A few surprises from some less fancied Tier 2 sides. Here is the team of the week!
1 – Tony Woodcock (New Zealand) A real yeoman’s effort in the tight and the cagey veteran was rewarded with a try.
2 – Richardt Strauss (Ireland) Another front row try scorer to go with a fine effort against the Puma scrum.
3 – Census Johnston (Samoa) Will long be remembered for that grubber. Superb performance left his team ahead after his 50 minutes.
4 – Donnacha Ryan (Ireland) Half of an excellent Irish boiler house. Got through loads of work in the tight and his deft pass led to a try.
5 – Geoff Parling (England) Arguably his finest match in an England shirt. Always moving forwards, chief lineout target, and a tireless workrate.
6 – Tyler Ardron (Canada) The best player on the pitch at Iffley Road. An excellent all round performance that will catch the eye of the scouts.
7 – Richie McCaw (New Zealand) Almost seems unfair to give it to him, such is his dominance in the position. A consummate benchmark.
8 – Viliame Ma’afu (Tonga) Just edges his fellow Pacific cousin Taiasina Tu’ifua. Hard, straight running and seamless link play set the platform for victory.
9 – Edoardo Gori (Italy) Probably his best game for Italy. Quick to the breakdown, hardly put a foot wrong and his snipes kept his side on the front foot.
10 – Jonathan Sexton (Ireland) Aside from having a disagreement with the posts, a complete performance from the Irish maestro.
11 – Julian Savea (New Zealand) For once he didn’t cross the line and yet it was his most impressive outing to date in the black jersey.
12 – Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand) Running, passing, kicking his way to victory. His talent belies his physicality.
13 – Jonathan Davies (Wales) A rare light shining in a red sea of mediocrity. A nailed-on Lions tourist, Wales look toothless without him.
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ireland) Defended well and scored two tries in a solid performance. Starting to get back to his best.
15 – Andrea Masi (Italy) Almost single-handedly kept his side in the game until the rest woke up in the second half. His choice to kick aside, a sterling effort.
