Monday 17 September 2018 08:33, UK
With historic away victories for South Africa and Argentina in the Rugby Championship, players from both sides dominate our latest team of the week.
The Springboks' 36-34 victory over the All Blacks was their first on New Zealand soil since 2009 while Los Pumas' triumph ended a 35-year wait for a win on Australian soil.
Take a look through the latest XV below and have your say when it comes to the player that you believe had the greatest influence on the weekend's action.
15. Emiliano Boffelli (Argentina)
This 23-year-old started and finished his afternoon's work with monster penalty kicks at goal and the latter delivered the match's decisive points.
Boffelli is a handful for any defender due to his combination of electric pace, superb footwork and high-class offloading skills.
He would have capped his performance a fifth Test try had Bautista Delguy's pass not been judged to have gone forward. But, the full-back won't lose too much sleep over that because the Pumas still gained a first victory on Australian soil since 1983!
14. Bautista Delguy (Argentina)
This winger has an eye for a break and the pace to exploit it. On the Gold Coast, he made 89 metres off eight carries and continues to go from strength to strength on the international stage.
Delguy's 35th-minute try was well-taken as he shrugged off the attentions of Dane Haylett-Petty and only Ben Smith has beaten more defenders than the 21-year-old in the 2018 Rugby Championship.
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Away from the international stage, an international player shone for the Premiership pace-setters.
His fend, step and pass to set up Jack Maunder's 49th-minute try was outstanding and effortlessly ripped through the Sharks' defensive line.
Slade is a classy outside-centre with all of the skills, he looks razor-sharp right now and so do Exeter Chiefs.
12. Jamie Roberts (Bath Rugby)
The 31-year-old marked his return to his old stomping ground with a try as Bath finished on top of an entertaining 69-point Premiership encounter.
Roberts was comfortably Bath's top carrier with 17 as he delivered his trademark direct lines to regularly suck in opponents. The former Harlequin beat a couple of defenders, added seven tackles and even ended up with a nasty looking eye injury for his troubles.
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi (South Africa)
In both attack and defence, Dyantyi shone against the side ranked first in the world.
The 24-year-old's two tries both showcased a lethal sidestep - the first behind the posts to make the conversion easier and the second, en route to the line, left Beauden Barrett clutching at thin air.
His work on the back foot was impressive too and it was his line-speed and pressure that forced Damian McKenzie into knocking on in the 82nd minute.
Elsewhere, Joe Cokanasiga's two-try display for Bath must be mentioned. The former London Irish man's one-handed grounding for his first try was something special. He made 151 metres and beat five defenders at The Stoop.
10. George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
At the Ricoh Arena, George Ford spearheaded a determined Leicester Tigers performance as they almost overcame playing with 14-men for the whole of the second half.
Ford, looked every inch the international, as he created three of their four tries and finished his afternoon with 15 points from the tee. His flat-to-the-line decision making and vision took the match by the scruff of its neck and, once again, he led the way for others to follow.
9. Faf de Klerk (South Africa)
In Wellington, the man who plays his domestic rugby at Sale Sharks, got through a tonne of work in defence.
He hounded the All Blacks from the moment he stepped onto the field until the full-time whistle. The 26-year-old coupled this with crisp service and tempo-setting energy.
1. Steven Kitshoff (South Africa)
South Africa's 100 per cent success at scrum time highlights that their loose-head prop had a productive day at the set-piece office.
He also made a series of powerful carries in the loose and had a tackle success rate of 100 per cent - 15 completed and zero missed. In all, it was a fine performance from the young man and he certainly made the most of his second start in succession.
2. Codie Taylor (New Zealand)
In the heart of New Zealand's front row, the 27-year-old put in another strong shift.
He hit all 12 of his arrows at the lineout and helped to ensure that the All Blacks won all of their nine scrums.
The hands that Taylor showed to put Ben Smith on the front foot for Aaron Smith's try were lovely and his own score, on the cusp of the hour, was nicely taken off the back of a driving maul.
3. Frans Malherbe (South Africa)
The man on the other side of the Springbok scrum is handed the final place in our front row.
His 64-minute shift centred around his contributions at the set-piece and included a lovely bust of the All Blacks' line.
The break is one that will make his highlights reel and Malherbe, like every member of the visiting side in Wellington, put a shift in defensively by making 12 tackles.
4. Tomas Lavanini (Argentina)
This lock had a five on his back in Robina, but, we're handing him our four jersey so that he can form part of a potent Team of the Week engine room.
We don't think that it's too strong to say that Lavanini's last-second tackle on Israel Folau will go down in history as one of the most influential that has been seen from a player in an Argentina jersey.
The force of his impact and his body position disrupted one of the game's most potent threats and sealed victory for the Pumas. Oh yes... he had made ten other tackles before that one too!
5. Franco Mostert (South Africa)
The individual that will partner the hard-hitting Lavanini also put it all on the line for his side.
If you want to beat the best in the world then you need to work at an intensity that goes above and beyond the every day. Mostert did that and was one of two South African players to make 24 tackles in Wellington.
That astounding tackle count was coupled with handsome contributions at scrum-time and in the Springboks' driving mauls. It was a noteworthy all-around performance from the 27-year-old.
6. Pablo Matera (Argentina)
The 29-year-old continues to show what an athlete he truly is on the international stage.
He led Argentina's charge in defence with 15 tackles, more than any other Puma, and coupled that with three defensive turnovers.
The flanker's abilities in the loose were showcased in all their glory when his rangy running and strength shrugged off the attentions of David Pocock and Taniela Tupou to set up Delguy's first-half try.
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
Pieter-Steph du Toit's tears after the full-time whistle highlighted exactly what South Africa's victory meant to him and to all connected with South African rugby.
The flanker was the second man (Mostert being the other) to reach a staggering tally of 24 tackles against New Zealand.
It's an in-game total that's rarely seen at Test match level and his work-rate to deliver them was off the charts. The 26-year-old's engine was world-class on a day that clearly meant so much to him.
8. Warren Whiteley (South Africa)
The final place in our team of the week goes to a man that also worked himself into the ground in pursuit of victory.
Whiteley delivered at a 95 per cent tackle success rate, making 20 and missing just one, and his determination was epitomised by a track-back hit on TJ Perenara after 65 minutes.
Perenara would have been on his way over the line had it not been for the work of the No 8. His leadership in the final stages, once Siya Kolisi had left the field, must also be noted and commended.
