Rugby Championship team of the week..!

This is from www.planetrugby.com


15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand) - He opened the scoring in Round 1 and did exactly the same in Auckland with a line similar to that of lock Nathan Sharpe's nine days ago. It's getting to the stage where we feel as though we have exhausted the superlatives as he continues to shine at the back.
14 Gonzalo Camacho (Argentina) - Quins and Exeter fans won't have been surprised at how Camacho has taken to the Rugby Championship like a duck to water. The 27-year-old's opening to the action in Mendoza caught the Springboks cold as he once again got the better of Lwazi Mvovo.
13 Ben Smith (New Zealand) - Talk about making an impact. Smith's ability to play full-back, wing or centre makes him vital to Steve Hansen's plans - and he put in one heck of a 25 minutes. Smith cut beautiful lines like he has done all year. It's pretty harsh that namesake Conrad returns in Round 3.
12 Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand) - It won't be just Kiwis who will applaud what Sonny Bill has achieved during his short time in Union. World Cup, Tri-Nations and Super Rugby medals are in his pocket as he leaves, yet his recent improvements makes us wonder whether there was even more to come from SBW.
11 Cory Jane (New Zealand) - Eleven was a slot that had few standout contenders. Horacio Agulla was solid but we felt Jane (in fourteen in Auckland) was the next most impressive wing on our list. Made a scything break and was typically efficient in an in-form backline.
10 Dan Carter (New Zealand) - Pushed Kieran Read hard for our man-of-the-match award as he distributed, kicked and organised superbly. One blot on his copybook he will have noted was a poor pass when he had the line at his mercy. Mention for Nicolás Sánchez.
9 Aaron Smith (New Zealand) - Despite a few snipes, Francois Hougaard was impacted by his pack struggling against the Pumas while Nicolas Vergallo had a disciplined and smart game in Mendoza. Nines, of course, love front-foot ball though and Smith lapped that up.
8 Kieran Read (New Zealand) - Our man-of-the-matches over the past weekend were both number eights and unsurprisingly both have been accommodated in our side. Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (see below) was exceptional while Read laid the foundations of New Zealand's impressive 8-9-10 axis. Carries, tackles and skills aplenty from the Cantabrian.
7 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Argentina) - We just couldn't leave out Lobbe. Argentina and Toulon have one of the best number eights in world rugby in their side and it's pleasing that Test rugby is now able to appreciate such a talent on an annual basis. Outstanding.
6 Julio Farías Cabello (Argentina) - Was the Pumas' favoured option at the line-out and did not disappoint there and in all other facets of play in their first home Rugby Championship game. At 33, he must be loving the chance to take on the world's best in his career run-in.
5 Patricio Albacete (Argentina) - It was incredibly tough to leave out Sitaleki Timani, who played his best game for Australia over the weekend. But his hit on Sonny Bill Williams along with a try-saving tackle on Liam Messam were not enough to oust Albacete. A rock.
4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) - One seldom sees a lock topping a country's 'defenders beaten' list but that is what happened for the Springboks. If South Africa's backline wanted to make a point to their coach about their kick-happy game-plan then that statistic says it all.
3 Juan Figallo (Argentina) - We arrive at our all-Puma front-row. Argentina lived up to its long-standing reputation in the tight and Figallo was a big reason for that. RWC 2011's Player of Pool B ticked all his pre-game boxes and threw in what he'll claim as a try assist.
2 Eusebio Guiñazú (Argentina) - Playing against a handful of former Stormers colleagues, Guiñazú stood up very well. Last week's line-out showing was superb while on Saturday just one went awry but it was his carrying that stood out, notably one nimble-footed line break.
1 Rodrigo Roncero (Argentina) - He might look like rugby's last remaining player from the pre-professional era but there was nothing amateur about his performance. 13 tackles from a 20-year-old prop would be impressive but from a veteran of 35, Roncero was immense.

Interesting. i thought the forward battle in Eden Park was significantly more intense. It's probably one of the fastest games of union we've had yet. The all blacks forwards ability to offload was a big part of that, along with the ability of both sides to maintain the pace and skill for 80 minutes. I'd have had more NZ/Aussies in the forwards. Smith at center (I'm a kiwi and even I don't see it).

I think he had his best game in a black shirt bc. Enough to make team of the week I'm not so sure but finally he made real impact off the bench which was pleasing to see. I thought Timani was Australia's best player and he along with AAC made crucial try aving tackles but I'm happy enough to see so many Argentinians there. But really 10 points up 65 minutes gone they should be really annoyed they didn't win.

I agree about Timani. I agree Smith had his best game. But he was only on for 25 minutes. I guess it just reflects that none of the other13's were stellar. I'd have picked Nonu ahead of him, and maybe others.

Yeah it seems a bit cheeky to give a bench player player of the week but I agree as to the motives. No bother though. Conrad Smith is back next round.

wow, almost half team of the week are argentine, very nice performance.

Yeah great to see Argie fan. But do you feel frustrated that Argentina didn't win? Many people were saying Argentina would lose every match and a win against SA (with NZ and Australia still to come) would have been more satisfying when you reminded them of their low expectations for Argentina.

Yes, we have a sense of frustration, because beyond that the tie is historically our best result against South Africa, we do not feel we have "earned" a draw, our feeling is we "lost" a victory.
Regarding the valuation of Argentina, is indeed undervalued, many people confuse the situation experiment for Italy, with Argentina.
But, Argentina is not Italy, I never tire of repeating.

Well a win and some more good performances like last weekend and those comments will soon vanish. I didn't buy the argument that Argentina would lose all their matches. I think they'll struggle away for a few years but at home they'll be competitive right away. I still think they're capable of beating both Australia and NZ at home because to win in Argentina you can't have an off day. Start to put in some good away performances and come the autumn internationals or receiving NH teams at home and you'll be even more difficult to beat.

Too many Argentinians, they weren't that good.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Well a win and some more good performances like last weekend and those comments will soon vanish. I didn't buy the argument that Argentina would lose all their matches. I think they'll struggle away for a few years but at home they'll be competitive right away. I still think they're capable of beating both Australia and NZ at home because to win in Argentina you can't have an off day. Start to put in some good away performances and come the autumn internationals or receiving NH teams at home and you'll be even more difficult to beat.

Well, your opinion is very valid, but I think, being very, very, very optimistic, that is most probable 2 wins over AUS and 2 defeats over NZ. Because I see very difficult a victory over NZ even playing at home.
But my real prognosis is just one victory over AU at home.

Well that seems realistic enough. But I've seen too many scraped wins in Argentina by NZ teams to be as confident as you.

That said, I quite like the idea of beating 17 consecutive test wins so I certainly hope you're right!