Rugby Championship 2014: Round 4 Team of the Week

15. Israel Dagg (New Zealand)
Was more involved in the game than his fly-half, which is really saying something. Made a huge amount of metres with the ball in hand and was busy in defence too, turning the ball over on a couple of occasions.

14. Cornal Hendricks (South Africa)
Hendricks’ superb form in relatively few games at the very top level has been a revelation. Another try at the weekend, and how brilliantly it was taken, too.

13. Conrad Smith (New Zealand)
Was busy in attack, carrying the ball on 13 occasions and beating four men in the process. Also did well in mentoring the other Smith on the park when he was forced to move into the centres to join him.

12. Ben Smith (New Zealand)
This doesn’t feel right, given he only played 40 minutes at centre, but there was a real paucity of quality amongst the men wearing the 12 shirt this weekend. As a result, Smith’s adaptability sees him win the spot – and actually, more than that, because he still looked at his stylish best despite playing out of position.

11. Manuel Montero (Argentina)
Yes, he was at fault for Hooper’s second try, but the way he finished his own five-pointer – galloping down the touchline, in and out of tackles – was one of the moments of the tournament so far.

10. Handre Pollard (South Africa)
Handled the expectation surrounding the biggest game of his life so far with aplomb. His ability to take the ball to the line gave the Boks another dimension in attack and his inside ball for Hendricks’ try was a thing of beauty.

9. Nick Phipps (Australia)
Looked ever so comfortable with his Waratahs teammate Foley outside him, and provided the pivot with quick, accurate ball while also breaking the defensive line superbly on a couple of occasions.

1. Wyatt Crockett (New Zealand)
Gave absolutely everything of himself in a 58 minute stint that saw him stand up to the much-vaunted Springbok scrum and hold his own. Also didn’t miss a tackle in defence.

2. Adriaan Strauss (South Africa)
Strauss’ importance in this game was highlighted best after he left the pitch, and South Africa’s lineout promptly fell apart. He may not have had that much influence in the loose, but his set piece was flawless.

3. Ramiro Herrera (Argentina)
The Argentine scrum wasn’t quite the pillar of dominance it could have been against Australia, but it was still a reliable source of ball and for that Herrera takes some credit. Also weighed in with an impressive 11 tackles.

4. Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)
Does he ever have a bad game? Went toe-to-toe with Etzebeth, perhaps the only lock who has got close to his levels in the last few years, and came out on top.

5. Victor Matfield (South Africa)
May not make too much impact with ball in hand but when you have Vermuelen, the Beast and Etzebeth in your team, you don’t need to. His niche is the lineout and it was superlative again at the weekend. Oh, and he made 17 tackles, too.

6. Marcel Coetzee (South Africa)
A one man defensive machine. Might not be the preferred size for Heyneke Meyer’s back row (which, incidentally, is absolutely astronomical), but has made himself undroppable through his sheer work rate – see his tackle stats (19) on Saturday.

7. Michael Hooper (Australia)
Australia’s captain is in insatiable try-scoring form, bagging another brace at the weekend. They weren’t necessarily the most difficult of finishes, but then it’s no coincidence that he is consistently in the positions that allow him to score these tries – it is through hard work.

8. Duane Vermuelen (South Africa)
Not sure the last time a player looked this pumped up. Vermuelen was on a mission in Wellington, carrying the ball with viscous physicality all day. Deserved a win for his efforts.

By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images