By Charlie Elliott
The past weekend of Autumn Nations Series action can be best summarised as back and forth.
Most of the games were decided by the finest of margins, and small details determined the outcome. Other games had dominant performances, with teams showing their superiority throughout.
Plenty of players had good games, and the team of the week showcases those who had the extra bit of quality to push their team over the edge or get them closer to the win than would have otherwise been the case.
Outside Backs
15 – Tom Wright (Australia)
The fullback notched himself a test hat-trick, helping to pile misery on Wales and give them a record-breaking 11th test defeat in a row.
He wouldn’t be the only Wallaby to get a hat-trick, but his was certainly more skilful than Matt Faessler’s, and included some great running and footwork with the ball.
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
An outstanding performance from Cheslin Kolbe yet again.
His finest moment against England was his step on Freddie Steward following a Manie Libbok kick, making it look easy.
Eight carries and three line breaks for the winger underline just how dominant his running was at Allianz Stadium (Twickenham).
He showed just why he is up there for one of the best players in the world at the minute, and in contention for the World Rugby Player of the Year award.
13 – Stafford McDowall (Scotland)
Scored an intercept try, and as captain led his team to a convincing victory in his debut at skipper. Pretty plain sailing for Scotland but McDowall stood out.
12 – Handre Pollard (South Africa)
Pollard is well known for his calmness under pressure, and his long-range penalty was a turning point in the match just when England thought they may have had the better of their opponents.
Brought composure when his side needed it most.
11 – Arron Reed (Scotland)
The Sale Sharks winger excelled in his home debut, with two tries that came from finding gaps in the Portuguese defence.
A mega 166 metres and 12 carries for Reed, who will be hoping to cement himself in the Scotland set-up.
Halfbacks
10 – Jack Crowley (Ireland)
Crowley had an immense first half and still impressed in the second.
His kicking was a joy to behold, and in a tight win against the Pumas, it was what separated the two teams.
Defensively, he made 11/12 tackles and Argentina’s pressure ramped up massively following his substitution after 62 minutes. Scored over half of Ireland’s points.
9 – Cam Roigard (New Zealand)
Coming up against Antoine Dupont is never easy, but Cam Roigard outplayed his opposite number by many metrics, despite the All Blacks narrow defeat.
Some accurate kicking, and general great ball movement underlined what was a great performance for him.
Seemed strange to take him off for Cortez Ratima and New Zealand looked lost without him on the field.
Back Row
8 – Gregory Alldritt (France)
Got two huge turnovers at the breakdown for France, and Antoine Dupont needed this man to do what he does best.
Alldritt was the ultimate team player in this game. Despite coming off within 10 minutes of the second half, he led Les Bleus in carries and amassed 16 tackles.
7 – Sam Underhill (England)
Scored a nice try, and his carries and tackles got England to within touching distance of the Springboks for large portions of the game. Stepped up massively in Tom Curry’s absence.
6 – Siya Kolisi (South Africa)
Kolisi is just a defensive monster, making 15 tackles (the most for South Africa) and without the pure presence of Siya, England would have had more to cheer about.
His early tackle on Ben Earl was a joy to behold, and he deserves a place in this team for that alone.
Second Row
5 – RG Snyman (South Africa)
Usually seen as a member of the ‘Bomb Squad’, RG Snyman proved against England that he is more than that.
An all-round brilliant performance, which included some great defensive work from lineouts, as well as some nice offloads.
Him and Eben Etzebeth look like the best lock partnership for the Springboks at the moment.
4 – Joe McCarthy (Ireland)
Was the forward leadership that Ireland needed in a tight game.
Constantly scrimmaging which was also to his detriment with a 50th minute sin bin, but in general was huge in getting his team over the line.
Front Row
3 – Vincent Koch (South Africa)
This pick is on behalf of Koch as well as starter Wilco Louw, who both had great games at tighthead.
Koch edges it, with the second-most tackles for the Boks, and a great grab from Chandler Cunningham-South in his 22. An unsung hero but a very good prop.
2 – Julian Montoya (Argentina)
Led from the front as captain and kept going even after coming off for a few minutes for a blood check. Did well from lineouts and put a solid shift in.
1 – Jean-Baptiste Gros (France)
The star power at the middle and back of the field may take the headlines for France, but the forward work of the team and especially Jean-Baptiste Gros was the difference between them and New Zealand.
There was no getting past Gros on the ball, and even with ball-in-hand the All Blacks struggled to slow him down. One of those games where it just all clicked.
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