Front-row:

1. Ellis Genge (England)

Questions were asked before the game about whether England could front up physically against the Springboks, and Genge certainly answered them.

A constant threat with ball in hand, the prop showed real intent throughout and repeatedly looked to inject tempo with quick penalties.

He fully deserved his try after powering through Thomas du Toit from close range.

2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)

The lineout was shaky at times, and Marx must shoulder some of the blame, but the reigning World Rugby Player of the Year still produced a statement performance.

He played the full 80 minutes, led the Springbok tackle count, threatened at the breakdown, scored a try and assisted another.

Simply marvellous.

3. Thomas du Toit (South Africa)

Set the tone for South Africa’s dominant victory by powering over for the opening try after just three minutes, sparking the Springboks’ devastating early blitz.

Du Toit was not perfect, with Ellis Genge getting the better of him for England’s first try, but he remained a powerful presence in the tight and played his part as the hosts gradually overwhelmed England up front.

A try-scoring performance in a commanding 45-21 victory was enough to earn him the tighthead shirt in our Team of the Week.

Second-row:

4. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)

Shifted into the second row and handed the captaincy following the late withdrawals of Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth, but the disruption hardly bothered him.

Du Toit was everywhere across his 80 minutes, carrying powerfully, dominating contact and providing an important presence at the lineout.

Another colossal performance.

5. Sam Darry (New Zealand)

Involved from the opening minutes with a relentless stream of carries and tackles.

Darry had already reached double figures defensively inside the opening half-hour and even stepped in as a makeshift scrum-half during the build-up to New Zealand’s second try.

Finished with a game-leading 23 tackles.

Back-row:

6. Ben Gunter (Japan)

One of the easiest selections in the entire XV after a colossal performance in Japan’s shock victory over Italy.

The blindside was named player of the match after finishing with a game-high 19 completed tackles and played a huge role in Japan shutting Italy out completely after half-time.

Gunter then delivered the decisive moment shortly after the break. After Japan worked through 16 phases, he powered through four defenders to score and move the Brave Blossoms into a commanding lead.

A relentless display at the heart of the weekend’s biggest upset.

7. Jac Morgan (Wales)

Wales’ best player and thoroughly deserving of his player-of-the-match award.

Morgan put in a huge shift, finishing as his side’s top tackler with 17 while also playing a crucial role at the breakdown.

He also crossed for two tries.

A superstar.

CARDIFF, WALES – JULY 04: Aaron Wainwright of Wales speaks to the media following the 2026 Nations Championship match between Fiji and Wales at Cardiff City Stadium on July 04, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Alex Livesey – Nations Championship/Nations Championship via Getty Images)

8. Aaron Wainwright (Wales)

The Leicester Tigers back-rower remains one of Wales’ most important players and continued his impressive form against Fiji.

His work rate was outstanding, while he repeatedly got his side over the gainline and made himself a complete nuisance in attack.

Wales will need more of the same as their Nations Championship campaign gets significantly tougher.

Editors Picks: