Player power rankings: Australia's David Pocock takes top spot

Sports Editor at Large·NZ Herald·

7 Oct, 2015 09:08 PM12 mins to read

Australian flanker David Pocock is the best on show at the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Getty

If there's one thing the TPRs and PPRs have mobilised quickly, it is a solid fanbase.
Like brave Mike428, who I presume is more than just a serial number:

"Who cares about your stupid power rankings. Means nothing except to maybe your mum.

"Muppet journalism at its worst"

Thanks Mike428, keep up the not caring. As an aside, unfortunately my mother stopped caring about anything 11 years ago, but you stay classy.

The PPRs are assessed by a combination of Opta stats, game-changing interventions, influence and a dash of reputation. Although it is fraught, we try to project the player's worth going forward as much as we acknowledge their deeds to date. And, yes, there's a bit of All Black bias.

Often it is pure hunch and personal preference. If it doesn't match your own preferences, the best thing you can do is get really angry and write to me.

Pre-RWC
Week 1
Week 2

In previous weeks I have lamented the quality of decision-making at Nos 9 and 10, while highlighting the value of good fullbacks and No 8s. I don't know whether it's tiredness creeping in after all those metres, but the level of fullback play seems to have dropped off sharply an that is reflected here.

Again, PPRs have demoted the incumbent No 1 (and admit he may not have really warranted the spot anyway), in favour of the form player of the tournament.

1. David Pocock - Australia - No 8 - (up 1)

Last week we said Pocock would have to be brilliant, not just annoying, against England. He was. Looking further down the track, you might remember that Pocock had a test for the ages in the 2011 quarter-final against South Africa. The following week, Craig Joubert wasn't quite as smitten with his technique as Bryce Lawrence had been and when he wasn't getting penalised he was getting smashed in the chest by the All Black cleaners before he had a chance to set himself. With Michael Hooper as his sidekick, he's even more dangerous, but he can be stopped.

2. Kieran Read - NZ - No 8 - (down 1)

If New Zealand are deliberately being set on a low temperature by their coaching staff, then Read is coming to the boil nicely. Not only has he been the ABs' best lineout option, but he is carrying strongly. In fact, if you go into Rugby Herald Stats centre and plug Read and Pocock into the comparison engine, you'll wonder how PPRs has ranked Pocock ahead.

At this stage, Pocock's influence over games is greater and he was never picked to play a traditional No 8 role anyway - simple as that.

3. Schalk Burger - South Africa - Flanker (up 3)

It is pointless denying what we can now all see: South Africa are back and are genuine contenders. After their darkest hour they were lifted on to the considerable shoulders of the indefatigable Burger and have remained there. There's not a lot of Bok trickery but a whole lot of muscularity. Compare Burger's numbers to Jerome Kaino, who plays with similar crunch. Burger has twice as many tackles, three times as many carries, twice as many metres and thrown four times the amount of passes. Oh, and he's scored two tries. Mighty.

4. Sonny Bill Williams - NZ - Midfield (down 1)

It's always quite amusing monitoring Twitter when SBW is playing. It seems to me we've reached a base level of debate, kind of like the bad days of Buck v Zinny, where we can't celebrate the differences Ma'a Nonu and SBW bring without denigrating the other. Is SBW the full package? No, but he's a gamebreaking machine, most probably off the bench. A true difference-maker returning to his 2012 form. Put another way: every team at this World Cup would have SBW in their squad in a heartbeat.

Sonny Bill Williams. Photo / Brett Phibbs

5. Dan Biggar - Wales - First-five (up 1)

He's not the best first-five at the tournament, but he's the most important. Good goalkicking goes a long way to winning World Cups - somebody told me to say that - and they don't get any 'gooder' than Biggar. He and Owen Farrell are the only pair to have taken more than 10 kicks at goal and not missed one, but Owen's not really a factor any more. If Biggar kicks another 13 in succession, who knows, Wales might just have pulled off the upset of the century.

6. Wesley Fofana - France - Midfield (up 6)

We know France is all setpiece strength and gristle. They signalled as much when they jettisoned the flighty Francois Trinh-Duc on the eve of the tournament for Frederic Michalak, way past his best but a player who knows how to get France into the right parts of the field. Still, for all the bump and shove, France is going to need some creativity to beat the best teams. In his two matches, Fofana has been the best French back by a distance, making four clean breaks, beating nine defenders and scoring two tries. He's also made all his tackles (14), without missing one. He is well on the way to being the complete midfielder.

7. Leone Nakarawa - Fiji - Lock (up 11)

One of the best locks at the World Cup is already out of the tournament. What a revelation the big Fijian, who plies his trade for Glasgow, has been. As Chris Rattue wrote on Tuesday, his colourful background includes some time behind bars, but he is the full package on the field - the stats back up the eye on this one. Perhaps not as dominant against Uruguay as you'd expect.

8. Bernard Foley - Australia - First-five (new)

All I need to write here is this: No, Rankings did not see this coming.

9. Iain Henderson - Ireland - Lock (down 2)

The 23-year-old offers, along with back-rower Peter O'Mahony, a dynamic edge to the Irish pack that they will need in the knockouts. Yes, Paul O'Connell is still an important figure and will help control the lineout and breakdown, but Henderson, with his terrific ball-carrying - 14 carries across the gainline - and aggressive tackling (29 at a 94 per cent success rate) is a potential difference-maker.

10. Greig Laidlaw - Scotland - Halfback (down 1)

Feisty, heads-up halfback who is limited in some ways but, as a goalkicker as well, carries Scotland's slim hopes of advancing past the quarter-finals on his diminutive frame.

11. Aaron Smith - NZ - Halfback (down 3)

Another casualty of the great All Black holding-back machine. Smith came into the tournament as the undisputed best halfback in the world but has done barely enough to justify the tag. He still buzzes around the field spitting out near-perfect service - and sometimes that's all you want from a halfback - but he has yet to grab a match by the collar and drag it along with him.

12. Mamuka Gorgodze - Georgia - No 8 (up 7)

Really a bit silly that he was named Man of the Match against the All Blacks when he very clearly wasn't even the best Georgian on the pitch... but who cares? Terrific player and great fun to watch. Unlike the award, this is no sentimental placement. He leads the tournament in tackles (40), is in the top 10 for lineouts (10), is in the top 3 for offloads (14) and is second behind Pocock for turnovers won (7). As a colleague mentioned, how good would it be to see him at the Blues.

13. Israel Folau - Australia - Fullback (down 10)

One or two nice interventions against England but really, he's playing to only a fraction of his talent. That should be a scary thought for those about to face him. He's made two breaks and has beaten nine defenders - that's normally a half game's worth of work for him. Retains high ranking due to reputation.

14. Ben Smith - New Zealand - Fullback (down 1)

You can almost cut and paste the entry for Folau. His unassuming demeanour has seen him nicknamed Ben from Accounts by the Alternative Commentary Collective and while it suits him, it would be nice if he didn't play like that too. So much more to come from him.

15. Michael Hooper - Australia - Flanker (down 1)

Very lucky his surname is not spelled Michael Ho'opa or else he would have likely faced a yellow card for his brain-fade shoulder charge 'clean-out' of Mike Brown. He received a one-game ban at a hearing yesterday, which means he misses the Pool A decider against Wales.

16. Richie McCaw - NZ - Flanker (up 4)

Whereas in 2007 the All Blacks took a controversial all-expenses-plus-breakfast-buffet vacation in Corsica on the eve of the tournament, this more humble version has been less ostentatious. They've instead chosen to take weekend breaks in the likes of London and Cardiff. There's a section of All Black fans who hope this holiday atmosphere doesn't extend to Newcastle, but never fear, Richie says: "Don't panic (three times in a minute)." For this alone, he gets a four-place jump.

17. Michael Leitch - Japan - Flanker (new)

Rankings ignored the charms of Leitch after a short-rest outing against Scotland where his mistake and penalty rate was high and he looked a little dog-eared. But he was a cut above the undisciplined Samoans and is back to his talismanic best. He has been one of the stars of the tournament and the captain of the feel-good team of the month. He averages more than 12 tackles and 14 carries per game.

Japan skipper Michael Leitch. Photo / AP

18. Mike Brown - England - Fullback (down 13)

In many ways representative of England's campaign: a promising enough start, plenty of white noise, but when the pressure came on, folded. Brown added to his gaudy running stats in the loss to Australia, but hurt his team with basic errors. His waspish mien started to permeate the side, too. That all said, remains a damn fine player in the top three for carries (41), metres made (323), defenders beaten (16) and clean breaks (8).

19. Ayumu Goromaru - Japan - Fullback (down 1)

At the risk of repeating myself, Goromaru ticks the boxes of what a high-class international fullback should look like.

20. DTH van der Merwe - Canada - Wing (up 1)

Very good wing on a team that lost every game. None of it his fault. At this stage he's made more metres than any other player in pool play, though Tonga's Telusa Veainu may pass him when he plays the All Blacks. Only Julian Savea and Bryan Habana have scored more tries.

21. Johnny Sexton - Ireland - First-five (down 10)

Like Dan Carter, Sexton came into this World Cup with a considerable reputation but has shown only glimpses of his ability thus far. He doesn't run as often as other first-fives but when he does it's effective. His 11.8m per carry is easily the highest at his position, although it should be cautioned that the sample size means one big break can skew things significantly.

22. Handre Pollard - South Africa - First-five (new)

It seems Heyneke Meyer has finally sorted out the pesky Patrick Lambie or Pollard debate. It beggars belief that it was even really a debate. He runs effectively - 10 defenders beaten before today's win against USA - and kicks like a mule - though perhaps he does too much of the latter.

South Africa's Handre Pollard makes a break. Photo / AP

23. Julian Savea - NZ - Wing (new)

Had to find a place for the tournament's joint top tryscorer (5). All the talk has focused on the right side of the pitch and whether it is the sparkling feet of Nehe Milner-Skudder or the pace and power of Waisake Naholo that could elevate the All Blacks above the rest. Meanwhile, on the left, The Bus, still not at his damaging best, just keeps on picking up five-pointers.

24. Agustin Creevy - Argentina - Hooker (new)

The beating heart of an Argentine forward pack that has taken some time to subdue weaker opponents. Leonardo Senatore started with a hiss and a roar, but it is now Creevy that has picked up the slack. Does all his core roles superbly and while not as athletic as Dane Coles, is very good around the track, too, and at this stage means more to his team.

25=. Taulape Faletau - Wales - Flanker (new)

I've had Sam Warburton near enough in this slot, and I've considered Alun Wyn-Jones and even Jamie Roberts. But after careful consideration and a look at the stats sheets, it seems to me that those guys are like comfortable blankets - important role players but no longer leading men. They might prove me wrong, but at the moment it's Faletau that appeals as more important to Wales' long-term health in this tournament.

25=. Dan Carter - NZ - First-five (down 15)

Misery had plenty of company against Georgia, which was pretty lucky for Carter, as it meant he almost escaped the sort of scrutiny that he did when his team lost the Rugby Championship decider in Sydney. If anything he was worse in Cardiff. When I say almost, Rankings means he did escape scrutiny until this yesterday.