ABs Players Of The Week (Bledisloe Test One)

The ABs managed to get back to winning ways over the weekend, and did so in dominant fashion, which was certainly refreshing.

There were some massive shifts put in across the board. As we’ve done all season long, it’s time to highlight some of those performances with our top five of the week.

1 Point – Wallace Sititi

Wallace Sititi has endured a rollercoaster of a year over the past 12 months or so and has never really looked settled compared with how he performed in his first season of international footy. This weekend, however, he seemed to have earned back some trust from the coaching staff and put in what could be described as his best performance at the top level in a long time.

2 Points – Damian Mckenzie

After being used as an out and out fullback this season by Dave Rennie, injuries required Damian McKenzie to step up and play in the pivot role for the All Blacks. All in all, it was a very positive outing for the veteran playmaker.

McKenzie brought an element to the No. 10 jersey we hadn’t seen this season, with his dynamic running game often carving open lanes in the Wallabies’ defence and providing a platform to attack from as a first receiver. He was also a laser off the tee, making most of his kicks and ensuring the scoreboard continued to tick over all game long.

3 Points – Cam Roigard

World class is the phrase that springs to mind when thinking about Cam Roigard’s skill set, and once again, his quality shone through at every step of the way on Saturday evening. His kicking, running, passing and playmaking were all very good throughout the evening, particularly in tandem with Damian McKenzie.

4 Points – Peter Lakai

A versatile player who is proving to be one of the most valuable in the ABs set-up is Peter Lakai. The Hurricanes youngster is showing just how good he can be across all three loose forward positions at international level, and continues to get better with each opportunity.

Lakai got stuck into his work around the park, but a feather in his cap is the dominance he has recently added at ruck time. As an openside flanker, that was crucial on multiple occasions at Eden Park.

5 Points – Jordie Barrett

The MVP of the game was the youngest of the Barrett brothers, Jordie Barrett, whose name has been put forward for World Rugby Player of the Year honours as the season winds down.

Barrett had his fingerprints all over this one, with his bone-rattling defence, aerial dominance, hard carries and flat-out dominance in the contact area. He shone brighter than any other player on either side and once again showed why he is such a special talent.

Leaderboard After Five Tests:

1st Will Jordan 17
2nd Jordie Barrett 15
2nd Cam Roigard 15
4th Ardie Savea 13
4th Peter Lakai 13
4th Asafo Aumua 7
5th Leroy Carter 5
7th Ruben Love 5
7th Quinn Tupaea 5
10th Josh Moorby 4
11th Wallace Sititi 4
11th Fabian Holland 3
11th Damian Mckenzie 3
11th Wallace Sititi 3
11th Ethan Blackadder 3
15th Tupou Vaa’i 2
15th George Bower 2
17th Anton Segner 1