Autumn Nations Series | Team of the week | week two

Mission complete… This is how fans of southern hemisphere rugby will feel following a rare clean sweep of their northern foes.

Starting on Friday evening when the All Blacks took full advantage of a sloppy, ill-disciplined and error-strewn Ireland at the Aviva Stadium to clinch the win in a fixture that had plenty of spice ahead of kick-off. In truth, neither side was at their best, but the All Blacks showed once again that when given half a chance, they are the most dangerous side in world rugby.

On Saturday, the Wallabies arrived at Twickenham as heavy underdogs only to be the latest team to take advantage of England’s overhyped rush defence. Falling to yet another late single-score loss, Steve Borthwick’s side added fuel to the fire that when push comes to shove, they will come off second best. For the Wallabies, Joe Schmidt’s fingerprints are all over the side as they look to have rediscovered their ‘Aussieness’ as a never-say-die side.

Next up it was Los Pumas turn to blitz their hosts as they rampaged over Italy who looked more like a side from the 2010s than the one who had their best ever Six Nations earlier this year.

Getting one back for the Six Nations side was France, who shredded a Japanese side who, in truth, have yet to make any strides under head coach Eddie Jones. Instead, they looked like they were stuck in Molasses. For Les Bleus, this was the perfect hit out ahead of their big clash with a resurgent All Blacks side next weekend.

Finally concluding the action on Sunday were two clashes, the first of which saw Fiji claim a first ever win in Cardiff as they downed Wales 24 – 19. Despite receiving an early red card, Fiji simply overpowered their hosts with direct carries and huge tackles.

Our final match of the weekend saw the World Champions Springboks prove once again that they are the ultimate eighty-minute team. Coming out of the blocks hot as Makazole Mapimpi scored the opening try inside three minutes, the Boks would score two more tries in the first half through Thomas Du Toit and Mapimpi. From here, the Boks would weather a second-half storm before finishing the stronger of the two sides with a pushover scrum try with Jasper Wiese, the beneficiary.

With all of the action now in the books, here is RugbyDump’s team of the week for week two of the Autumn Nations Series.

1. Angus Bell – Australia
Sending out a warning shot to prospective British and Irish Lions tightheads, the Wallabies star was simply magnificent at Allianz Stadium. Ending his day with 14 carries, 12 carries, and a turnover to go with his work at set piece time, Bell proved unequivocally that he is the foundation from which the Wallabies pack will be built.

2. Peato Mauvaka – France
Quietly continuing his run as one of the top three hookers in the world, the French star has the skillset of a league hooker. In addition to doing the basics at set piece time to an exceptional level, Mauvaka’s abilities as both a carrier and distributor are central to Les Bleus’ all-court game.

3. Thomas Du Toit – South Africa
The archetypal tighthead for the Tony Brown attacking game plan, Du Toit’s skillset as a dynamic carrier and an offloading threat opens up the game for his team.

4. Eben Etzebeth – South Africa
There is a reason that Etzebeth is arguably the greatest Springbok of all time, his control both with his play and his communication with the match officials was world class.

5. Jeremy Williams – Australia
Was it or wasn’t it a try at Twickenham? Well, the record books show it as a score, and irrespective of which side of the argument you fall, the lock showed incredible skill to get himself into the scoring position. Away from this decisive moment, Williams fronted up physically as his team claimed their biggest win of the Schmidt era.

6. Chandler Cunningham-South – England
Two tries in a losing cause are still tries; of course, these moments grab the headlines, but the Quins backrow was monstrous in every aspect. Ending his day with 22 tackles and 10 carries for 37 meters, the Englishman is looking awfully like a Lions starter.

7. Alexandre Roumat – France
Arguably the most underrated openside in world rugby, the Toulouse standout is a consistently excellent operator for both club and country. Taking it upon himself to get on the ball, Roumat carried 9 times and put in 19 tackles to chop down the elusive Japanese ball carriers.

8. Harry Wilson – Australia
Following in the footsteps of many great Wallaby backrow skippers, Wilson is an inspirational leader who leads with his actions. Trotting out to a hostile reception at the Allianz Stadium, Wilson kept his cool whilst taking the fight to his more fancied hosts. Topping the carry charts for his side with 16 and finishing third in tackles with 16, Wilson was everywhere on Saturday.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park – Ireland
Ireland’s lone representative from what was a brutally poor showing from the former world number one side. Scampering around the park at a different level to every other Irish player, JGP cleared a messy ruck well and put in some huge tackles, namely one on Will Jordan, which pinned the All Blacks back. Playing in a side that, in truth, is on the verge of an overhaul with an ageing squad, JGP is the one player north of 31 who looks likely to be at the next World Cup.

10. Damian McKenzie – New Zealand
Under immense pressure coming into the crunch clash with Ireland, McKenzie showed his class by nailing his kicks. In open play, his ability to mix up his game by choosing the correct time to run, pass and kick, McKenzie looks to have wrestled back control of the starting ten shirt ahead of their trip to Paris.

11. Makazole Mapimpi – South Africa
Slipping down the pecking order over the past couple of years, Mapimpi sent out a stark reminder that he remains a world class finisher. Claiming two brilliant tries during the first half as he got on the end of pinpoint kicks. Physically the Sharks man fronted up with a few big shots that halted a few promising Scottish attacks.

12. Josua Tuisova – Fiji
Rewind your mind to 2008, you are playing Rugby 08 and you big the player with the best strength rating to batter over the gainline. Well, folks, in 2024, that player is Josua Tuisova. Carrying the ball 15 times with 5 line breaks, an offload, and a defender beaten, the Racing star had himself a day in Cardiff.

13. Joseph Sua’ali’i – Australia
Israel Folau combined with Sonny-Bill Williams was the feedback that was floating around following the former NRL star’s debut. In Short, Sua’ali’i is exactly the game changer that Rugby Australia hoped he would be when they signed him for a million dollars a season. Parlaying his incredible abilities on the pitch with his marketability off it, the 21-year-old is the best thing to happen to Rugby Union in Australia for over a decade.

14. Louis Bielle-Biarrey – France
Still just 21-years-old, the French winger feels like he has been around for years and he plays like a seasoned veteran. Netting two tries whilst playing on the left wing, LBB utilised his top end pace and top notch finishing abilities to punish the Japanese.

15. Juan Cruz Mallia – Argentina
Rarely gathering the plaudits he deserves, the Argentine fullback could well be the best player in the world in his position. Similar to Will Jordan in his running style, Mallia’s kicking game and vision are similar to that of Willie Le Roux, and his defensive capabilities are on par with Hugo Keenan. If those comparisons are not enough to at least bring him into the conversation as the best fullback in World Rugby, then nothing will. Against Italy, Mallia had an insanely productive showing with 18 carries for 144 meters, 1 try assist, and 1 try. In short, Mallia was World Class.