Week one form team, kiwi version...

Quite a difficult selection this week, both the men and the blouses, the men up front because so many played well, the blouses because so many played averagely, to poorly!

Well, so many forwards from the locking / loose forward department, the fatties were a little less conspicuous.  The backs much the same, a few standouts, but pretty average across the board.

15:  Mils Muliaina (Chiefs).  Apart from THAT try by Pienaar, where the little halfback stepped the whole Chiefs team, twice, a quality display.  In the form that saw him rated the best 15 in the world at the 2003 RWC.  A class above the rest of the Chiefs backline, he must be hoping his fellow tribesmen pull finger and support him in the weeks to come, otherwise he'll be wondering why the hell he went south to Cow Bell land.

14:  Lome Fa'atau (Hurricanes).  OK, not a Kiwi, but quality finishing from the tattooed man.

13:  Conrad Smith (Hurricanes).  By default.  Was tidy, but really didn't set the world on fire.  Still did more than the rest of the midfielders on display, wasn't a great weekend on that front!

12:  Sam Tuitupou (Chiefs).  Slammin' Sammy back to his best, hard as a greased pig to catch, and when caught, fighting through tackles like the Tasmanian devil that he is.  Good to see, perhaps the change of environment to the Chiefs will re ignite his All Balck career.

11:  Ma'a Nonu (Hurricanes).  Went better when moved into second five, but so did Sammy, so will move Nonu back to the wing.

10:  Dan Carter (Crusaders).  There can be only one!  Carried on from last season, controlled the game well, first time he ran at the line he cut it right open, just did all the right things at the right time.  Class.

9:  Piri Weepu (Hurricanes).  Number one in New Zealand at the moment.  Drove the at times wobbly Hurricanes pack well, strong both on attack and defence, and like Carter, does the right things at the right time.  Ahead of Senio by the width of a gnats pecker.

8:  Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders).  Massive game from the massive man.  Must be loving not being injured (touch wood), so he can get some match fitness about him - both physically and mentally.  Shades So'oialo by an even closer margin that Weepu over Senio, so just by the width of a gnats pubic hair...

7:  Richie McCaw (Crusaders).  He is just so constantly good, that you think he is doing nothing, until you realise that he is just doing what he always does, and that is being the best loose forward on the field.  Doesn't have flashes of brilliance that catches the eye, he is brilliant for 80 minutes!!  Quality performances from Holah, Masoe and Braid also at seven this weekend.

6:  Jerry Collins (Hurricanes).  Betterer and betterer each week and each year.  Crunching tackles, dangerous ball running, and his bloody kicking game - it was Hugo Porta-esq this week, that wipers kick a beaut!  Reuben Thorne a big game too for the champions, and Bates worth a mention from the Chiefs also, playing out of his usual 8 spot.

5:  James Ryan (Highlanders).  Was the driving force in the disappointing Highlanders pack this week, taking everything on his sho8ulders for the full 80 minutes, playing like the extra loose forward that locks have to become these days.  Some big runs with the ball in hand again this week - he's going to score a long range try before too long.  Has certainly grown from a potentially decent lock into an international class lock quickly.

4:  Jason Eaton (Hurricanes).  Showed that he does have what it takes to succeed at Super rugby level.  Was about the field like a turbo charged giraffe as the Hurricanes outplayed the Blues in the second spell.  Makes a huge amount of tackles for a second rower, with his huge strides putting him across the field into positions that no self respecting lock of days gone by would find himself in!!  Spoilt for choice this week at lock, with the two test incumbents Jack and Williams, usurped by their two understudies.

3:  Carl Hayman (Highlanders).  Not up to his usual high standard, but still the best of the Kiwi props on display this weekend.

2:  Andrew Hore (Hurricanes).  The best of a pretty average bunch in the first round of the Super 14.  Hore was buried in the tight for the Hurriacnes as they beat the Blues pack in all facets of play but the scrum, and even there, the beating was by points, with both packs getting the upper hand at times.

1:  Greg Somerville (Crusaders).  Holy Cow batman!  Somerville made a more than decent fist against the world best tighthead Carl Hayman.  Not only that, he has gone from being a standard prop about the field, to a tackling demon, a long way from the easily stepped poepoe he was a couple of seasons back.