Following another enthralling weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) action, here is the Planet Rugby Team of the Week for Round 17.
It was a crucial weekend in the race for the play-offs as the Bulls and Munster claimed big wins, and they are rewarded with three players apiece in the XV, while the Scarlets, Benetton and Leinster are the next best with two each.
Team of the Week
15 Blair Murray (Scarlets): Ahead of Sunday’s game, Willie le Roux appeared nailed on to take this position but then the Wales international ripped the Lions apart. Murray touched down twice, beat six defenders and ran for 76 metres as he beat the Bulls’ Le Roux and Benetton’s Rhyno Smith to the slot.
14 Ethan Hooker (Sharks): There were some good displays from Shayne Bolton (Connacht) and Canan Moodie (Bulls), but Hooker was exceptional against the Ospreys in Durban. Hooker carried hard, was busy on both sides of the ball and was rewarded for his efforts with a try.
13 Tom Farrell (Munster): One of the players of the season. Farrell has been Munster’s shining light in a difficult campaign for the Irish province and he was once again excellent as they defeated Ulster on Friday. Farrell touched down twice and was one of the team’s top tacklers as they boosted their play-off hopes. Wandisile Simelane of the Stormers was the next best.
Leo Cullen’s error
12 Jordie Barrett (Leinster): Similame’s Stormers centre partner, Damian Willemse, was excellent and looks to be finding some form, but Barrett was majestic in Leinster’s dominant win over Zebre. Looking back to the Champions Cup semi-final, it is still bizarre that Barrett did not start and this display rather made a mockery of that decision. Granted, Northampton Saints are a much better team, but two tries, two assists, 65 metres gained, three turnovers won and 14 tackles – a joint game high – showed what the province were missing in those opening 50 minutes.
11 Sebastian de Klerk (Bulls): Not just for the brace he scored but his all-round game as De Klerk caused numerous problems for Cardiff in Pretoria. The Bulls wings were a menace in the air for the visiting catchers while the 25-year-old was also very prominent with ball in hand.
10 Jacob Umaga (Benetton): The Italian outfit secured one of their most important results of the season by hammering top-four side Glasgow Warriors, with Umaga producing a brilliant display in the 10 slot. He mixed his game nicely to see off Ross Thompson of Edinburgh and Leinster’s Sam Prendergast, who responded well after the criticism last weekend.
9 Charlie Shiel (Edinburgh): Only on for 12 minutes but the scrum-half won the game for the Scotsmen with an incredible individual try which could define their season. Shiel spotted a gap from 60 metres out, sped away and evaded the final two defenders for a wonderful score. It kept them in the play-off hunt with one match remaining.
8 Jack Conan (Leinster): With Caelan Doris out, Conan will be taking that number eight role for the big matches and he produced an outstanding outing at the weekend. The back-rower was comfortably the game’s top carrier and with it made a staggering 138 metres – the most of anybody in that game – creating two tries as a result. Benetton’s Lorenzo Cannone was excellent but he was comfortably second best.
7 Marcel Theunissen (Stormers): Perhaps tough on Jac Morgan, who shone despite the Ospreys’ struggles against the Sharks, while Hamish Watson was a menace at the breakdown in Edinburgh’s win, but Theunissen was deservedly named player of the match in the Stormers’ dominant victory over the Dragons thanks to a fine all-round showing.
Rolling back the years
6 Peter O’Mahony (Munster): On his final appearance at Thomond Park, the Ireland and Munster legend rolled back the years to put in a magnificent display against Ulster. On both sides of the ball O’Mahony impressed, with the try he scored being greeted with an incredible roar from the fans. It means Ruan Nortje (Bulls) and Vaea Fifita (Scarlets) miss out despite starring for their respective teams.
5 Sam Lousi (Scarlets): A consistent performer for the Welsh region who adds plenty of ballast to their pack. Lousi was a key carrier at close quarters for the Scarlets while he put it about in defence and was used effectively in the lineout as they produced an immense display in Johannesburg.
4 Tadhg Beirne (Munster): Another member of the Munster pack to go well in their victory on Friday. Beirne did his core duties very effectively but, as ever, he acted like an extra back-rower in the loose and managed to get across the whitewash in what was a fine individual display.
3 Wilco Louw (Bulls): There are quite frankly no better tightheads in the United Rugby Championship than Louw, who is dominating his opposition looseheads on a weekly basis. Cardiff were next to feel the power of the Springboks prop with the 30-year-old once again providing an excellent platform for his team.
2 Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls): Speaking of the Bulls set-piece, the man in the middle of the front-row was also excellent. Grobbelaar anchored the scrum, was accurate with his lineout throwing and was busy in the loose, with his superb off-load to Moodie for Harold Vorster’s try the highlight.
1 Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton): On just his second start for Munster, Michael Milne put in a fine shift but Spagnolo was a standout off the bench for Benetton. The loosehead prop stopped Glasgow Warriors getting any momentum in the second period by winning several turnovers and being solid in the set-piece.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/urc-team-of-the-week-jordie-barrett-makes-a-mockery-of-leo-cullens-bizarre-decision-while-peter-omahony-signs-off-at-thomond-park-in-style
