Waratahs, Rebels dominate our Super Rugby AU team of the week

Mon, Aug 10, 2020, 12:19 AM
Christy Doran
by Christy Doran
Jack Dempsey was back to his best against the Reds. Photo: Getty Images
Jack Dempsey was back to his best against the Reds. Photo: Getty Images

Who'd have predicted these results at the start of the weekend?

The Rebels were ruthless against the ladder-leading Brumbies on Friday night, while the Waratahs put a season to forget behind them by turning it on against the Reds at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

So who stood out in Round Six of Super Rugby AU?

Here's our team of the week.

 

1: Cameron Orr - Rebels

Continues to get better and better. Up against an all-Test Brumbies front-row, the Rebels' set-piece bettered their fancied opponents. 

2: Tom Horton - Waratahs 

The 23-year-old Sydney Uni hooker continues to show a bit. He's mobile and has good hands and those skills were on show against the Reds on Saturday night. Horton scored early in the second half and his great catch and pass to Jack Dempsey helped Alex Newsome finish off a cracking try in the first half too.

3: Harry Johnson-Holmes - Waratahs

The young Wallaby has had a tough 2020 as he's switched from the loose-head to the tight-head side of the scrum, but there are strong signs that he's on the rise once more. Johnson-Holmes showed a bit more with ball-in-hand, getting over the gain line often. Just as importantly, he was solid at the scrum time against a strong Reds scrum.

4: Matt Philip - Rebels

The Brumbies' rolling maul has been an unstoppable beast for many under Dan McKellar. So what does Philip do? He gets up and steals the ball. Philip was brilliant at the lineout and he continues to get stuck in around the field too.

5: Trevor Hosea - Rebels

Continue to keep a close eye on this young man, folks. Hosea's only starting out, but he continues to impress. Together with Philip, Hosea helped the Rebels edge the Brumbies' lineout and in tight he put on some big shots.

6: Josh Kemeny - Rebels

Another young gun on the rise, Kemeny has a great body shape and was good on both sides of the ball. He's a player with great potential and another youngster coming out of the Australian under-20s.

7: Brad Wilkin - Rebels

Just the sight of seeing this man take the field and come off smiling was reason to tip your hat. Injury-riddled throughout his career, the 24-year-old who drew comparisons with David Pocock as he came through the ranks had a night to remember in the wet against the Brumbies. Wilkin scored, he got on the ball to score and he was uncompromising and tough in defence.

8 - Jack Dempsey - Waratahs

He's been missing in 2020 but at long last Dempsey showed what he's made of against the Reds. Perhaps it was the atomic wedgie he gave Angus Blyth or maybe it was the fact it was just the Reds in the wet. Whatever it was, Dempsey had that crazy-eyed look in his eyes and spring his step that makes his a damaging ball-runner when he's "on". 

9: Jake Gordon - Waratahs

A hat-trick of tries inside half-hour, Gordon made quite the impression on his return to the starting side after an injury disrupted year. Gordon drew comparisons to Conor Murray by his coach Rob Penney post-match. Gordon brought some confidence to a side desperately short of it in 2020 and experience too. 

10: Will Harrison - Waratahs 

Harrison edged out Andrew Deegan for a place in our team of the week. Deegan - after a shaky start - was solid and provided the Rebels with another playmaker on a wet night to pin the Brumbies in their own half. But Harrison brought some flair and polish to his game. He ran with the ball, helped unleash his outside backs and was perfect from the kicking tee.

11: Marika Koroibete - Rebels

Did anyone see Koroibete's role in the Wilkin try? It was one of those plays that sums up the John Eales Medallist. After Campbell Magnay's legs got in the way of Irae Simone's grubber, Koroibete out-sprinted Tom Banks to the ball, then, again, Andy Murihead before managing to help force a turnover after his second toed-ahead ball went sideways. 

12: Matt To'omua - Rebels

On a wet night, To'omua was every bit the playmaker with 52 Tests behind him. He was exceptional and helped pin the Brumbies in their own half. His kicking was smart, his work from the tee even better and his ability to jump in and out of first receiver kept the Brumbies guessing.

13: Campbell Magnay - Rebels

Defensively Magnay was very strong for the Rebels. The former Wallabies squad member showed what he's capable of against the Brumbies and marking Tevita Kuridrani. Keep a close eye on Magnay in the back end of this season.

14: James Ramm - Waratahs 

Elusive and quick, Ramm made Jock Campbell's 20 minute performance on the right wing hell. Ramm was lethal early on and was instrumental in the Waratahs' flying start.

15: Jack Maddocks

His first touch he opted not to kick the ball and ran. It turned out to be the right call as he beat a series of defenders and make good metres. It was the type of run to fill him with confidence, and that's how his night progressed. It was Maddocks' best performance in a month.

 

 

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