Super Rugby Round 3: Aussie team of the week

Seems there were a few controversial picks in my team of the week last round – I’m not setting out to be controversial, honest!

But with this sort of article I can guarantee there will be choices that are unpopular with some and there is no team everyone will agree with.

So without further ado, my Australian team of the week for Round 3 is as follows.

1. Toby Smith
While none of the props had bad games, I was really impressed with Toby Smith.

Benn Robinson had three times as many tackles as the rest (six versus two) but Smith seemed to be in everything, had four runs, beat one defender and made 17 metres (compared to zero for Robinson).

While a running game isn’t the No. 1 criteria for a No. 1, Smith gets the nod because that topped off an all-round performance.

2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
The Rebels hooker Pat Leafa put in a show for hooker of the week with 11 carries for 16 metres, while Stephen Moore was also up there with eight carries and four tackles.

But Polota-Nau gets the nod for the second week in a row with six carries and seven tackles. Probably the main reason was the quality of his tackles – you notice when he chops big men down, and he did it without concussing himself this week which is good.

3. Greg Holmes
This might be a bit of a ‘make-up call’ because Holmes was unlucky to miss out last weekend.

Scrummaging is obviously the key criteria here but I feel that once again none of the tight-heads really stood out. Ben Alexander had five carries, one more than Holmes, but the stats tell me he also missed four tackles, twice as much as the next man.

Against a weak Force offence, that’s not too good.

4. Hugh Pyle
Rob Simmons topped the tackle count in this position and Scott Fardy had a much better game than last week so I found this position tough to call again this week for all the right reasons.

Hugh Pyle just seemed everywhere to me on the night and the stats back this up – 12 runs for 43 metres, one defender beaten, and a clean break and six tackles to top it off.

If I was including 5s to contend for this spot, I might have been tempted to include even more in contention – it was a great week for Aussie second rowers.

5. Sam Carter
I’ll probably get castigated for leaving James Horwill out again but for me the standouts here were Luke Jones and Sam Carter.

Luke Jones seemed to leap out of that pigeonhole called ‘promising’, with 10 runs for 44 metres topped off by seven passes (way more than any other lock) and five tackles.

But although Carter didn’t have quite the running game (8 runs for 23 metres), he made a massive 13 tackles.

6. Sean McMahon
Where did this kid come from? I’m not sure I need to justify this decision too much.

The competition was Stephen Hoiles, Ed Quirk, Chris Alcock and Ben Mowen. All but Quirk had decent games, but welcome to the show Mr McMahon!

7. Michael Hooper
Another easy choice, this one, with eight runs for 26 metres and five turnovers won. Hodgson tackled his heart out. Pocock and Gill both had decent games, but give Mr Hooper the captaincy again – it seemed to agree with him.

8. Scott Higgenbotham
Another easy one that I’m sure doesn’t need too much explanation.

Just to give you some stats though: 12 runs for 63 metres including one try plus 12 passes, one try assist, and two turnovers won. Probably the performance of the round.

9. Luke Burgess
This was a tough decision, as Nic White also had a very good game and I’m happy he bounced back from the shocker of last week.

He was probably the technically better halfback on the weekend and we saw the return of his great kicking game.

In contrast to the other halfbacks who each ran only a couple of times, Burgess ran 15 times for 59 metres. That’s typical Burgess – his failure has never been his running game.

But I thought his passing on the weekend was pretty reasonable too. He still doesn’t have as long or flat a pass as the others, but it didn’t seem to matter to the Rebels.

I’m not a Nick Phipps fan but he also played well on the weekend. Will Genia was solid but just isn’t playing like he did a couple of years ago.

10. Bernard Foley
Matt Toomua was a tackling machine on the weekend. Not only does he pull off some big hits but he tackles a lot. But in terms of other aspects of his game, he was okay without being sensational.

In contrast to Toomua’s 11 tackles, Quade Cooper made two (and missed one). He had a fair game in terms of attack but I thought Foley was better. Foley had the same number of carries as Cooper (six) but made 55 metres versus 32 and beat four defenders as opposed to two.

He has the ability to maintain a cool head while playing up-tempo rugby which is really needed at the Tahs, and I hope he continues to get the nod over Kurtley Beale.

11. Tom English
A tough one this. Nick Cummins was one of the better players for the Force, Robbie Coleman had some good runs including one try, while Peter Betham also bagged a try.

But English made three times as many metres as the next-best left wing. He dropped the pill a few times and made a few errors, but you can’t fault that level of involvement.

12. Kurtley Beale
A few guys made it on here that I picked last week, but Beale is my choice at No. 12 for the second week in a row.

Kyle Godwin, Pat McCabe and Mitch Inman all had good games but Beale does have that (as much as I hate the term) X-factor. He set up two tries and scored one himself.

Assuming everyone stays healthy and form continue as it has, the selection of No. 12 for the Wallabies is going to be a very interesting decision.

Toomua is the incumbent and a great foil for Cooper with his hard tackling and straight running, but he isn’t playing at inside centre and Beale is knocking them out of the park.

On the other hand Beale and Cooper playing alongside each other? Exciting in attack, but in defence…

13. Tevita Kuridrani
Real two-way tussle this between last week’s choice of Adam Ashley-Cooper and Tevita Kuridrani. Tamati Ellison also had a good game but I think I’ll limit this to players eligible for the Wallabies this year.

Although the stats say Kuridrani only made five passes compared to Ashley-Cooper’s four, Kuridrani just gets the nod.

There always seems to be one instance in every game where Ashley-Cooper could have passed but didn’t, instead letting a promising backline movement die. Even so, neck and neck between these two, so a toss of the coin in this one.

14. Henry Speight
Another strong game from Lachie Turner, including a try, but Speight made more metres, beat more defenders and just looks so dangerous even with only a couple of feet of space to work in down the touchline.

15. Israel Folau
All of the fullbacks had good games on the weekend. Two in particular I’ll mention are Jason Woodward, who had more runs and made more metres than all the rest, and Jesse Mogg who, although he didn’t set the world on fire (and got sin-binned!), bounced back from a shocker last week.

What can you say about Folau, though? As good as Woodward was, Izzy’s two tries and sheer presence on the field are going to make it very, very hard for anyone else to get a look-in in this position.

I wonder if, like Mogg last year, some of the others like Woodward or Aidan Toua aren’t more likely to make the Wallabies as utilities or wingers than fullbacks.

So there you have it. I feel it’s not as controversial as last week, but how did I do?