the wing with license to roam. A treat to watch with ball in hand.
15 – Israel Folau (Australia) It’s not his fault his team lost. Consistently beats the first defender and can make something out of nothing.
Ray's Rugby 