A much tighter round of competition in Super Rugby U16s saw Queensland emerge as a contender, and the Western Force notch up their second win of the season.
The Reds came back from a six-try deficit to get within nine points of ladder leaders NSW while the Force banked a bonus-point victory over ACT Brumbies in the nation's capital.
Rugby Australia's High Performance staff select their Team of the Week from Round Three.
The Reds' revival started at the set piece, and Kite excelled across multiple areas in the third round.
Having a perfect day defensively, Kite’s ball carrying served as a valuable weapon, which took on the Waratahs up front.
The most successful hooker of the weekend, Hill’s strong showing at set piece laid a crucial platform for the Sunshine State.
Nabbing the Reds’ first try for his efforts, Hill’s performance set the stage for their comeback - and very nearly - an unlikely win.
Named here for a second week straight, Talakai was outstanding in a starting NSW jersey.
Picking up a try and maintaining a near-perfect defensive record, the youngster is following well in the footsteps of siblings Sam and Adiana.
One of the biggest engines in the competition, Will Gencur more than held his own against a fast-finishing Reds pack.
The lock caused plenty of disruptions for the visitors at lineout time with two steals and high-tempo play both sides of the ball.
Another name on the growing list of impressive locks out West, Enzo Kyle capped a strong performance against the Brumbies with his second try of the tournament.
On a solid afternoon for the WA side in Canberra, Kyle was his side's primary lineout target, stuck his tackles and steered a dangerous maul for multiple scores.
Speaking of young Force stars, this exciting loose forward returns for his second consecutive Team of the Week selection
Kleine-Deters Ausage is developing a strong reputation for his physicality, which only strengthened after 11 bustling carries against the Brumbies.
Ilot’s second start of the season came up trumps in Canberra - the fetcher was everywhere across his 49-minute performance.
A pure empty-the-tank effort, Ilott's pace around the park and support play helped the Force gain the ascendancy in the first half.
Another back-to-back Team of the Week selection, Arama’s 36-minute shift helped NSW put the Reds to the sword before half time.
A handful with ball in hand, Arama’s storming runs helped the Waratahs open things up Queensland's defensive line, with tries then coming thick and fast for the hosts.
Izack Holmes continues his stranglehold on the Team of the Week halfback jersey, racking up his third straight selection.
While not nabbing any tries this time around, Holmes' gamesmanship took centre stage this week after his partnership with Wilson Ruthven put the NSW Waratahs backline into overdrive.
Speaking of which, Holmes’ halves partner mate was an easy selection for a second straight Team of the Week.
While his triple threat of kick-pass-run helped unleashing the Waratahs backline, Ruthven also continued his excellent kicking form, nailing seven out of eight conversions.
The sole appearance for the Brumbies in this week’s list, Cross produced a contender for try of the season with a long-range 65th-minute stunner down the left wing.
Cross' big play gave the hosts a sniff of a victory while his first half yellow card was quickly made amends for by sharp work in the lead up to William Hall's try.
The second player to hit a three-peat in Team of the Week, Xuereb continues to show potential as a great prospect in sky blue.
While not getting over the chalk, his distribution skills unleashed the likes of Asher Chapman and Finn Hannon early on the Reds.
Backing up from selection in Round Two's Team of the Week, Chinula's performance really helped turn the tide for the Reds.
The outside centre was everywhere throughout the match, particularly in the second half, with his support play particularly strong.
The third player to make an appearance in three Teams of the Week, Chapman only tightened his grasp on the 14 jersey.
Put in the right spaces by his teammates, the right wing took his chances, scoring four tries against the Reds.
The young Force fullback caused all sorts of headaches for the Brumbies.
Managing three offloads and four line breaks, his attacking ability kept the Force ahead across his 70-minute performance.
