Team of the week: All Blacks and Pumas dominate
Monday 29 August 2016 15:35, UK
Argentina's heroics to beat the Boks in Salta sees a host of their players join All Black stars in our team of the week.
15. Joaquín Tuculet (Argentina)
Tuculet finished off a superb Argentina try which started in their own 22. The full-back was involved in most of Argentina's attacking play and kept the Bok defence guessing with his passing and kicking game. He just edges out Ben Smith who had another fantastic game for the All Blacks.
14. Israel Dagg (New Zealand)
Nehe Milner-Skudder may have been New Zealand's hottest commodity at last year's World Cup, but rugby in the country is in such good health that he will have his work cut out making it back into the All Black team. Two well-taken tries show that Dagg is back to his impressive best on the wing.
13. Malakai Fekitoa (New Zealand)
Fekitoa gets through a lot of work in 80 minutes and was particularly strong in defence against some big running Wallabies - his six hits on Australian ball-carriers was the most of any back in his team. The midfielder was also tied-second for All Black carries with ten on the day.
12. Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina)
Hernandez had a major influence on the match in Salta and took control of the Pumas' kicking game with good measure when Nicolas Sanchez left the field injured. The No 12 provided a lovely cross-field kick for Juan Manuel Leguizamón's try to hand Argentina the lead early in the second half.
11. Santiago Cordero (Argentina)
He played in the No 14 jersey on Saturday but we have switched him to the left wing in order to accommodate him alongside Dagg. The Pumas winger carried strongly for the home side on Saturday and always got over the advantage line. He beat three defenders on his way to making the most distance of any Pumas ball carrier, with 63 metres made.
10. Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias (Argentina)
Beauden Barrett and Nicolas Sanchez were certainly in the mix here but we had to go for the Pumas replacement who stepped up and slotted the winning penalty for Argentina. It was his quickly-taken 22 drop out that also got the Pumas well up the field, forcing the Boks to scramble back and concede the penalty in trying to slow the ball down.
9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand)
Argentina's Martin Landajo pushed Smith all the way this week but Smith just gets the nod after having a massive impact in Wellington. The Highlanders half-back put Australia under pressure with his speed at the breakdown area, and he ran well with the ball too.
1. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro (Argentina)
Steven Kitshoff deserves a mention here for his impact off the bench for South Africa but Chaparro takes his place in the team of the week after withstanding some intense pressure from the Boks up front as they tried to muscle their way back into the game.
2. Dane Coles (New Zealand)
Most international sides would love to have Coles playing for them at centre. A wonderful player to watch with ball in hand and seems to always create the gap to break free. His skills in the loose don't detract from his set-piece responsibilities either. A class act.
3. Ramiro Herrera (Argentina)
Much like his prop partner, Herrera had to deal with a lot of pressure from the Springbok tight five in Salta. He was up against Beast Mtawarira first, then Kitshoff, and both of the South African looseheads were fired up for the encounter. Herrera also made five tackles and five carries to help his side.
4. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
The Stormers second rower had a telling impact when he came on as a replacement for South Africa. He helped the Boks get right back into the game with some strong carries and excellent work at the lineout. The 24-year-old also contributed a try to his side's cause.
5. Sam Whitelock (New Zealand)
Australia hooker Stephen Moore will have nightmares of Whitelock, who created havoc on every Wallaby throw-in. The Crusaders man was his usual rampaging self with ball in hand and put in some monster tackles - Israel Folau may have a few nightmares too!
6. Jerome Kaino (New Zealand)
While New Zealand's young-guns continue to impress, one of their 'older' generals is still at it. At 33-years-old, Kaino is a vital cog in the All Blacks machine and once again made a big impact against Australia. The flanker made the most metres of any All Blacks individual and put in the most tackles.
7. Juan Manuel Leguizamón (Argentina)
Sam Cane is unlucky to miss out after his man-of-the-match performance but the efforts and passion of Leguizamón were tough to ignore. The fetcher jumped above Bryan Habana to score a crucial try in Salta but it was his dogged work at the breakdown and in defence that gets him into the team.
8. Facundo Isa (Argentina)
What a player Isa is - 15 carries and four defenders beaten on Saturday. The No 8 was huge in defence; his tackle on Du Toit to win the turnover halted the Boks' last-minute momentum, denying Allister Coetzee's men any chance of stealing the game.
