Super Rugby Pacific TOTW: Australian teams
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Round Five of Super Rugby Pacific delivered some shock results and standout performances from the Australian sides.
The Western Force shocked fast starters Queensland Reds in Perth whilst the ACT Brumbies were big winners over Moana Pasifika.
As for the NSW Waratahs, they were inches away from a famous win in Fiji with the Melbourne Rebels no match for the Hurricanes.
Bell did everything in his power to inspire the Waratahs to a comeback in Fiji.
He was strong on his return to the starting side with great carries and some thumping tackles to halt the Drua momentum.
He also drew a crucial penalty against tighthead Mesake Doge to edge his way in front of Force recruit Ryan Coxon.
Vailanu has shone in the absence of Dave Porecki as he relishes the starting role.
He masterminded a create quick lineout play that ended with the hooker offloading to Charlie Gamble for an early try whilst proving a menace over the ball.
This saw him just selected ahead of Tom Horton, who was everywhere in the win over the Reds.
Medrano brought the type of form that saw him selected 33 times for Argentina on the weekend against the Reds.
He lifted for the occasion and had Peni Ravai’s number at scrum time along with some great work around the ruck to ensure Nic White fast ball.
Franklin caused the Reds constant pressure at the breakdown and played a key role in the win.
He was perfect with his defence whilst stepping up at lineout time when Jeremy Williams departed early.
Franklin also crossed for his first try in Force colours when he ended up with the ball amid a mass of bodies on the line
Lee-Warner was a workhorse in the tough conditions for the Waratahs.
He had a team-high 12 tackles with several key carries that saw the lock either get the ball away or gain major metres for the Tahs.
For this, he narrowly earns selection over Cadeyrn Neville, who continues to deliver for the Brumbies.
Valetini was unstoppable for the hosts, setting the tempo with an offload that should’ve set up the first try. He then crossed for a try of his own at the back of the rolling maul
The backrower’s silky hands continued to influence the game, putting Tamati Tua in for another try after backing up a sudden break by Hudson Creighton.
He did enough to earn the nod over Lachie Swinton, who was great off the bench for the Waratahs.
Tizzano was a man possessed as he ran rings around the Reds at the breakdown.
He was full of energy and a sheer menace at the breakdown with a pair of turnovers in the first half.
The flanker looked to have found his way over the line in a mess of bodies on the goal line, but the try eventually went to Tom Franklin. He wasn't denied in the second half, palming Ryan Smith and racing away for the try.
Cale is a physical freak that produced another strong game for the Brumbies.
He showcased his incredible pace when he burst through the line and raced past the fullback.
On top of this, he stole two lineouts and won a turnover in a great all-round performance.
A real tough decision by White just edges out Wallabies teammate Tate McDermott.
The two halves went at it all night and whilst McDermott’s work stopped the game from being a blowout, White was more controlled in the winning performance.
He was great with his delivery and popped up when needed for a great try to halt a Reds comeback.
Another awesome battle but Lolesio gets the nod this week over White’s halves partner Ben Donaldson.
Lolesio looked as confident as ever, throwing no-look passes and putting the ball on the foot for fun. He set up two tries and a further four line break assists whilst aggressively taking on the line.
This on top of a near-perfect kicking display won him selection despite Donaldson’s trio of try assists
Toole is a special finisher and this week was no different as the winger shone for the Brumbies.
His combination with Tom Wright is deadly as the pair torched the Moana defence.
He finished the night with three line breaks, six tackle busts, two try assists and a try of his own.
It was a masterclass from Stewart in the midfield against his old side.
He shut down Hunter Paisami and their threatening midfield with some picture-perfect defensive reads along with winning a key turnover.
It just put him ahead of Tamati Tua, who was one of the Brumbies best
Spink’s return was invaluable to the Force as he powered them to the win.
He threatened with ball in hand and made some key tackles to guide the Force to victory
Kuenzle has found a home on the wing for the Force.
His combination with Donaldson and Harry Potter was crucial as he showcased the pace to score a double.
He broke four tackles on the night to go with a team-high 72 metres off just five carries.
Wright was back delivering the type of performance that made him one of the first picked for the Wallabies.
The cross-field chip for Corey Toole was exceptional, as was his backingup to score the length of the field try.
He kept breaching the line for the full 80 minutes and sealed the win with a special two minutes where he swapped roles with Toole before scoring his second backing up Tua.
