Monday 20 August 2018 11:59, UK
There were wins for the All Blacks and the Boks in the Rugby Championship's opening round, but which players stood out?
The Kiwis were 38-13 winners over Australia in Sydney, while South Africa fought back from a half-time deficit to come away with a 34-21 victory over Argentina.
Here are the players who starred in each position in the first weekend of the southern hemisphere competition...
15. Ben Smith (New Zealand)
While Willie le Roux was impressive against Argentina - his crossfield kick for Aphiwe Dyanti's first try was absolutely pinpoint - Ben Smith was the best full-back on show over the weekend.
The Highlanders man made more clean breaks than anyone else on the field in Sydney, and beat five defenders from his 15 carries.
14. Waisake Naholo (New Zealand)
New Zealand have always been blessed with wingers, and on Saturday Waisake Naholo showed the level required to keep your place in the team if you are wearing No 11 or 14.
The 27-year old scored twice against the Wallabies, extending his Test return to 14 tries from 20 New Zealand appearances, but the most impressive stat from his run-out in Sydney was the fact that in 17 carries he made 126 metres and beat 13 defenders. If he were able to perfect the Dele Alli try celebration, he would be the complete player.
13. Jack Goodhue (New Zealand)
Jack Goodhue's debut for the All Blacks only came against France in Dunedin during the June series, but on Saturday he showed he has what it takes to make the No 13 jersey his own.
The Crusaders centre's second game in black brought about his first international try, but his contribution was far bigger than the five points on the board - he showed an impressive ability to read the Wallabies' play, ensuring the hosts' outside backs were unable to get the ball in space.
12. Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand)
It was an unfortunate collision with Goodhue that ended Ryan Crotty's night, with Anton Lienert-Brown replacing Crotty in the 13th minute.
The Chiefs centre mirrored Goodhue's work in defence; Goodhue's 11 tackles and Lienert-Brown's 10 were the best out of the New Zealand's backs by quite some distance - the next best was Beauden Barrett with six. We may well see the same centre pairing who finished Sydney's game take the field in Auckland this weekend.
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi (South Africa)
Aphiwe Dyantyi could comfortably have crossed for a hat-trick against Argentina if not for his selfless pass to Makazole Mapimpi right in front of the tryline.
Still, the Lions winger's two tries either side of half-time showcased his raw pace as well as his positional awareness. Dyantyi will no doubt add to his four Test caps, and in doing so will certainly build on his tally of three international tries. Argentina's Ramiro Moyano was very unlucky to miss out on a place in our team of the week after a good individual performance in Durban.
10. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)
Four out of seven kicks at goal is familiar territory for Barrett, but equally familiar is the sight of him racing clear to score for the All Blacks. On Saturday he latched onto a loose ball after a Dane Haylett-Petty knock-on and grubbered it all the way to the line for an easy score.
His kick for Naholo's first try was incredibly accurate, reducing his team-mate's workload to the simple act of diving on the ball. There was talk of Barrett being under pressure due to the form of Richie Mo'unga, but in Sydney he showed he is still the best fly-half on offer to Steve Hansen.
9. Faf de Klerk (South Africa)
Faf de Klerk is proving invaluable to his side. It's rare to see a Springbok team play a high-tempo style, but it's being led by the Sale half-back, and although the Boks have a way to go before they can say they are playing an all-court game, De Klerk is certainly giving his side a fresh edge.
The 26-year-old's kick over the top for Dyantyi's second try was particularly good - if the Boks are to challenge for honours in this year's Rugby Championship they will need De Klerk firing every week.
1. Tendai Mtawarira (South Africa)
The Beast was part of a Bok scrum that were on top of the Pumas despite the visitors bringing in Saracens' Juan Figallo at tighthead.
Mtawarira also carried the ball 13 times in his home city, putting him second overall for South Africa after Eben Etzebeth with 14.
2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
This was a difficult selection for all the wrong reasons as none of the hookers had a particularly good day at the office when it came to the primary role of throwing the ball into the lineout. Codie Taylor failed to find a jumper twice, Agustin Creevy three times, Malcolm Marx three times, and an incredible eight lineouts were lost between Wallaby hookers Tatafu Polota-Nau and Silatolu Latu.
In the end, it came down to contributions elsewhere, and while Creevy carried well at Kings Park, ultimately Marx's five defensive turnovers, as well as his work at the scrum, get him into the team.
3. Owen Franks (New Zealand)
While New Zealand may have been a bit fortunate in some of the penalty decisions that went their way on Saturday, overall they were dominant up front and for that reason Owen Franks is in the No 3 jersey in our team of the week.
Frans Malherbe could have been included, but his side's scrum was not in command to the same degree as the Kiwis.
4. Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)
Brodie Retallick must have seen that Sean Fitzpatrick picked him in his all-time New Zealand Rugby Championship team, and the 27-year old responded with a strong performance to thank Fitzy for the shout-out.
Retallick stole three lineouts, stole the ball twice at the breakdown, and threw a sensational dummy to score a try from a distance that Retallick will increase every time he tells the story.
5. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
Sam Whitelock was even more menacing than Retallick when it came to the Australian lineout, nabbing four throws from the opposition hookers, and was handful overall in his 100th Test for the All Blacks.
However, Eben Etzebeth moves into the No 5 jersey after a high-impact return to rugby following a lengthy injury lay-off. The Stormers lock won eight lineouts - one from an Argentina throw - and carried the ball 14 times for 48 metres, which was second only to Makazole Mapimpi in terms of territory gained by a South African at Kings Park.
6. Pablo Matera (Argentina)
At one point Argentina led the Boks 12-5 in Durban, and it was a try from Pablo Matera that took them out to that seven-point advantage; Matera went over after getting a pass from Moyano who nabbed a loose ball from the back of a South African ruck.
It was probably the easiest bit of play Matera had all day, as he spent the rest of the afternoon battling South Africa's influential captain Siya Kolisi in the rucks and mauls, but he showed he was up to the task.
7. Marcos Kremer (Argentina)
If Matera did the unsung work for the Pumas, Marcos Kremer did all the other work. The No 7 carried the ball 12 times, second only to Emiliano Boffelli for an Argentina player on the day.
He also made the most tackles out of his team-mates, putting in 14 hits on Springbok ball carriers. A thankless effort from a player on the losing side.
8. David Pocock (Australia)
David Pocock is a true menace at the breakdown, and proved to be exactly that in Sydney as he turned the ball over four times, which kept Australia in the game before the All Blacks let loose.
Pocock also made 17 tackles, second only to Pieter-Steph du Toit in the opening round of the Rugby Championship.
