Monday 5 October 2015 17:15, UK
Our team of the week from the World Cup features Wallaby props, Fijian flyers and a Georgian man of the match.
15. Joaquin Tuculet
The full-back settled Argentina's nerves against Tonga by scoring his side's first try on 20 minutes, running a great support line to receive Ramiro Herrera's offload, and backed that up with a fine all-round performance.
Tuculet made a team-leading 13 carries while also beating four defenders and producing two offloads to keep the Pumas on the front foot.
14. Asaeli Tikoirotuma
It was Tikoirotuma's break that resulted in Fiji's stunning length-of-the-field try against Wales. The 29-year-old left Gethin Jenkins for dead before tearing upfield and passing to fellow wing Timoci Nagusa, with Vereniki Goneva adding the finishing touch.
Tikoirotuma made 115 metres from his 13 carries, beating seven defenders. London Irish will hope for more of the same from the Fijian flier in the coming months.
13. Keith Earls
Ahead of the World Cup there were question marks over the Irish midfield, with Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne taking up duties in the Six Nations.
Earls came into contention in the World Cup warm-ups, playing at 13 and on the wing, and the Munsterman has been superb for the Irish in the tournament.
Joe Schmidt's men did not put out their best performance against Italy, but a try from Earls - which makes him Ireland's most prolific try scorer across all World Cups - was the difference.
Earls scored twice against Romania, and may now have played his way into a starting place in the all-important match against France.
12. Wesley Fofana
Fofana didn't have to do much in order to score France's first try against Canada after just three minutes. The Clermont centre supported a run from Frederic Michalak, and once the fly-half passed him the ball he needed only to drive the legs to score with a defender clinging onto him, but for the rest of the game he was very effective.
He beat five defenders with ball in hand and along with midfield partner Mathieu Bastareaud made the most tackles in the French backline with eight.
The French midfield pairing against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday will be an interesting battle.
11. Julian Savea
Savea's tries were not all vintage, but his first one will be remembered by the Georgian full-back for some time.
Beka Tsiklauri had just scored a try that brought his team level with the All Blacks before a sweeping move sent Savea hurtling for the line. Tsiklauri tried to stop the winger, but as many other full-backs have found, was merely a passenger as Savea crossed the line.
The Hurricanes man was part of a New Zealand team that didn't fire on the night, but the 25-year-old added three tries to his tally as he moved to 35 tries in 38 Tests for the defending champions.
10. Bernard Foley
There were a number of impressive performances from fly-halves this week, such as Nicolas Sanchez and Frederic Michalak, but Foley sits on top of the pile after his outstanding 28-point haul against England.
The fly-half scored two brilliant first-half tries and was faultless from the tee, kicking seven from seven as the Wallabies claimed their biggest ever win over England at Twickenham.
Foley gave the hosts the run-around all night, justifying his selection ahead of Quade Cooper.
9. Fourie du Preez
Fourie du Preez was given the captaincy for the Springboks' vital game against Scotland, and the appointment seemed to have the desired effect for Heyneke Meyer.
The scrum-half not only delivered a pass to each of his wingers that resulted in tries, but set the tempo of the win by handing short balls to forwards running in at first receiver. The Super Rugby winner could also be seen calling the team together during every stoppage, to discuss the next phase of play with the team.
Du Preez is clearly a natural leader within the team, but with Victor Matfield likely to recover in time for the quarter-finals, will Meyer keep Du Preez in charge?
1. Scott Sio
If there were any misgivings about the strength of Australia's scrum, Sio and company put them to bed with a dominant showing against England.
The loosehead was pinged twice in the set piece but the positives far outweigh those negatives, while he also made seven tackles during his 56 minutes on the pitch.
2. Guilhem Guirado
It's not often that the French forwards will score more tries than their expansive backline counterparts, but in their match against Canada, France's driving maul was the order of the day.
The first try from a driving maul was scored by Guilhem Guirado at the back, while he was also instrumental in the Slimani try when he created a gap with his strong driving at the maul.
The hooker performed all of his usual duties expertly, wining all seven of the lineouts he threw in on the night.
3. Sekope Kepu
The Waratahs tighthead caused Joe Marler all sorts of problems in the scrum, leading to the England man's withdrawal after receiving a warning from Romain Poite.
Like front-row partners Scott Sio and Stephen Moore, Kepu also worked hard in the loose, completing seven tackles and making four carries, and it was his sumptuous offload that teed up Bernard Foley for the opening try.
4. Leone Nakarawa
The Glasgow lock excelled in the open, end-to-end thriller at the Millennium Stadium. Nakarawa performed the tasks expected of a second row by winning six lineouts, completing seven tackles and forming part of a steady Fijian scrum.
But it was with ball in hand where he stood out once again, making 49 metres from his 12 carries, beating five defenders and producing no fewer than eight offloads as Fiji went down fighting.
5. Lood de Jager
The second row combination of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield warmed the South African engine room for many years, but it appears the No 4 and 5 Bok jerseys are in good hands.
The future is Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, with the latter particularly impressive against Scotland. The two locks matched each other for carries at St James' Park, with each taking the ball up 13 times, but De Jager made more tackles than any of his team mates, with 16 on the day.
Another man of the match performance from one of the rising stars of South African rugby.
6. Jacques Burger
Namibia's tireless captain was up to his usual antics against Tonga last week. When playing the All Blacks, the Saracens back row treated his body with little regard as he flung himself into every collision with reckless joy.
Against Tonga he was a carbon copy of that performance in defence; he was tied for the most tackles with his flank partner Rohan Kitshoff, with the loose forwards making 13 tackles each.
But the 32-year-old also scored two tries against the Tongans, marshalling his forwards from the back of the maul. The Namibians will miss him once he retires.
7. Mamuka Gorgodze
It's not often that a man of the match award will be given to a player whose team as on the end of a 33-point loss, but such is the influence of the Georgian captain.
The loose forward led from the front as his team matched the All Blacks physically, and forced them into making errors in attack.
Gorgodze contributed across all facets of defence and attack, giving one of the great loose forward displays of the World Cup.
8. David Pocock
England knew the size of the challenge facing them at the breakdown but they had no answer to Pocock, who had a hand in all nine of Australia's turnovers. Each time England get to within scoring range, the No 8 was either putting in big tackles or forcing a jackal turnover.
After being sidelined for almost two years following successive cruciate knee reconstructions, Pocock is making up for lost time and proving to be the best back row in the world.
