This RWC team looks All Black

It is probably not a surprise, considering the quality of their performance, but New Zealand dominate our RWC Team of the Week selection this week.

Not only do they have five players in our starting XV, but there are another four in our ‘bubbling under’ selection.

Apart from New Zealand’s five, the other teams with more than one member in the starting XV are Australia, England and South Africa (two each). Argentina, Italy, Ireland and Scotland make up the numbers.

The four Kiwis in our bubbling under team are joined by two each from Argentina, England, Ireland, Scotland and South Africa, with a lone Samoan making up the numbers.

Only one player is back from last week – Ireland openside flank Sean O’Brien.

Team of the Week – Part Three: 

15 – Israel Dagg (New Zealand):
A fantastic performance which justified his selection ahead of Mils Muliaina. Devastating from broken play and showed his considerable finishing skills by skipping past a few defenders for his second try.
Bubbling under: Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino (Argentina)

14 – Adam Ashley-Cooper (Australia):
It was not just that he scored a hat-trick, which required some great finishing, but his selfless work in the first half was just as impressive.
Bubbling under: Chris Ashton (England)

13 – Manu Tuilagi (England):
His teammates regard him as a “freak” and, even given the quality of the opposition, it was a pretty special performance.
Bubbling under: Keith Earls (Ireland)

12 – Felipe Contepomi (Argentina):
Given the importance of the game and the significance of the result, his contribution far outshines the more flashy performances of some other midfielders. And we simply can’t ignore the importance of that calmly-struck match-winning conversion.
Bubbling under: Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand)

11 – Mark Cueto (England):
A hat-trick inside half-an-hour and some strong work around the park.
Bubbling under: Richard Kahui (New Zealand)

10 – Dan Carter (New Zealand):
He has always been a man for the big moments… BMT they call it.
Bubbling under: Jonny Wilkinson (England)

9 – Francois Hougaard (South Africa):
He may have ended the game on the wing, but started in the No.9 jersey – which is where we considered him. He is pure class.
Bubbling under: Piri Weepu (New Zealand)

8 – Sergio Parisse (Italy):
Had a big game, as you come to expect from the captain – great off-loads, strong runs, a line break and even a line-out steal.
Bubbling under: George Stowers (Samoa)

7 – Sean O’Brien (Ireland):
Strong on his feet with an exceptionally high work-rate at the breakdown and was the best player on the field.
Bubbling under: Schalk Burger (South Africa)

6 – Jerome Kaino (New Zealand):
Made his considerable physical presence felt when it mattered most. Carried the ball up with his usual ferocity and made plenty of telling tackles, driving the French back and halting their momentum.
Bubbling under: Ally Strokosch (Scotland)

5 – Nathan Sharpe (Australia):
It was obvious that he was hungry to make an impression and remind Robbie Deans that he is worth a starting spot. Superb on line-out ball, and carried the ball up with purpose. Looked for work and showed plenty of intensity and ferocity.
Bubbling under: Danie Rossouw (South Africa)

4 – Richie Gray (Scotland):
The Scots’ most effective forward. He had plenty of carries and a couple of crucial line-out steals and was crucial to the Scottish forwards’ cause.
Bubbling under: Brad Thorn (New Zealand)

3 – Owen Franks (New Zealand):
A good day at the office started with some fantastic scrumming and continued in other aspects of the game. He got around the park and put in his fair share of hard work at the breakdown.
Bubbling under: Juan Figallo (Argentina)

2 – Keven Mealamu (New Zealand):
Just shaded the battle of the veterans (in our selection meeting that is). Determined performance – tackled hard and took the game to the opposition with the ball in hand.
Bubbling under : John Smit (South Africa)

1 – Gurthrö Steenkamp (South Africa):
Dominated Namibia in the scrums. He easily got a left shoulder in the set-pieces and destroyed Marius Visser. Had a big tackle count as well.
Bubbling under: Cian Healy (Ireland)

Our individual selections!

Tim Hancox XV:  15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper (Australia), 13 Manu Tuilagi (England), 12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), 11 Andrew Trimble (Ireland), 10 Jonny Wilkinson (England), 9 Francois Hougaard (South Africa), 8 George Stowers (Samoa), 7 Schalk Burger (South Africa), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Australia), 4 Richie Gray (Scotland), 3 Owen Franks (New Zealand), 2 John Smit (South Africa), 1 Martin Scelzo (Argentina).

Paul Dobson XV:  15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Chris Ashton (England), 13 Keith Earls (Ireland), 12 Felipe Contepomi (Argentina), 11 Mark Cueto (England), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Piri Weepu (New Zealand), 8 Sergio Parisse (Italy), 7 Michael Leitch (Japan), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Danie Rossouw (South Africa), 4 Richie Gray (Scotland), 3 Census Johnston (Samoa), 2 Steve Thompson (England), 1 Cian Healy (Ireland).

Howard Kahn XV: 15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Chris Ashton (England), 13 Manu Tuilagi (England), 12 Felipe Contepomi (Argentina), 11 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Francois Hougaard (South Africa), 8 Victor Gresev (Russia), 7 Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Australia), 4 Richie Gray (Scotland), 3 Owen Franks (New Zealand), 2 Keven Mealamu (New Zealand), 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp (South Africa).

Len Kaplan XV: 15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper (Australia), 13 Jaque Fourie (South Africa), 12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), 11 Mark Cueto (England), 10 Daniel Carter (New Zealand), 9 Francois Hougaard (South Africa), 8 George Stowers (Samoa), 7 Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Australia), 4 Danie Rossouw (South Africa), 3 Tony Buckley (Ireland), 2 Mario Ledesma (Argentina), 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp (South Africa).

Michael de Vries XV: 15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper (Australia), 13 Keith Earls (Ireland), 12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), 11 Mark Cueto (England), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Ben Youngs (England), 8 Sergio Parisse (Italy), 7 Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Australia), 4 Brad Thorn (New Zealand), 3 Ben Franks (New Zealand), 2 John Smit (South Africa), 1 Rodrigo Roncero (Argentina).

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino (Argentina), 14 Max Evans (Scotland), 13 Marcelo Bosch (Argentina), 12 Felipe Contepomi (Argentina), 11 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 10 Dan Carter (New Zealand), 9 Kahn Fotuali’i (Samoa), 8 Sergio Parisse (Italy), 7 Ally Strokosch (Scotland), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Australia), 4 Richie Gray (Scotland), 3 Juan Figallo (Argentina), 2 Keven Mealamu (New Zealand), 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp (South Africa).

Previous selections:

Team of the Week – Part Two:  15 Lucas González Amorosino (Argentina), 14 Shane Williams (Wales), 13 Jaque Fourie (South Africa), 12 Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), 11 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 10 Santiago Fernández (Argentina), 9 Morgan Parra (France), 8 Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), 7 Sean O’Brien (Ireland), 6 Heinrich Brüssow (South Africa), 5 Paul O’Connell (Ireland), 4 Danie Rossouw (South Africa), 3 Mike Ross (Ireland), 2 Mahonri Schwalger (Samoa), 1 Cian Healy (Ireland).

Team of the Week – Part One: 15 Kurtley Beale (Australia), 14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 13 Aurelien Rougerie (France), 12 Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand), 11 Digby Ioane (Australia), 10 James Arlidge (Japan), 9 Ben Youngs (England), 8 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 James Horwill (Australia), 4 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji), 3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), 1 Alisona Taumalolo (Tonga).