The Brumbies and Rebels claimed wins at the weekend but the Reds and Waratahs were far from disgraced in their losses to the Highlanders and Chiefs, respectively.
In a week in which several Australians starred, who stood out from the pack?
1. Scott Sio - Brumbies
Dominated his opposite number at scrum time to the point where it was a surprise where he did not force a penalty.
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa - Reds
A pair of overcooked throws hurt Queensland but Paenga-Amosa was otherwise solid in another Wallabies audition. A try at the back of a rolling maul was reward for 14 runs which produced 21 metres, a tackle bust and two line breaks.
3. Sekope Kepu - Waratahs
Kept the Tahs scrum solid after a shaky start, provided a handy link in the front line of the NSW attack and crashed over the gain line a few times, too.
4. Matt Philip - Rebels
Made the most of his return to the starting XV with 12 runs for 34 metres, three tackle busts and a line break. Played a big part in the Rebels’ domination up front.
5. Adam Coleman - Rebels
Speaking of domination up front, Coleman was a force at lineout time for Melbourne. He worked his way through three separate Sunwolves mauls and pulled them down and had nine tackles to complement 10 runs which produced 37 metres, a tackle bust and a line break.
6. Will Miller - Waratahs
A workhorse in the truest sense, Miller was everywhere against the Chiefs. He made 12 tackles, scored a try and made 25 metres from his seven carries.
7. David Pocock - Brumbies
Pocock has not missed a beat since returning from sabbatical but he put on a masterclass against the Bulls. He set up for a pair of tries, was a beast in defence and a force at the breakdown.
8. Michael Wells - Waratahs
Another industrious performance from Wells, who is a quiet achiever in the Waratahs pack on a weekly basis.
9. Joe Powell - Brumbies
Powell had the Brumbies attack humming at a level not seen this season against the Bulls. His service was quick, clean and allowed the likes of Tom Banks to run riot.
10. Bernard Foley - Waratahs
A perfect performance off the kicking tee rounded out a brilliant performance from Foley, who is finding top gear with the first June Test just under a fortnight away.
11. Marika Koroibete - Rebels
A hat trick for the Fijian flyer, who has figured out the kinks in his defensive game which plagued the first half of his season.
12. Kurtley Beale - Waratahs
Arguably Beale’s best performance of the season. Scored a superb heads up try, worked hard in defence and had several sublime touches in attack. Like Foley, finding top gear with June just around the corner.
13. Tevita Kuridrani - Brumbies
Like his 10-12 partners for the Wallabies, Kuridrani has warmed into his work so far this season. He is playing more of an influential role in the Brumbies attack and is at his brutal best on defence.
14. Jack Maddocks - Rebels
Scored two tries, saved one in a wonderful Wallabies audition. Proved yet again that he is one to watch.
15. Tom Banks - Brumbies
After an unusually quiet start to the season, Banks has been airborne for the past month. Several pundits have compared him to the great Chris Latham and that isn’t far off the mark. He recorded an incredible eight tackle busts and three line breaks from his 10 carries and his 70m try with the game on the line had to be seen to be believed.
