With the Rebels and Force on a bye, it was the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds who shone in round seven of Super Rugby Pacific.
The Waratahs showed a killer instinct to dominant the ill-disciplined Drua on the Gold Coast whilst the Reds outclassed the ladder leading Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium.
With this in mind, Rugby.com.au has selected the best from the Australian sides for round seven.
1.Angus Bell
Bell is becoming the Waratahs' most influential player as he continues to set the tempo each game.
The 21-year-old looked damaging with every touch, leading the way with 13 carries as he constantly took the ball over the advantage line.
Couple this with his impressive scrummaging and the loosehead is putting major pressure on James Slipper for the starting Wallabies spot.
2. Dave Porecki
Porecki is another who is doing his International hopes little harm as he delivered another consistent performance.
The hooker was near-perfect at lineout as well as dominating the scrums alongside Bell and Harry Johnson-Holmes.
If he continues this heading into the Trans-Tasman portion of the competition, don’t be surprised to see him starting against England, let alone just in the 23.
3. Taniela Tupou
Despite the yellow card, it was clear to see Tupou’s influence as they dominated the Brumbies scrum for the majority of the match.
He also provided several crucial carries to get the Reds out of trouble as they controlled the contest.
4.Jed Holloway
Holloway’s rise has been one of the stories of 2022 as the stand-in Waratahs skipper continues to take his game to the next level.
He finished off a great try with a brutal run, carrying several Drua defenders before helping put Tane Edmed through a hole to set up Michael Hooper’s try.
Along with this, he remains rock solid at set-piece time, providing the platform for the Waratahs to dominate.
5. Nick Frost
The towering lock once again did everything he could to try and get the Brumbies back into the contest, leading the tackle count (10) as the Reds dominated attacking opportunities.
Along with this, some great work at line out and at the breakdown earned some key turnovers as he looked to spark their attack.
This just allowed him to edge out Ryan Smith, who was impressive once again in Lukhan Salakaia-Loto's absence.
6. Rob Valetini
Valetini was by far the standout for the Brumbies in a disappointing defeat against the Reds.
He was the only Brumby to record over five carries in the contest as he took it upon himself to almost single-handedly provide some momentum.
His team-high 12 carries and 60 metres were crucial in keeping them in the match until the end.
7. Fraser McReight
McReight continues to go from strength to strength, providing a nightmare for the Brumbies to contain.
His presence at the breakdown remains elite but his work with the ball has really seemed to be his main improvement heading into 2022.
McReight’s constant effort was rewarded early in the second half when he capitalised on a Petaia leap to dot down.
8. Will Harris
Harris just did enough to hold out Harry Wilson as he produced one of his best games for the Waratahs.
He really seemed to lift his work ethic, breaking three tackles in his nine carries as well as showing some nice skill in the build-up to Hooper’s try.
After missing Wallabies selection, Harris reminded selectors of his class as he inspired the Waratahs to a dominant victory.
9. Tate McDermott
A true captain’s knock.
McDermott was elite in all aspects of his game, tormenting the Brumbies' defence throughout the contest.
He recorded a game-high seven tackle busts and helped guide the Reds' attack across the park, ultimately securing the win.
10. James O’Connor
Arguably the toughest call of the round by the experience of O’Connor was enough to secure his spot in the team over Tane Edmed.
O’Connor has once again found the form which saw him named last year’s MVP, slicing up opposition at will.
He added to his lead on top of the assists tally with a picture-perfect pass to Filipo Daugunu to cap off an all-around dominant showing that included two tackle busts and a line break.
11. Filipo Daugunu
Daugunu celebrated his 50th in style, reminding the Rugby community of his class.
His positioning for the final try was perfect but it’s his tireless work throughout the 80 minutes that sets him apart.
He finished the night with two line breaks and four tackle busts to go with the five-pointer.
12. Hamish Stewart
Stewart is the defensive heart and soul of this Reds outfit, one of the most underrated players in World Rugby.
His presence in the defensive line to shut down anything the Brumbies threw at them was incredible.
The inside centre's partnership with Paisami is crucial for the Reds if they wish to contend with some of the best teams in Super Rugby Pacific.
13. Hunter Paisami
Speaking of Paisami, he did it all for the Reds as he brutalised the visitors.
He was unstoppable in attack, producing three tackle busts and a line break in his 67 metres.
Along with this, he added another name to the ‘hit list’, flattening Nic White with one of the shots of the year.
14. Dylan Pietsch
Pietsch is the lone non-Red in the backline and more than deserves his spot in the side.
The Sevens convert is really starting to find his feet in the 15-a-side game, matching the Drua’s physicality as he proved dangerous with every carry.
He also showed off the Sevens' skill to grubber and re-gather Alex Newsome's kick, diving over in the corner to open the floodgates.
15. Jordan Petaia
The Petaia experiment passed another test as he starred for the Reds.
From the big leap to set up McReight’s try to a great burst downfield, Petaia looked at home at the back and really excelled once the hosts found a way to feed him constant ball.
With Tom Banks out for the next couple of weeks, Petaia continues to press his case for selection against England.
