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Aussie Super Rugby Team of the Week Round 5

Matt Rowley March 18, 2013 35

No GravatarHere it is – the G&GR writers’ Super Rugby team of the week for round 5.

scott sio profile

1.Scott Sio

Dominated Jannie Du Plessis and trucked it up nicely

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2.Stephen Moore

Just class

2013 NSW Waratahs Headshots

3. Paddy Ryan

Talk about taking your opportunities with both hands

kimlin profile

4.Peter Kimlin

Slotted seamlessly into lock as part of the Brumbies’ dynamic middle row

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5. Hugh McMeniman

Relished being back in Queensland and leading from the front

ben mowen

6. Ben Mowen

Continues to be immense. Plays with power for 80 mins

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7. George Smith

Slotted into a different role in Durban – another distributor  

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8. Fotu Auleua

Was just too much for the Sharks to handle – a wrecking ball. G&GR Man of the Round

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9. Alby Mathewson

If he hadn’t been name after a racist dragon and Rosalea’s try had stood, he was in for MoTR

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10. Matt Toomua

Scored one try, set up another with a beautiful ball

henry speight

11. Henry Speight

A genuine finisher and worker

lealiifano profile

12. Christian Lealiifano

Always a livewire and doesn’t wait for the ball to come to him

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13. Tevita Kuridrani

Wow, a real addition – a genuine line bender

2013 NSW Waratahs Headshots

14. Peter Betham

Brought his ITM beast mode, which the Tahs sorely need

israel folou profile

15. Israel Folau

Composure under the high ball and general elusiveness

So, no Reds. Merited?

TAGS »
POSTED IN » ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Rugby, Super Rugby, Western Force
About the author: Matt Rowley View all posts by
Matt started G&GR just before the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has been enslaved ever since. Follow him on twitter: @MattRowley

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Discussion »

  • Gibbo

    Waaaaahhhh *Insert some QLD’ers’ NSW selection Bias quopte here*

    • Gottsy

      No real shock not to have any reds in the team, probably would say that Gill would have been a shoe-in if not for that new bloke at the brumbies in the 7 jersey. Next week mate, next week…

    • Rex Munday

      nice strawman

      • Gibbo

        ;) ok you got me

  • Brumby Runner

    See the Brumbies are again under represented. Seriously, I don’t have too many problems with the team, except that I think Peter Betham is lucky to be there. His second half was pretty ordinary. One further comment, did we all see Jesse Mogg’s dominant tackle a couple of metres from his try line on Sunday? I think it was his only tackle in the game, but was a beauty.

  • Moose

    Scrolling down the page I was blowing up at the thought of Paddy Ryan in there ahead of Benny A. You can imagine my disgust when I scrolled even further to see a total of three Waratahs in this team. Are you kidding?! Betham might’ve been alright, but Tomane had a blinder. And who had the bright idea of putting Folau in there at fullback? Come on guys. All I can say is thank you for having George Smith in there. We can only hope Robbie Deans will be so wise.

    • Richo

      Tomane dropped a lot ball. I thought Speights was much better.

      • The Rant

        Tomane did not have a blinder. He’s 100kgs but EVERY time he got the ball instead of hitting at pace he stopped dead, slapped away a tackler and tried to cut inside which just stopped momentum and never made metered. ALL day. Was like he’s scared of contact?? Kuridrani was excellent at hitting the line hard.

        • Ooaahh

          Totally agree. Tomane dropped a bunch of ball and missed one open line try with a perfect pass to set him up. Sick of seeing him get wraps. Speight was in another league to Tomane the other night.

        • Moose

          Okay, I’ll agree that maybe I went a bit overboard calling Tomane’s game a blinder. But do remember it was raining in the second half.

          I will, however, stand by my comment that he should’ve been in there ahead of Betham.

        • Ooaahh

          Be interesting to see a comparison video. I though Betham was outstanding.

        • Mart

          Agreed. Betham was dangerous every time he touched the ball. I thought Tomane was a bit average. Never really ran hard into contact.

        • The Ham

          Betham had a forgettable second half.

  • Barbarian

    Whaaat? There are WARATAHS? This is a fucking outrage.

    Ben Alexander played the third greatest game I have ever seen from an Australian rugby player. Why the third you ask? Because the two ahead of him were also in that game- Joe Tomane and Jesse Mogg. To leave them out of the team should be seen as a direct declaration of war against the Brumbies and the great ACT.

    And then to put in… Waratahs? You may as well have come to Canberra, burnt down my house and spat in my mouth. I am on the verge of throwing up. Peter Betham is the single worst thing to ever happen to Australian rugby, and you reward him with selection?

    I will seek to have this site shut down. For crimes against humanity.

    • Pedro

      Chill out Barbarian, the tahs deserve to be there. Watching that train wreck is hard enough, imagine having to play for them.

    • Gibbo

      Grade A Troll Right there

    • http://www.facebook.com/chris.fraser.1952 Chris Fraser

      I wasn’t a fan of Paddy Ryan until his awesome first half display. Betham was very good and don’t forget, he was the NZ’s provincial comp’s player of the year last year, so he must be a bit better than you think. Folau is improving but not sure that he was better than the other candidates.

      • Moose

        Betham’s probably the best winger the Tahs have. But then again, that’s not saying much…

    • Jimmy

      A lot harder to play well in a crap team than to join in on a slaughter. The Brumbies were awesome as a unit – full credit to them but I don’t begrudge the Tahs players their entry, a few of them tried their guts out. Paddy and Betham were great and I’ve never seen an Aussie player so confident under the high ball as Floau. The bloke must have a 2m vertical leap.

  • Mike W

    Half man, half dog, he’s a Mogg surely better than Wazhe Folau?

  • auspeedy

    Barbarian, you obviously didn’t see Paddy Ryan play. Easily the standout performance by a prop on the weekend

    Folau though? Sure he was good under the high ball, but that was it

  • Gottsy

    No reds? Unfortunately, merited. They were outplayed, and seemed to be lacking the leadership to react to the way the force were controlling the game. Gill was superb as always, probably the only red that would have been worthy, and had genia played 80 it would have made for an interesting duel with Mathewson

  • Patrick

    No reds is definitely merited, they just lost to the bottom team, at home!! I think we now have to accept that unless the Reds pull off one heck of a turnaround asap, the Brumbies are the only Aussie team in it (if we hadn’t already).

  • FreddyM

    I’m pretty sure that if the Brumbies ran out for the first Lions test they would put up a better fight than whatever Deans is going to stick out there is Wallabies colours.

    Stick a Tahs prop and maybe a second rower in with Diggers, JOC, Genia and maybe McMeniman and you have the beginning of a decent team. Ofcourse Deans will not do this as he is either completely thick, or still under contract with the NZRU.

    And if Quade Cooper gets a look in I’ll never watch another Wallabies game.

    • Moose

      Diggers and decent team should never be used in the same sentence. Ever. Queensland would have better wingers floating around than him. For a winger, he does a whole lot of not much.

  • Bay35Pablo

    Good to see the jingoistic chest beating and 1 eyed-ism we haven’t seen from the Brumbies for years is back. Was getting bored with only the Reds fans doing it.

    All Brumbies supporters complaining should just go read the Herald’s team of the week, which was even more urine yellow tinged in its colour.

    Ryan played great, Betham looked threatening, Folau assured under the high ball even if sketchy at times in defence (but he wasn’t the only one).

    Would have thought the Force deserved more, but then they arm wrestled the Reds into submission rather than the razzle dazzle sexy time of the Brummies.

    How good’s that Godwin kid? Quade who?

    • SW

      Ahhhh the bitter whinging noise of a tahs fan… You should be happy that the reds and the brums are actually winning games champ. The tahs are yet again punching well below their weight. Embarrassment to australian rugby.

  • Nathan

    Folau? Really? Sure he had a better game this week but no way was he the best 15 this year. Jesse Mogg is on fire. By the way, the Waratahs supporter who is complaining about bias of Reds and Brumbies supporters… really? really? Phil Kearns. Enough said. If people haven’t noticed already the Tahs got their chance to represent 3/4 of the Wallabies team and look how successful that was. I don’t think it was a fluke that the boring playing style of the Tahs happened to feature in many of the Wallabies games last year. Don’t get me wrong, Deans is just as much at fault but going by the Aus Conference table, the wallabies team should consist of 50% Brumbies 25% Reds and 8.33% of each of Tahs, Rebs and Force players :P (I think that adds up :P )

    • Barbarian

      You are the first person who has ever made that point. I see the world in a different light now. Thank you Nathan.

      • Hawko

        Barbarian, That’s twice you’ve used irony. It just doesn’t work with Brumby and Reds supporters. They actually think you’re serious! You could draw a whole lot of conclusions about the relative merits of their education systems, but they wouldn’t understand what you’re talking about.

        • Davo

          Irony? Sounds like plain old sarcasm to me. Although I did go to a state school and, as you know, the relative merits of my education system is directly proportional to my intelligence.

        • http://www.facebook.com/stinsmith Stin

          What are you doing posting on a rugby forum?!!!

  • Benny A’s Tackle

    Geez I’m impressed with the Brumbies depth. Scott Sio and Tevita Kurindrani haven’t started a game in ages, barely even on the bench; then run on in Durban and play the house down. I thought Prior’s service was excellent, with help from a dominant forward pack. Would be hard to revert Fotu Auleua back to the bench after that. All not considered first choice. Depth might come in handy if Dean’s hand is forced and he needs 10 to 15 Brumbies for the Wallabies squad!!!

  • Drongo

    Izzy at 15 over Mogg?

  • Younggun

    How do you best fit Fotu into the wallabies? starting 8 for 60min or the super sub? He really adds the extra punch the wallabies have been trying to find

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