With the dust having settled on the opening round of the Rugby World Cup, we have gone through the action and picked the standout players.

New Zealand, Ireland and Wales top the inclusions with three representatives apiece so without further ado here’s our team. Be sure to comment and also leave your own line-up in the comments section below.

Team of the Week: Rugby World Cup, Round One

15 Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): Continues to grow in the 15 jersey for the All Blacks and impressed again in their Rugby World Cup opener against South Africa. Barrett’s speed from the back, particularly when receiving possession off turnover ball, gives opposition defences plenty of headaches and he also offered another playmaking option for New Zealand, with the switch certainly paying off.

14 Kotaro Matsushima (Japan): We thought he had pretty much nailed this shirt down after the tournament’s opening game, but other right wings would also impress over the weekend. Damian Penaud deserved special praise for his showing against Argentina while Sevu Reece and Andrew Conway did very well for New Zealand and Ireland respectively. Matsushima’s hat-trick though sees him named.

13 Manu Tuilagi (England): We had a late push from Wales centre Jonathan Davies for this position while New Zealand’s Anton Lienert-Brown was his usual high quality self on Saturday. However, Tuilagi’s two-try performance proved criticial for England as they got their campaign off to a winning start. Eddie Jones will be desperate to keep his midfield weapon fit as he is crucial to their challenge.

12 Samu Kerevi (Australia): A strong showing from the Wallabies centre as he ended a recent international try drought with his crossing against Fiji. Kerevi made a total of 18 carries for the cause and in all honesty was the only serious contender for our 12 shirt.

11 Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa): We did not mention the Bok in the 14 section for good reason, we simply had to make special dispensation and move him over as our 11. Kolbe was outstanding for South Africa in a losing cause and sees off Marika Koroibete of Australia. He made 124 metres, beating 11 tackles, and was desperately unlucky not to go over for a try. Already a star of the tournament.

10 Dan Biggar (Wales): Firstly a mention for Richie Mo’unga as he gave a measured performance at 10 for New Zealand, with that last ditch tackle on the aforementioned Kolbe an incredible effort. Ben Volavola also impressed for Fiji but we’ve gone for Biggar after his showing on Monday. Despite an early miss off the tee, he shone with his distribution causing huge problems for Georgia.

9 Gareth Davies (Wales): Joining Biggar in the half-backs is fellow Welshman Davies as the pair stood out with the crispness and precision of their passing. They cut Georgia to pieces early on and Davies more than earned his early rest in the game as he helped get the job done by half-time. Aaron Smith earns a mention as he enjoyed a rare good day at the office against rival Faf de Klerk.

8 CJ Stander (Ireland): Tough on Japan number eight Kazuki Himeno, who was excellent in their pool opener. However, Stander silenced a fair amount of his recent doubters on Sunday as he looked more like his old self against Scotland. The hard-running back-row made a whopping 16 carries and was part of a dominant Ireland forward pack that threw down an early tournament marker.

7 Justin Tipuric (Wales): For his early stint in the game against Australia, Fiji star Peceli Yato earns a pat on the back from us. However, the performance of Tipuric against Georgia in Toyota City was another level up. The tireless flanker was everywhere with ball in hand and in defence and deservedly picked up a try as reward for a remarkable showing. His vast array of skills were on show.

6 Ardie Savea (New Zealand): Another one of the standout performers of the round was Savea, who continues to impress in a black shirt. Pieter-Steph du Toit gave another good account of himself on the opposing side but Savea announced himself to the new followers of rugby with a typical all-action effort. Alongside Kolbe we expect these two to be the box office talents at the World Cup.

5 Scott Barrett (New Zealand): Scored a lovely try which was set up by Lienert-Brown and showed, if there was ever any doubt, that he is more than capable of filling in for Brodie Retallick when required. Federico Ruzza earns a mention for his shift for Italy.

4 Guido Petti (Argentina): Was at his destructive best against France in a bruising Argentina pack with his score from close range backed up by an impressive 53 metres with ball in hand, a team high. The 24-year-old lock has such a bright future in the game. He gets this slot ahead of Wales second-row Jake Ball who was voted man-of-the-match in their 43-14 victory over Georgia on Monday.

3 Tadhg Furlong (Ireland): Much like his team, Furlong put a recent quiet patch to bed with a determined effort in the front-row against Scotland. He showed his power in the set-piece and backed that up by using his size in the loose, with his try classic Furlong. If Ireland are to go far in Japan they need their tighthead on top of his game. The early signs look positive of that happening.

2 Rory Best (Ireland): Edging two-try Australian Tolu Latu to our hooker jersey is Best, as he joined prop Furlong in recapturing top form. He played a full 80 minutes on Sunday and was secure at the lineout, led the side superbly and also got a try to boot.

1 Jefferson Poirot (France): His stock continues to rise after another busy showing for the French. Poirot was everywhere for Les Bleus as they kicked off their campaign with a crucial victory over Argentina. Poirot was one of the foundations of that win as he impressed for 68 minutes before receiving a well earned breather. Elsewhere, Bok prop Steven Kitshoff was once again excellent.