Team of the Week

A full plate of European action saw lots Americas players impress, and a few performances from Brazil’s test against Colombia were also noteworthy.

1 – Marcos Ayerza (Leicester) No surprise that the Pumas stalwart is a staple in this weekly selection. Another quality performance against Munster that even included a rare line break.

2 – Agustín Costa Repetto (Tarbes) Soldiered through a full match at the coalface. Unfortunate that his props couldn’t hold the scrum in the dying minutes to secure the win.

3 – Juan Figallo (Saracens) Amazing to think he was nearly forced to retire with a neck injury. Enjoyed his first European start in three years as Sarries smashed Oyonnax.

4 – Samu Manoa (Toulon) Just keeps on rolling. Has cemented himself in Europe’s premier side.

5 – Mariano Galarza (Gloucester) Soared in the lineout during his first start since returning from his World Cup suspension. A real loss to the Pumas if their new policy sticks.

6 – Jebb Sinclair (London Irish) Played in the second row but played like an extra flanker. Helped the Exiles rebound from a bad loss with their biggest win of the season over Edinburgh.

7 – Martín Chiappesoni (Dax) Strong game for nearly an hour against league leaders Lyon. Has proved a very good signing for Jérôme Daret’s outfit.

8 – Sergio Parisse (Stade Français) Got his pink Parisians back on track as they finally expressed themselves against Treviso. One of seven of his teammates to score a try.

9 – Beukes Cremer (Brazil) Fine game for the Tupis, scoring a try and directing play very well against Los Tucanes. Will be a key figure for his country in the upcoming ARC.

10 – Ignacio Mieres (Dax) Followed up a great performance with another good one, this time at his preferred out-half position. Three penalties and one conversion, he kept his 14th ranked club in the game against the league leaders.

11 – Juan Imhoff (Racing 92) Scorching game against Northampton. Repeatedly popped up in the midfield and ended with a try from a picture perfect counter-attack.

12 – Javier Rojas (Albi) Effective as a second distributor and strong in defense, he added a penalty against Béziers on a cold evening in Albi.

13 – Felipe Sancery (Brazil) Another Albi player, but one much further south. The only professional player on the Tupis showed his class with two well-taken tries.

14 – Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz) No tries but his huge line break handed one to Rod Davies, and great cover defense saved a certain score just after the break.

15 – Chris Wyles (Saracens) Lined up on the wing but his top class performance was worthy of inclusion once again. Soft hands put Alex Goode away, and great support lines earned him a try up the middle just before the half.