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Super Rugby Round 15: Aussie team of the week

26th May, 2014
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Are the Waratahs thinking too much? (Photo: Waratahs)
Roar Guru
26th May, 2014
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1035 Reads

As a Brumbies supporter it was a deeply disappointing weekend of rugby. However, Waratahs fans must be happy after what I thought was a fantastic display, with all players really living up to their potential.

It’s no surprise that Force and Waratah players dominate the team of the week.

1. Pek Cowan
Referee Steve Walsh had some issues with Pek early but he seemed to adjust and the Force scrum seemed pretty solid.

2. Nathan Charles
Stephen Moore was down on form for once. Pat Leafa had a shocker for the Rebels. Tatafu Polota-Nau was very wayward with his throwing again which left us with the always good Nathan Charles.

3. Kieran Longbottom
Kieran completes the all-Force front row. He was very good in the scrum but also across the park.

4. Sam Wykes
None of the locks really impressed me this week. I actually looked through the fives to see if I could cheat, orr pick a reserve like Will Skelton who I thought went well when he came on but not quite enough to beat out a starter. Sam stood out to me more than the other loosehead locks this week.

5. Luke Jones
The best of the Aussie locks on the weekend. Not his best game but still very good and got through 17 tackles which is nothing to be sneezed at.

6. Angus Cottrell
Also not his best game but still very good. He made 14 carries and didn’t miss a tackle. Narrowly fends off Dave Dennis, Colby Fainga’a and Scott Fardy.

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7. Matt Hodgson
Michael Hooper played very well. He had 11 carries for 58 metres including one try and a decent amount of tackles. But I thought Matt Hodgson was better and the stats say the same: 16 carries, less metres but two tries and more tackles.

I wrote the other day that I wonder if McKenzie is tempted to try the two fetchers model again because both Hooper and Hodgson are having very, very good seasons.

8. Wycliff Palu
Wycliff gave himself a nudge this weekend for the number 8 spot. Ben McCalman was good and in losing teams both Ben Mowen and the much maligned Scott Higginbotham were also solid. However, Palu did enough and scrapes into the side.

9. Nick Phipps
Nothing brilliant but a good solid display from Nick.

10. Bernard Foley
Bernard Foley was awesome from the outset. Really pushed the tempo while still running straight and hard. Surely put to rest anyone doubting he should be in the Wallabies squad and staked a bit of a claim for the starting side.

11. Rob Horne
Another whose inclusion in the Wallaby squad was inexplicably questioned over the past week. He is one of the most in-form Australian players and proved it again on the weekend.

We remember the breaks he makes, but he also made a cracking tackle in the midfield on the Rebels’ first real foray into Waratah territory and ripped the ball loose.

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What he was doing defending there, I don’t know – showing his centre roots I guess – but he seems to be everywhere. I heard a stat that he hasn’t missed a tackle all season – and he has made a few! I don’t know if I can believe that but fine effort nonetheless.

Nick Cummins ran more metres than any winger with 149, but I’m deducting marks for the worst kick ever in Super Rugby on the 77-minute mark. Admittedly he was put under a lot of pressure and inside his own goal, but it was a poor effort.

12. Kurtley Beale
Still stealing space of his outside players a bit but I think I can see him desperately trying to curb this tendency. For the most part he succeeded on the weekend and credit to him.

Mitch Inman I still like very much. In the first few minutes of the match against the Waratahs he put a stop on Israel Folau like I have never seen anyone do to date.

Honorable mention to Luke Burton who I think looked pretty good in his debut.

13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
Some good, tough competition for this spot for once. Chris Tuatara-Morrison I thought was fantastic for the Force with a lot of involvement in attack and bagging himself a good strong try. Kuridrani looked a bit better and also bagged himself a try. Tom English didn’t do too badly in what is surely a fairly new role for him.

Adam Ashley-Cooper takes the honours again though with 11 carries for 45 metres and also one try.

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14. Dane Haylett-Petty
The second time I’ve awarded this to Dane. I was much chastised the first time and expect to be so again. Henry Speight for the Brumbies had some sensational touches and was one of the few bright lights in a losing team.

Henry made more metres off fewer runs but there were a couple of sensational runs and he bagged a try for his efforts.

I have to give it instead to Dane who ran fewer metres but had 16 carries compared to 6 from Speight and you have to give credit to the guy for getting himself involved.

Telusa Veainu for the Rebels was also good , running 108 metres and bagging a try.

15. Israel Folau
Retains his stranglehold on this spot. No challengers again this week.

So there you have it. The side is basically made up of the Force forwards plus the Waratahs backs, with a couple of others thrown in.

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