Rugby World Cup 2023: Ben Earl, Johnny Sexton and Josua Tuisova feature in Team of the Weekend
t proved another action-packed weekend at the Rugby World Cup as the tournament races through the pool stage action.
Fiji’s win over Australia is the standout result thus far, while Johnny Sexton wrote new history as Ireland eased past Tonga to continue their strong start in France.
England, of course, beat Japan as they continue their campaign, albeit in slightly unconvincing fashion.
Standard Sport’s Nick Purewal runs through the team of the weekend…
1 Ox Nche, South Africa
Spearheaded another bludgeoning Sringboks performance as the reigning champions dispatched Romania 76-0.
2 Mike Tadjer, Portugal
The bustling hooker set up his side’s well-worked try as Portugal held their own and proved a serious World Cup point.
3 Michael Alaalatoa, Samoa
The former Australia prop led from the front as Samoa accounted for Chile 43-10 on Saturday to kick-start their World Cup in style.
4 Nick Frost, Australia
One of few plus points for a callow Australia side that was deservedly beaten by Fiji, Frost was aggressive in the loose and dominant in the tight.
5 James Ryan, Ireland
The talisman lock delivered another vitally physical amd controlled performance for one of the tournament favourites.
6 Levani Botia, Fiji
The former prison officer locked down Fiji’s back-row dominance leaving Australia without any answers to his breakdown shackling.
7 Nicolas Martins, Portugal
Delivered one of the moments of the World Cup so far by sneaking in for Portugal’s smartly taken lineout peel try against Wales.
8 Ben Earl, England
The Saracens powerhouse just gets better and better for England. His prodigious capacity for work continues to show as he almost looks fresher in the final quarter than the first.
9 Simione Kuruvoli, Fiji
Nerveless goal-kicking and astute game management drove Fiji home for a victory for the ages over Australia for the Pacific Islanders.
10 Johnny Sexton, Ireland
Moved past the great Ronan O’Gara to become Ireland’s all-time leading Test points scorer and oozed all of his abundance of class.
Record-breaker: Sexton moved past the great Ronan O’Gara on Saturday night
/ AP11 Nicolas Freitas, Uruguay
Bagged a try to remember on an unforgettable night for Uruguay as the South Americans pushed a much-changed France to the limit in Lille on Thursday night.
12 Bundee Aki, Ireland
Arguably the form centre of the tournament so far, his brute force is now equalled by his game intelligence and role within Ireland’s masterful system.
13 Josua Tuisova, Fiji
The Toulon piledriver is equally at home in the centres or on the wing, and conjured yet another masterful turn as Fiji dispatched Australia
14 Makazole Mapimpi, South Africa
Only South Africa could boast a wing of Mapimpi’s enduring quality and not start him in every match. Jumped straight back into the team and into try-scoring form.
15 Hugo Keenan, Ireland
Often the unsung hero of Ireland’s supremacy purely by being less flashy than some of his team-mates. Every bit as important as Ireland’s other pivots however.
