Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Week: Returning All Black shines with a ‘performance of dreams’

Dylan Coetzee
Split with Carter Gordon (Rebels), Dalton Papali'i (Blues), Etene Nanai-Seturo (Chiefs)

Split with Carter Gordon (Rebels), Dalton Papali'i (Blues), Etene Nanai-Seturo (Chiefs)

Following another electric weekend in Super Rugby Pacific, we have nailed down our Team of the Week for Round Seven.

Impressive wins for the Chiefs and the Blues sees the New Zealand teams dominate selection while the Melbourne Rebels are also rewarded.

Team of the week

15 Etene Nanai-Seturo (Chiefs): It was a free-running exhibition from the pacey outside back who makes the game look so easy when he is in full flow. He scored a try and set up another as he made more than 100 metres with ball in hand as the Chiefs ran riot at home against Moana Pasifika.

14 Emoni Narawa (Chiefs): Easily the player of the round with a hat-trick of tries and a hat-trick of assists in a performance of dreams. Narawa has so quickly found his form after returning from an injury that robbed him of a Rugby World Cup trip. He looked hungry in every sense of the word and will be a massive threat going forward. Blues star AJ Lam was also lethal for his side.

13 Filipo Daugunu (Melbourne Rebels): The centre was a constant threat against a brilliant Fijian Drua centre pairing. His pace is always dangerous but that, combined with his deceptive strength, makes him a very difficult man to defend. He was rewarded with a try for his efforts.

12 Corey Evans (Blues): The inside centre was one of the key elements in the Blues backline unlocking their opponents as he played a stunning role outside Harry Plummer. He beat three defenders, broke the line three times whilst scoring and assisting a try in a sparkling effort that secures a spot in our side.

11 Glenn Vaihu (Melbourne Rebels): Tries win games and that is exactly what Vaihu got for his team as the Rebels dramatically clawed their way back against a Fijian Drua side that lost their head. The wing scored a brace in a solid outing on the left wing.

10 Carter Gordon (Melbourne Rebels): Eddie Jones throwing the playmaker in the deep end at the Rugby World Cup may have backfired in the moment but it certainly has galvanised the young star. Gordon looks tough as nails this season and willing to get his hands dirty for his team’s cause. The fly-half pulled the strings for the Rebels by setting up two tries whilst also threatening himself. There is still great promise in the Wallaby who will surely wear gold on the Test scene again this year.

9 Taufa Funaki (Blues): With Stephen Perofeta not in the side, the Blues needed the scrum-half to stand up and Funaki did. He was instinctual and brilliant for the Aucklanders as he ran in two lovely tries and set up two more. There is a natural swagger in the way he plays and it has been a joy to watch.

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Powerful pack

8 Wallace Sititi (Chiefs): Destructive. What a way it was for the number eight to well and truly announce himself as he carried all game long into the opposition defensive line, notching up 12 carries. He almost made 100 metres and beat seven defenders for good measure. What a prospect he is and he gets in ahead of promising Brumby Charlie Cale.

7 Dalton Papali’i (Blues): Clearly relished having the captain’s armband for the Blues back this week as he dropped yet another lung-busting outing as he always does. Papali’i’s industrious efforts got him a try assist as he beat eight defenders in eight carries and topped the Blues’ tackle count with 12.

6 Samipeni Finau (Chiefs): Continuously growing with every game and developing into a hard-nosed flank who could thrive at Test level. Without doing anything out of the ordinary he still managed 11 tackles, one turnover and five carries in a busy outing.

5 Laughlan McWhannell (Blues): A hard-working second-row performance. The Blues man was ever present on attack, making eight carries, one of which resulted in a try. On the other side of the ball he emptied the tank with an impressive 11 tackles. Performances like that make him a player to keep an eye on.

4 Josh Canham (Melbourne Rebels): Played on despite a nasty elbow to the back of the head and did so passionately, consistently putting his hand up to carry whilst making hits on defence. He was the go-to man in the lineout and stole two from the Fijian Drua.

3 Angus Ta’avao (Blues): Busy. The front-row made an impressive nine tackles and got stuck in with ball in hand whilst also dominating the set-piece. A pretty textbook outing from the All Black star.

2 Ricky Riccitelli (Blues): Not only the best name in rugby but also a keen ball carrier and prolific try scorer as he showed again on Friday. He is no slouch on defence either with nine tackles to his name in a complete performance.

1 James Slipper (Brumbies): Officially the most capped Australian in Super Rugby history, surpassing the great Stephen Moore. He marked it with a typically busy outing filled with a solid number of carries and tackles whilst also standing strong in the set-piece.

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