SO THAT WAS the Rugby World Cup weekend. At different times it was unbearable, awe-inspiring, unreal and un-bloody-believable.
Here’s who we thought were the stand-out men as four more teams went crashing out.
15. Joaquin Tuculet
We knew Argentina were brimming with attacking verve, but [expletive deleted] me!
The Pumas are no longer epitomised by stout cauliflower-eared props, but by supreme athletes with incredible skill like Tuculet.
The fullback was excellent in the air, brilliant with ball in hand and showed exceptional awareness to finish the try that finally killed off Irish hopes.
14. Santiago Cordero
Juan Imhoff is probably unfortunate not to get in to this XV, but while the left wing ran in the tries, Cordero’s electric pace and perfectly-timed passing tore Ireland to pieces.
13. Tevita Kuridrani
Apart from some dodgy refereeing calls, the centre is the reason Australia are not currently facing up to 20-odd hours on a jumbo jet.
He provided real muscle and go-forward ball for the Wallabies. Broke tackles to set up Adam Ashley Cooper and bull-dozed in for one of his own.
12. Peter Horne
It’s not often Matt Giteau is out-shone by his opposite number, but Horne was terrific in defence, his application at the breakdown was top notch and came up with a clever try to boot.
11. Julian Savea
He doesn’t want Jonah Lomu comparisons? Tough.
10. Dan Carter
Wow.
We doubted him, but wow. DC rolled back the clock in an incredibly smooth opening 40 minutes against France that made us daydream about about his exploits against the 2005 Lions.
Sitting Pape down with his right hand while flicking the ball to Savea with his left was jaw-dropping stuff.
9. Greig Laidlaw
An excellent World Cup all-round from the experience Scotland scrum-half. Shows a terrific nous for knock-out rugby as he dictates the play and his goal kicking would make Chris Paterson nervous.
1. Alasdair Dickinson
Tigerish defence and superb scrummaging. Michael Cheika was careful not to talk his scrum up too much during this tournament because he knew he would meet possessed men like Dickinson somewhere down the tracks.
2. Rory Best
Appeared to suffer an early knock to his groin in the opening minutes, but ploughed on regardless on an uphill battle. Ireland’s best player, unfortunately, by some distance.
3. WP Nel
His low base makes for a powerful carrying option, but it was in the scrum where he really acted as chief wrecking ball on Australia.
4. Brodie Retallick
Another towering performance. Popped up with the block down that put New Zealand into an early lead, carried superbly all night and was the biggest reason France players couldn’t muster up much interest in the second half.
5. Richie Gray
Scotland needed something big to stand a chance to topple Australia and they got it from the biggest Scot around. Incredible work-rate getting around the field and making life hell for the Wallaby pack.
6. Dan Lydiate
Some criticise that all Lydiate does is tackle, but when you go out and make 21 of them against South Africa you have to applaud the tenacity of the man. The 21st hit was the sweetest of them all as he powered into the great Eben Etzebeth and put the ‘Bok lock flat on his back.
7. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe
A giant of an openside and used his size and strength to devastating effect on Ireland’s rucks. More than that, he passed like the Pumas’ other Juan Martin whenever he popped up among the back-line.
8. Duane Vermeulen
In a game full of big collisions Vermeulen was the man who was still able produce a deft touch to decide a brutal encounter.
