Team of the Week

It was a full slate of club action in the north and south, but finding Americas standouts this week was somewhat tricky. There were a few obvious picks and others just sliding in. Shall we chalk it up to an off-week? Hopefully more will get an opportunity this weekend and we’ll have a greater number of exceptional candidates to sift through.

1 – Carlos Muzzio (Mont-de-Marsan) Good outing for the Argentine who won the scrum battle and defended capably on the fringes. His team were still winning when he departed for the final quarter.

2 – Agustín Costa Repetto (Colomiers) It was a slow week for hookers and a solid if unspectacular outing from Costa Repetto. The set piece was noticeably weaker when he left the pitch as Biarritz took the result.

3 – Nicolás Mirande (Bourgoin) His first ever start in the Pro D2 was a wildly successful one. Found himself right at home in the middle of a complete dominant Berjallien forward pack who led the way to a 30-point haul by half-time over Dax.

4 – Rodrigo Capó Ortega (Castres) Another fine match for the Teros star. Led his team to a tremendous win over European finalists Racing 92, including a barging run to score an important try in the first half.

5 – Evan Olmstead (Newcastle) A terrific start to his Premiership career continued with an outstanding game for Falcons in the win over Gloucester at Kingsholm. Tremendous work rate around the pitch and a key turnover in his own end contributed to Newcastle’s first away win in nearly two years.

6 – Justin Blanchet (Bedford) Looking bulked up and powerful for the Blues this season. Put his weight about in the tackle and got stuck into the tight-loose though his team somehow managed to come out on the losing end against Doncaster.

7 – Tony Lamborn (Hawke’s Bay) Another outstanding game for the Eagles flanker. Consistently among the top tacklers in the competition, he scored another try and had numerous effective carries in the disappointing loss to Tasman Makos.

8 – Tyler Ardron (Ospreys) If we’re being critical a couple key mistakes tainted an otherwise decent outing. Linked well with the backs and was a presence in the lineout.

9 – Agustín Ormaechea (Mont-de-Marsan) Like Muzzio he was a positive note for the Montois before they capitulated in the final minutes of the match. Distribution and strong character mark him as one of the Pro D2’s premier halfbacks.

10 – A.J. MacGinty (Sale) Spoiled for choice this week with three excellent performances. Benjamin Urdapilleta scored 21 points for Castres in the win over Racing 92, and we’ll hear more about Pato Fernández later. MacGinty just edges the final nomination for his 14 points and strong contributions on both sides of the ball in the exciting draw with Worcester.

11 – Matt Evans (Cornish Pirates) While his attacking play never disappoints, it’s some solid defense that puts him in the team. Desperate tackle on the blazing fast Kristian Phillips saved a try and possibly the match as Pirates kept their unbeaten streak alive against London Welsh.

12 – Juan Pablo Socino (Newcastle) Could afford to tighten up his defensive positioning, but his contributions on attack more than make up for momentary lapses. Proved the fulcrum of the Falcons backline, straightening when needed and passing accurately to keep Gloucester guessing.

13 – Conor Trainor (Vannes) Offload from the deck to centre-partner Kévin Burgaud for a try was a critical moment in the unexpected win over Perpignan. Looks to be enjoying life in France with a lively entrance to the season for the Pro D2 upstarts.

14 – Blaine Scully (Cardiff Blues) Something of a quiet week for wingers with Jeff Hassler performing well though ultimately kept at bay by the Leinster defense. Scully notched a try in the narrow win over Zebre and was fiercely committed in defense.

15 – Patricio Fernández (Clermont) Had to find room for him in the team after an impressive performance at flyhalf that saw him score two tries in a losing cause against Toulon. Continues to improve with each week and is proving very tough to defend with his ability to dart through the line wreaking havoc on would-be tacklers.