That’s three weeks of Super Rugby action already done and dusted, and there was no shortage of upsets across the two day slate. That also means there were some standout performers across the games, and we’re here to highlight a few of those names.
As you know by now, we have our top five players of the week list, so let’s dive headfirst into our third list of the season.
5. Timoci Tavatavanawai (1 Point)
The Highlanders had their first real blunder of the Super Rugby season in the blowout loss, but the captain of the side still stood tall in defeat and showed why he could soon be a genuine option in the All Blacks midfield.
Timoci Tavatavanawai put on a clinic from second five against the Reds, making his tackles, being a nuisance at ruck time and, most of all, proving to be the most dominant force when it came to carrying the ball. If you ever wanted to know how Tavatavanawai plays the game, look no further than his first phase run from a scrum, where he ran over the top of two Reds defenders and continued to shrug them off deep into Reds territory.
I understand his team wasn’t on the winning side, but this performance from Tavatavanawai deserves a heap of credit.
4. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula (2 Points)
What a special day in Lautoka on Saturday, as the Fijian Drua beat the Hurricanes at their infamous fortress of Churchill Park, where, outside of their loss to Moana Pasifika earlier in the season, they have been nearly perfect.
It was a wet day in Lautoka, and the ball resembled a bar of soap on an extremely slick surface that both sides struggled to get a handle on. Based on the scoreline, you can see the team did get to grips on the conditions better was indeed the Drua, who ended up clinching a true full team win.
However, the one name I really wanted to highlight was their young first five, Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula. The 22 year old orchestrated his side around the park in tricky conditions with excellent playmaking skills. He threw bold passes, kicked accurately for territory and was reliable off the tee.
As I said, it was a true team effort, but without the direction of Armstrong-Ravula on the day, we could have seen a very different scoreline by the 80 minute whistle.
3. George Bell (3 Points)
The Crusaders have seen limited action from Codie Taylor in the early going of this season, but in his absence there has been a real rise from their young hooker, George Bell. The capped All Black seemed to fall slightly out of favour last year with the national selectors, missing out on call ups to the black jersey after being in the mix the year before based on potential.
This season that potential is starting to be realised by Bell, who has been the Crusaders’ best player across the three games to open the campaign. He has been accurate at lineout time and extremely effective in the open field.
This weekend against the Chiefs, Bell was superb, leading his side around the park with his work rate and scoring a try from 10 metres out, where he ran a phenomenal line to split the Chiefs’ defence.
The main concern for Bell now is that the injury that forced him from the field, with the hope being it’s not serious and that he can get back out on the park soon.
2. Fraser McReight (4 Points)
The Reds showed that the opening weekend loss they took at the hands of the Waratahs might have just been rust, as they completely dismantled the Highlanders at home on Friday evening.
The Queensland side certainly is not short of talent, and this weekend the star who shone brightest was their openside flanker, Fraser McReight. The Wallabies starting loosie was on a tear against the Southerners, getting stuck into a mountain of work defensively, where he made a game high 16 tackles. He was also a major problem for the Highlanders at ruck time, consistently slowing their ball and forcing a match high three turnovers to earn his side more possession.
The cherry on top was the try he scored after some phenomenal Reds rugby, where most of their big names had a touch on the ball. In classic McReight support style, he chased a chip kick and dotted down in spectacular fashion, to give his side a five pointer.
1. Taha Kemara (5 Points)
If you had told me a couple of weeks ago that Taha Kemara would be given player of the week in our betcha series, I would have been rather stunned. That is not because I think Kemara is a bad player, it is just that after last season and Rivez Reihana’s performance down the stretch, I thought he would be the one leading the Crusaders around the park.
However, after an injury opened the door, Kemara was forced into the starting line-up last week and then had a full week of training to prepare for this Chiefs clash as the side’s chief playmaker. And he certainly delivered. Everything Kemara touched seemed to turn to gold. He created countless line break assists, broke through the line himself and kicked with superb accuracy to ensure his side played in the right areas of the park.
Another huge boost for Kemara was his goal kicking. At times in recent seasons it has let him down, but in this one, in front of a crowd he likely grew up in as a kid, he made the all of his chances from the tee, going five from five.
