The Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies had wins whilst the Rebels lost but who made the Team of the Week?
1. James Slipper
Helped Reds to dominate set pieces. 8 tackles and breakdown work helped build pressure that eventually forced turnovers. Formidable scrum combination with Holmes that may see Wallaby time together.
2. James Hanson
Hanson had a good all-round hooker’s game with solid lineout work and some handy carries.
He also combined well with his Reds’ teammates to dominate the scrum in the in the second half.
3. Greg Holmes
Was having a classic scrum tussle with Toby Smith before the latter succumbed to injury. He then proceeded to dominate Cruz Ah-Nau with some old-school tight head Rugby.
Hope Cheika was watching.
4. Will Skelton
Showed grunt against a big Sharks pack. Strong maul and ruck defence, in first half alone, swung momentum at crucial times. 8 turnovers and three lineout wins finished off a good contribution from the big man.
5. Rob Simmons
Played well at set piece with 6 lineout takes and good drive at the scrum. Gave solid support around the ground and scored an opportunistic try after good team pressure. Starting to get back some Wallaby form.
6. Scott Fardy
Fardy played a dual role—both the solid ruck workhorse and midfield link man—with good effect.
Combined with his 9 tackles, Scott supported a number of attacking runs that led to tries.
7. Liam Gill
Outstanding at breakdown with 9 tackles and 3 turnovers (one leading to a penalty). Constant pestering at the breakdown rattled the Rebels and ultimately turned the game in the 2nd half. Finished off top night with a try. The GAGR MOTW.
8. Ita Vaea
Demonstrated surprising mobility for a man with his body shape. Was ever present in supporting ball retention at the ruck. Had a a strong attacking game with 47 metres for 8 carries and one try from close range.
9. Nic White
Controlled the tempo of the game with quick service, intelligent kicking and some handy runs. Smart play with the quick lineout at 13 minutes and the milked penalty at 51 minutes. Starting to look good for the upcoming test season.
10. Christian Lealiifano
Combined well with Nic White to play a good general’s game, showing balance between passing and effective field kicking. Ran a massive 87 metres with 11 carries, 2 clean breaks and 6 tackles. His try off a Lions’ misread showed admirable anticipation.
11. Joe Tomane
Big running game with 79 metres, 9 carries and 3 clean breaks. Joe’s pace onto the ball helped set up raids into the Lions 22, especially in the first half. Kept pressure on by playing like a loose forward at times. His 71st minute try sealed the win.
12. Samu Kerevi
There were some good carries from the big man and he started to open the game up when the Rebels lost their defence general Ellison.
Had a good night making 10 carries for 66 metres and penetrating the gain line on 3 occasions.
13. Tevita Kuridrani
A solid game from the flying Fijian. He menaced the Lions’ attack with 11 tackles and played a noticeably tighter attacking game with 7 carries for 25 metres. Tevita brushed off two tacklers to score the first try in the 17th minute.
14. Chris Feauai-Sautia
Chris had one of his best games in a Red’s jersey and gave the Rebels’ backs massive headaches with several strong runs and elusive footwork. Capitalised on a 14-man Rebels defence with a nice try out-wide.
15. James O’Connor
James caused havoc at the back for the Rebels with a solid kicking game and dangerous counter attack running. With 109 metres, 12 carries, 2 try assists and 16 points, James had his best game in Queensland colours.
Honourable Mentions
Sefanaia Naivalu – despite his Wallaby ineligibility (at this stage) he played the brightest game of any Wing this round. Scored his first brace at Super Rugby level, including a 90 metre sprint that left everyone in his wake. Only injury robbed Sefa the opportunity to score more tries.
Lachie Turner – scored two great opportunistic tries and seems much happier playing on the wing.
Luke Jones – toiled well in a losing side. Scored an opportunistic try, made possible by a 100, 50 15 metre run from Laurie Weeks.
