Team of the Week

A full plate of European action somehow wasn’t quite enough to fill our team this week, so we’ve reached down into South Africa for a couple selections and even way across to California for one. In general the backs were the standouts with the forwards a little lacking, though the best individual performance of the week likely came from a certain extra large loose forward.

1 – Eric Fry (Vannes) Got his first start for his new club and put in a very respectable effort around the pitch, and perhaps should get bonus points for actually staying on the field as three front rowers were yellow carded during the match. Has made a positive impression in his first few weeks in the Pro D2 and his development in the scrum will be keenly monitored by the Eagles selectors.

2 – Agustín Costa Repetto (Colomiers) Back to his bulldozing best, the veteran returned from a two-month injury layoff and wasted no time blasting his way back into the try zone for the first time this season. Virtually unstoppable from close range, he should play a vital role in the push for promotion to the Top 14.

3 – Leandro Assi (Biarritz) A big effort in the win against Béziers that keeps BOPB within 10 points of a playoff spot. Won the battle in the scrum and when Fijian Adriu Delai skated in for his second try on the hour mark it was the Argentine prop who was right behind in support.

4 – Manuel Carizza (Racing 92) His side were beaten but it wasn’t for lack of effort, Glasgow were just that much better. Carizza still performed well, providing a steady stream of lineout ball and pinching one while maintaining his usual presence in defense.

5 – Nick Civetta (Newcastle) A second-string Falcons side was never going to worry Lyon at home, but there might have been a couple performances that caught Dean Richards’ eye. One good guess could be Civetta, who seems to be growing in confidence with every outing. He has remarkably similar attributes to Carizza – excellent in the lineout and his tackle numbers were the best of any player on the pitch.

6 – Danny Barrett (USA 7s) Instead of trying to squeeze square pegs into round holes we’ve decided to take a different approach with no flankers worthy of consideration. Barrett was barely recognizable with his freshly shaved appearance and perhaps looked a quarter of a step quicker. Two tries in Cape Town and his typical abrasive style make him a reasonable selection on the side of our scrum.

7 – John Moonlight (Canada 7s) Also answering the SOS is Captain Canada himself. Might have been mistaken for a reindeer given the way he has dragged his team around the pitch with willpower alone. Scored one try in the draw against New Zealand and produced a moment of class by handing 18-year-old Josiah Morra his first international try while standing under the posts.

8 – Samu Manoa (Toulon) Back-to-back games at eightman, and you can tell the big man is loving it. A massive game against Scarlets particularly in defense where he made more than 20 tackles and won a couple turnovers. Maybe Toulon have been mistaken playing him in the second row all this time.

9 – Junior Helu (Life West) We could have gone for Agustín Figuerola for his try-scoring cameo, but instead we’ll opt for the California Cup standout who scored two tries to lead Life West to their win over Old Aztecs. Very big for a halfback, he brings a totally different attacking threat to the position. Used more as a midfielder in PRO Rugby, the jury is still out on what his best position is.

10 – Connor Braid (Worcester) It was a good day for Sebastián Poet as he made a winning impression off the bench for Charente, but the spoils must go to Braid this week for his composed performance in the rain at Sixways. Mixed up his play and his tactical kicking kept the Dragons guessing. Very promising start in his return to professional rugby.

11 – Juan Imhoff (Racing 92) Might want to get a couple tackles back but going forwards he was class as usual. Scored the opening try coming all the way to the other side of the pitch, a constant feature of his game. One of the world’s best wingers at the moment.

12 – Thretton Palamo (Bristol) His best game in a Bristol jersey. Tore away for the bonus point try against Pau and rock solid in defense. Unfortunately he may not be able to follow it up this weekend after coming off injured in the final quarter, the extent of which is still to be revealed.

13 – Marcelo Bosch (Saracens) Finished his try well and quick hands put Sean Maitland away for his second as Sale were put to the sword at Allianz Park. Even his dummy lines look sharp these days.

14 – DTH van der Merwe (Scarlets) Like Imhoff, he is in world class attacking form and just delivers game-in, game-out. No tries this time but he tore up the pitch with every touch and never made it easy for the defense. Has been a marvelous addition since he arrived from Glasgow.

15 – Chris Wyles (Saracens) Played on the wing but he couldn’t be left out so we’ll have him at fullback. Showed a bit of toe to chase down Alex Goode’s grubber into the corner. Could the Eagles tempt him out of self-imposed international exile for next year’s World Cup qualifiers?