The opening weekend of the World Cup is over and after eight exciting matches we name our first Team of the Week - an interesting mix that includes a fair collection of players from the minnows.

As can be expected the Southern Hemisphere big guns and tournament favourites New Zealand and Australia provide a large chunk of our 'Starting XV'.

Hosts New Zealand and Australia each have three players, while the rest is made up of one each from France, Japan, England, Argentina, Wales, Fiji, Italy, South Africa and Tonga.

Our Bubbling Under selection also reflects the weekend's results - with two each from Wales, South Africa and Australia. New Zealand, Fiji, United States, France, Ireland, Romania, England, Argentina and Italy make up the numbers.

Team of the Week - Part One:

15 - Kurtley Beale (Australia):
It was a toss-up between two of the most exciting runners in the game at present, with our vote eventually going to the Wallaby, if only because his team's opposition was somewhat better.
Bubbling under: Israel Dagg (New Zealand)

14 - Richard Kahui (New Zealand):
He provided Graham Henry with a few (pleasant) selection headaches.
Bubbling under: Vereniki Goneva (Fiji)

13 - Aurelien Rougerie (France):
There were a number of players who put their hands up, but he made the most crucial breaks in a game that had the potential to be the weekend's biggest upset.
Bubbling under: Paul Emerick (United States)

12 - Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand):
His mistakes aside, he managed to create two tries for his team and earned enough votes in a congested midfield battle.
Bubbling under: Jamie Roberts (Wales)

11 - Digby Ioane (Australia):
Australia will miss him in the games to come, following his fractured thumb he suffered in another stand-out performance against a willing Italian team.
Bubbling under: Francois Hougaard (South Africa)

10 - James Arlidge (Japan):
Some players make an impact coming off the bench. He not only started the game, but almost single-handedly upset the French in an eight-try thriller.
Bubbling under: Quade Cooper (Australia)

9 - Ben Youngs (England):
There is no doubt his 31 minutes on the field dramatically swung the match in favour of England. He should be starting, not coming off the bench.
Bubbling under: Will Genia (Australia)

8 - Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Argentina):
At times it looked almost as if he was waging a lone war against the brutal English forwards. His bravery kept the Pumas in the game right to the end.
Bubbling under: Toby Faletau (Wales)

7 - Sam Warburton (Wales):
He certainly showed that Warren Gatland's pre-match talk was not just hype. He lived up to the expectations.
Bubbling under: Imanol Harinordoquy (France)

6 - Jerome Kaino (New Zealand):
He is invaluable to the Kiwi cause and his physical presence is what will allow the other loose forwards to play a free-roaming game.
Bubbling under: Heinrich Brüssow (South Africa)

5 - James Horwill (Australia):
On a weekend that produced numerous stand-out performances in the second row, Horwill was in a class of his own - a calm demeanour that helped the Wallabies overpower the Italians in the second half.
Bubbling under: Paul O'Connell (Ireland)

4 - Leone Nakarawa (Fiji):
He proved that it is not just the major contenders that have quality tight forwards. And, true to Fijian tradition, he also runs around like a wing.
Bubbling under: Valentin Ursache (Romania)

3 - Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy):
The grizzled veteran kept the Italian scrum under pressure and gets around the field better than most other tight forwards his age.
Bubbling under: Dan Cole (England)

2 - Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa):
He certainly strengthened the argument of a growing chorus of voices calling for him to start.
Bubbling under: Mario Ledesma (Argentina)

1 - Alisona Taumalolo (Tonga):
There was a delightful period of 120 minutes in the final quarter, when Tonga laid siege to the All Black line, that summed up all that was good about minnows like Tonga. And Taumalolo was at the centre of it all, eventually scoring the try.
Bubbling under: Andrea Lo Cicero (Italy)

Our individual selections!

Howard Kahn XV: 15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 13 Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 Vereniki Goneva (Fiji), 10 Rhys Priestland (Wales), 9 Ben Youngs (England), 8 Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Tom Croft (England), 5 James Horwill (Australia), 4 Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 3 Dan Cole (England), 2 Marius Tincu (Romania), 1 Mihaita Lazar (Romania).

Timmy Hancox XV: 15 Kurtley Beale (Australia), 14 Vereniki Goneva (Fiji), 13 Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), 12 Fabrice Estebanez (France), 11 Simon Danielli (Scotland), 10 James Arlidge (Japan), 9 Fabio Semenzato (Italy), 8 Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 4 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji), 3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), 1 Alisona Taumalolo (Tonga).

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Kurtley Beale (Australia), 14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 13 Paul Emerick (United States), 12 Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand), 11 Digby Ioane (Australia), 10 Quade Cooper (Australia), 9 Will Genia (Australia), 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 4 Valentin Ursache (Romania), 3 Owen Franks (New Zealand), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), 1 Alisona Taumalolo (Tonga).

Michael de Vries XV: 15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 13 Aurelien Rougerie (France), 12 Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand), 11 Digby Ioane (Australia), 10 James Arlidge (Japan), 9 Dimitri Yachvili (France), 8 Juan Martín Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Imanol Harinordoquy (France), 6 Sam Warburton (Wales), 5 Patricio Albacete (Argentina), 4 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji), 3 Alisona Taumalolo (Tonga), 2 Mario Ledesma (Argentina), 1 Andrea Lo Cicero (Italy).

Len Kaplan XV: 15 Israel Dagg (New Zealand), 14 Richard Kahui (New Zealand), 13 Aurelien Rougerie (France), 12 Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand), 11 Digby Ioane (Australia), 10 James Arlidge (Japan), 9 Mike Phillips (Wales), 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Jerome Kaino (New Zealand), 5 James Horwill (Australia), 4 Patricio Albacete (Argentina), 3 Nicolas Mas (France), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), 1 Alisona Taumalolo (Tonga).

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Kurtley Beale (Australia), 14 Vereniki Goneva (Fiji), 13 Aurelien Rougerie (France), 12 Jamie Roberts (Wales), 11 Francois Hougaard (South Africa), 10 James Arlidge (Japan), 9 Ben Youngs (England), 8 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), 7 Sam Warburton (Wales), 6 Heinrich Brüssow (South Africa), 5 James Horwill (Australia), 4 Leone Nakarawa (Fiji), 3 Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy), 2 Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa), 1 Andrea Lo Cicero (Italy).