Edging it at 10: Jonathan Sexton
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Now that the dust has settled in the northern hemisphere, Planet Rugby looks at the guys who stole the show in week three of the November Tests.
Victories were picked up by France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tonga and Ireland in an entertaining round of international action.
So without further ado, here comes our offering - be sure to send in your own 15-1 team line-ups.
15 Andrea Masi (Italy) - One of the Azzurri's finest during their narrow defeat against Australia, the Wasp was a huge attacking threat - making over 100 metres with the ball in hand. Credit to Simon Zebo, who grabbed his first score for Ireland against the Pumas, and also Israel Dagg.
14 Fetu'u Vainikolo (Tonga) - Straight into the side after scoring a try his country will not forget for a long time. The Connacht wing's burst of pace left Tim Visser flat-footed and ultimately played a part in the sacking of coach Andy Robinson.
13 Conrad Smith (New Zealand) - 'Snake' was at his imperious best in Cardiff, his pass leading to flank Liam Messam's try on another dominant Saturday for the world champion All Blacks.
12 Jonathan Davies (Wales) - A positive note amidst the dross - Davies did his Lions chances no harm despite the heavy defeat against New Zealand, beating a handful of defenders. His effort in midfield when Jamie Roberts hobbled off sees him slot in here.
11 Craig Gilroy (Ireland) - The rise continues. Three tries against Fiji last week and now one on his senior Test debut against Argentina, whispers of the Lions are starting to increase.
10 Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) - A narrow race to this spot with Aaron Cruden and Frederic Michalak, but Johnny Sexton against Argentina looked like the Sexton from Leinster we have come to admire. Great distribution and kicking, plus two tries in an impressive shift.
9 Kahn Fotuali'i (Samoa) - Now seen as arguably the world's best scrum-half, Fotuali'i was always prominent, backing up a strong showing in Wales by constantly threatening France.
8 Duane Vermeulen (South Africa) - Was a colossus for the Boks and one feels that Pierre Spies will have a real task displacing the Stormers number eight when he returns from injury. Vermeulen never shies away from the physical and looks to have cemented his spot.
7 Richie McCaw (New Zealand) - Simply outstanding. 21 tackles to go with streetwise work at the breakdown. He anticipates so much before his opponents and was a cut above his rival sevens over the weekend. One more game to go until he can put his feet up for a bit.
6 Taiasina Tuifua (Samoa) - This positional shift is due to a blend of a lack of blindsides shining and the impressive form of the Samoan. He was superb against Wales the week before and backed that up against France as the islanders came mighty close to winning.
5 Luke Romano (New Zealand) - We almost handed our five jersey to the ever-improving Donnacha Ryan after another big effort from him. But Romano was a carrying machine for the All Blacks and finished his try well in Cardiff. Mention for Samoa's Joe Tekori.
4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) - Has been on the receiving end of a fair share of criticism of late and was once again in the thick of it against England, notably with scrum-half Ben Youngs. However, the physicality of the young lock was a key reason why the Boks won.
3 Census Johnson (Samoa) - Toulouse's star prop was one of the first names down on our teamsheet this week after an all-action performance that was highlighted by his nice chip kick that set up David Lemi's score. Owen Franks earns a mention as does Dan Cole.
2 Richardt Strauss (Ireland) - It was slim pickings in the hooking department this weekend but Strauss edges his cousin as our number two. Got 74 minutes in a strong team effort.
1 Cian Healy (Ireland) - Alex Corbisiero got the better of Jannie du Plessis at scrum-time while Sona Taumalolo put in another Herculean performance. But in Healy, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions arguably have the number one loosehead in the world game right now.
By Ben Coles and Adam Kyriacou
@bencoles_ and @PlanetRugbyAK
Comments
Ripzy007 says...
Did the Wallabies play?
Posted 18:42 26th November 2012
decky100 says...
All you haters from SH who find Healy's praise laughable... PLEASE show me a tribute on youtube of a better prop in the world right now?? I hate the fact that because hes from the Northern hemisphere he 'cant be the best in his position'.. such bullsh*t!
Undeniably the quickest, most athletic prop in the world (see his run vs toulouse) It repeatedly takes at least 2-3 tacklers to bring him down when he's on the carry, he hits harder than any other prop ive seen (see his hits on quade cooper,sonny bill williams and jerome kaino to name but a few) hes more than an apt scrummager and he's always aggressive, never taking a backward step for anyone.
also worth noting was his run (on debut) vs australia where he shrugged off no less than 5 challenges before eventually being brought down..hes a beast!
apologies, rant over.
Posted 18:15 26th November 2012
carpelone says...
DrDeath
I wrote Irish, not Kiwi.
But I apologise for my comment, as pointed out by Ianhimself. I mixed up things here. Playing Argentina is a pretty good test indeed.
Thanks mate (to Ianhimself) and cheers.
Posted 18:08 26th November 2012
nzmaoriboy says...
Ok Team! Would probably not have picked Census (Samoa Conceded 4 scrums)..That is a Props staple. Cant disagree with he Irish players they had a very good match. Pretty hard on Michalak as he is done pretty much everything you could ask of a flyhalf over the last few weeks. If the weekly autumn teams are indicative of the team of the autumn series...I could see it being a quiet average team! Not being critical..it is what it is..
Posted 18:08 26th November 2012
KevRadstock says...
@ leinster_goy
You must have be on the poteen, best in the world!!!!!!
Posted 17:59 26th November 2012
Isograford says...
Kahn Fotuali'i. So finally New Zealand has the best halfback in the World! Pity he's not playing for his birth city and running out for the Blues in Super Rugby. Now we can see why most of New Zealand wanted him picked for the All Blacks a few years ago. Way to go AB Selectors.
Posted 17:58 26th November 2012
jmanngod says...
you are tying to hard to have one from everywhere PR. You should just pick the best. Dagg, Savea, Cruden, Hore all belong as well. (Roberts over Nonu? madness)
Posted 17:54 26th November 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Bokavenger; in that case some England players should be in there as they made the stand out contributions towards the Bok victory.
Posted 17:47 26th November 2012
brands says...
what no Carter? whats up with that??
Posted 17:40 26th November 2012
Jockstrap says...
Good team, I've been saying Healy it's the best LH in the world for the last two years. He's become dominant in the scrum and nobody compared to what he offers in the loose.
Posted 17:15 26th November 2012
BokAvenger says...
How could you omit Nigel Owens? He single handedly kept England in the game against the Boks. If it weren't for him it would've been a Bok blowout
Posted 16:41 26th November 2012
ianhimself says...
Pretty uninformed comment there carpelone.. or are you mixing it up with the week before? This week Ireland played Argentina for world cup ranking points, and a place in tier 2 in the next world cup. Hardly academic. The opposition was the same one that blew Wales away 2 weeks earlier and then ran France quite close the following week.
Otherwise your comments made a lot of sense.
Posted 16:40 26th November 2012
JayStarr says...
JP Pietersen was by far the best 11, thank you very much. Cruden was better than Sexton.
Posted 16:18 26th November 2012
boksmashoffice says...
Ben Coles and Adam Kyriacou are you guys smoking pot or were smoking pot when you wrote this article? Nonsense. next you will be saying SBW is best heavyweight boxer ion the world and QC is the best pound for pound fighter in the world.
Posted 16:05 26th November 2012
bloemboy says...
Seems that the Strauss family own the #2 spot. Etzbeth, McCaw, Vermeulen, Conrad Smith all awesome at present.
The positions that are undisputed for best in the world at present:
15 Dagg
13 Conrad Smith
11 Habana
8 Read
7 McCaw
4 Etzbeth
2 Strauss (while Bizmark is injured)
For the rest of the positions, competition is fierce without being able to definitively say one person shines above all others. (yes yes, you are all going to ask why I left out Carter, but I cannot see that he is currently much better that Michelak. Both are sublime at present)
Posted 15:36 26th November 2012
DrDeath says...
@carpelone,
"Usual rubbish. How can you pick Kiwi players involved in an academic match? Of course they played good rugby, the opposition was non existent."
See what I've done there? I think it highlights the abysmal inanity of your remark.
Ireland v Argentina was a grudge match between six & seven in the world rankings for positions in the RWC draw 2015. As such it was one of the LEAST academic matches of the weekend.
By your logic we should give France no credit for slaughtering the Australians and indeed neither should we for NZ beating Ireland 60-0 in the summer.
t would be a dull world if PR picked the All Blacks 1-15 as their team of the week every week and yet this probably has a sounder foundation in logic than your assertion.
Posted 15:32 26th November 2012
leinster_goy says...
the inclusion of Sexto is a no-brainer. the best fly-half in the NH for the past 3 and a half years (and fast approaching best in the world)
if Drico stays fit and on form, its going to set up a tasty battle with jonathan davies for the Lions 13 jersey
Posted 15:15 26th November 2012
sonsofsamoa says...
@spartacus @jonesy2
I think you're snobby attitude from whatever nation you represent clouds your judgment.. Ask anyone in the forum and they would agree Kahn Fotuali'i is currently the world's best scrum half right now.. (Bar an in form Genia) ..And if you would you suggest is better at controlling a game from the scrumhalf position? Connor Murray? Danny Care? Ben Youngs? Chris Cusiter? Morgan Parra, Nick Phipps? Did you not know that if Fotuali'i did not play for Samoa.. he would have been playing right now for the ABs??
Posted 14:33 26th November 2012
unebrindille says...
Well... apparently, a NH team who has won all its test matches so far in not worth mentionning, not event for 1 of its players... Pretty good team effort, therefore !!!
Posted 13:52 26th November 2012
froggy73 says...
@jonesy2: Fredd Michalak was never picked up by PR despite 3 outstanding displays (I can even say France would have probably lose against Samoa should he have not been on the pitch on Saturday). So your sarcasm about him being the best fly half in disrespectful, like most of your posts on here actually.
Your team has been rubbish most of the time during these 3 tests, just face it and don't cry like a kid.
France have won 3/3 games (2 of them with great manner) and we probably are the least representated in the PR selection. So what ? 3 Samoans and 4 Irish ? We do not give a fuss.
I'd rather have 23 very good players that make a real team than 5 world-class players and 18 with average level. You know wich team(s) I am talking about. Peace.
Posted 13:45 26th November 2012