Twelve standout players from the Nations Championship
OPINION: The first three rounds of the Nations Championship had it all.
While some players made their Test debuts, others returned to the Test arena after lengthy spells in international wilderness.
Then there were also those who proved that they’re still at the top of their game, and others who will be hoping for redemption when the tournament resumes in the Northern Hemisphere in November.
We look at 12 of the best-performing players from the opening half of the Nations Championship:
1. Damian Willemse (South Africa)
The utility back has been a consistent performer for the Boks.
Against England in Round One, he produced a legendary performance at fullback, the best individual effort in the entire tournament up to this point.
That outing included an otherworldly 70-metre 50-22, complete authority in the air, and a number of brilliant touches on attack.
No one was going to beat that Ellis Park showing, not even the man himself, but he didn’t disappoint against Scotland, creating and scoring the momentum-swinger in brilliant fashion and going on to inject potency off the bench against Wales as he continued his sizzling form.
Damian Willemse on the charge 😤🇿🇦
The Springbok backline is cooking up a feast 🍽️👨🍳
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2. Cam Roigard (New Zealand)
The All Black scrumhalf has been in breathtaking form.
He was a key part of the Hurricanes’ fantastic run to Super Rugby Pacific glory, and he has seamlessly carried that form into the Test arena.
He humiliated Jameson Gibson-Park when it came to a No.9 head-to-head comparison in their round-three meeting with Ireland, and his running game, which has him universally praised, has been at its full devastating effect during the opening half of the tournament.
3. Fraser McReight (Australia)
He was a winner in a losing cause as the Wallabies came agonisingly short against Ireland in the opening round. He was a menace at the rucks and was one of the top performers defensively.
Against the French, he was even better, scoring two tries and winning a couple of turnovers while he was demonic on defence yet again and seemed to be just at the right place at the right time in support without fail.
He was instrumental again when he came off the bench against Italy.
4. Warner Dearns (Japan)
The Brave Blossoms skipper added a try in Japan’s first-ever win in a tier-one tournament when they defeated Italy 27-10 in Tokyo.
While they came short against Ireland and France, he led from the front and was their best forward in both matches with massive metres and post-contact metres, impressive line breaks, and eye-catching gain line success.
5. Isoa Nasilasila (Fiji)
The lock was key in the Fijians’ maul defence against Scotland, while he also proved a constant threat against Wales, eating up metres with ball in hand and putting in big hits on defence.
One of the most consistent performers for the islanders.
6. Joaquín Oviedo (Argentina)
There was lots to criticise in Argentina’s performance against England at the weekend, but the No.8 performance wasn’t one of them.
He put in a Man of the Match effort in Round Two against Wales and followed it up with a fine display at the weekend, producing massive carries and gobbling up metres on attack, while he also added touches of fancy footwork to his performance to beat defenders.
7. Fin Smith (England)
He has been a standout performer for the Roses, producing outstanding efforts in all three tournament Tests.
While there are a good few question marks surrounding England’s game, the flyhalf position isn’t one of them – Smith has made the No.10 jersey his own, and his recent performances in the driving seat has shown immense composure and maturity.
He was a composed presence as things unravelled for England against the Springboks, and his influence was a mainstay throughout the first three rounds of the tournament.
8. Jac Morgan (Wales)
Wales weren’t afforded to do much other than defend in their last game of the Southern Hemisphere leg against the Boks, and the loose forward was at the forefront of that effort at King’s Park.
He made 23 tackles in that match, and against Argentina the week before, he was just as colossal, especially on defence.
He has been exemplary for Wales.
9. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
He scored one of his side’s seven tries against Argentina in a commanding performance, but it was his Ellis Park brilliance that was the cherry on the cake in all his praiseworthy performances in July.
He put his passing game on full display, creating space for his outside backs with his break and offload to Kyle Rowe, which set him up to score the score-equaling try before the break, one of his many fine contributions.
His heroics off the bench against Fiji were just as noteworthy.
10. Jack Conan (Ireland)
He has played more minutes than any other Ireland player, and the only thing that adds even more shine to that titbit is how consistent he has been.
His influence regularly came into play when Ireland needed it most, and with a string of players vying for that back-row position, he has every bit of motivation to keep at it.
11. Matthieu Jalibert (France)
While he featured at 10 and 15, he was devastatingly potent no matter his position on the field.
He made 19 carries against the All Blacks at 10 and 17 against Australia at 15, while he was ever-influential in the driver’s seat of France’s attack, combining flawlessly with Romain Ntamack when it came to the playmaking role.
12. Tommaso Menoncello
The Benetton midfielder has been one of Italy’s best players.
While he missed out on selection for the clash against the Wallabies in Perth, he has been a potent attacking element for the Azzurri, especially in terms of his ball carries.
