We’ve decided to give everybody a little review of the summer internationals by deciding who has been each home nations best and worst player this weekend.
It proved to be an incredible weekend for the Northern Hemisphere sides as they all levelled their series following defeat last weekend.
RESULTS:
- New Zealand 12-23 Ireland
- Australia 17-25 England
- South Africa 12-13 Wales
- Argentina 6-29 Scotland
IRELAND:
BEST: Tadhg Beirne
The Irish Times 8/10: "Having benefited from the blowout last week this performance was so much more representative of his game intelligence and athleticism, making breaks, tackles, and turnovers."
Balls.IE 10/10: "What a performance !! Was central is all of Ireland’s good attacking moments with some excellent ball carrying. Great ball carry before Ireland’ s 2nd try."
Rugby Pass 9/10: "A great break in the run-up to Porter’s first try, and a huge carry in the run-up to his second. Some powerful work in the tight and held up the All Blacks late on."
WORST: James Lowe
The Irish Times 6/10: "His early kicking game was top notch and he carried powerfully, but he conceded a couple of sloppy penalties, one for a pull back and another for taking the player out in the air. He dropped what would have been a try-scoring pass."
Rugby Pass 6/10: "Used his boot well to relieve pressure, and a willing runner off 9. However, some really costly errors."
ENGLAND:
BEST: Jack van Poortvliet
Telegraph 9/10: "Starting debuts, in a position of historical tempestuousness for Eddie Jones, do not come better than this. Set a ferocious tempo; box-kicked majestically."
WORST: Marcus Smith
Telegraph 9/10: "There is no doubt about his talent, no doubt about his potential; there is also no doubt that he was England's least impressive back, the sin-binning indicative of England's wobble."
Rugby Pass 5.5/10: "With his team already under the pump Smith was sin-binned at the worst possible moment for a brainless deliberate knock-dow"
WALES:
BEST: Tommy Reffell
Wales Online 9/10: "Turned over Esterhuizen early on and followed it up with brilliant work later to relieve Coetzee of possession. “He’s got it all, hasn’t he?” pondered Jamie Roberts in commentary. On the evidence of the past two weeks, the response should come in the affirmative. Reffell was also on the scene for another turnover late on."
WORST: Dewi Lake
Wales Online 5/10: "One dreadful lineout throw followed up by two others darts going awry. Tried to atone with his carrying, but it wasn’t his day."
SCOTLAND:
BEST: Mark Bennett
WORST: Duhan van de Merwe
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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