Following the last full set of fixtures across Europe’s big three leagues before the Autumn Nations Series kicks off, find out who made Opta’s European rugby Team of the Week.
The 2024 November Test window is upon us, and our Team of the Week – selected using the data-driven Opta Index – contains a host of players set to represent their nations over the next few weekends.
Eleven different teams are represented in the XV, with Gloucester, Saracens and Connacht each seeing two of their players named. Toulouse also boast two representatives after their demolition of Toulon.
Opta’s Star Player of the Week
Grant Williams was Opta Index’s player of the week. Further staking his claim to the hotly-contested Springboks number nine jersey, Williams was pivotal in the Sharks’ first ever URC victory against Munster. Williams scored a try and assisted a further two, with his three try involvements the most of any URC player over the weekend.
While he made just seven carries, he was the only scrum-half to gain 100+ metres across the European leagues (102). His next closest competitor, a certain Antoine Dupont, made seven metres fewer (95), despite carrying over twice as often (15).
Defensively, Williams boasted a 100% tackle success rate, succeeding with each of his six attempts, including a vital turnover-winning tackle on Sean O’Brien that prevented Munster from regaining a foothold in the game after the Sharks stormed to an early 17-0 lead.
The Best of the Rest
Kalaveti Ravouvou also helped himself to a treble of try involvements, scoring a brace and picking up an assist as Bristol Bears mauled Northampton Saints to stay within touching distance of league leaders and local rivals Bath.
A constant threat with the ball in hand, Ravouvou crossed the gainline from 16 of his 19 carries (84%) and gained 115 metres in total, 38 more than the centre with the next most; that happened to be Fijian teammate Semi Radrada (77m for Lyon vs Bayonne).
It may have been Ravouvou’s first start in the Premiership, but after this display, it certainly won’t be his last.
Over in France, Ange Capuozzo was at his dazzling best, racking up a hat-trick as Toulouse handed Toulon their heaviest TOP 14 defeat since 2006 (57-5). It brought his total try tally to five in seven games this season, already as many as he managed in the league last term.
The Italian made six line breaks in total, which is just the second time a player has done so in the TOP 14 since the start of the 2021-22 season. The other occasion was recorded by Capuozzo himself against Clermont a fortnight ago.
The Willis brothers are starting to become regular fixtures in our Team of the Week, with Tom Willis claiming the number eight jersey this week following younger sibling Jack’s inclusion at flanker last week.
Despite ending on the losing side in Saracens’ narrow loss to Leicester Tigers, Willis was the only player to beat more than 10 defenders over the weekend (11) and made sure no attackers beat him, registering a 100% tackle success rate (9/9), with two of those tackles being dominant.
He also helped himself to a jackal turnover, thanks in part to hitting the joint-most defensive rucks of any player (13).
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