Following the United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-finals, here is the Planet Rugby Team of the Week from the two matches.
Leinster and the Bulls will face off at Croke Park in the showpiece event after they proved too strong for Glasgow Warriors and the Sharks respectively. Unsurprisingly, the winners from the weekend dominate this team with 14 of the 15 coming from the finalists.
URC Team of the Week
15 Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster): The Bulls’ Willie le Roux once again did well as they defeated the Sharks but O’Brien proved to be a more than able deputy for Hugo Keenan, who sat this game out through injury. The full-back was solid under in the air and a constant threat with ball in hand.
14 Tommy O’Brien (Leinster): Another O’Brien in the team as wing Tommy edged out Bulls star Canan Moodie, who was a class act in Pretoria on Saturday. Despite all the Ireland internationals in the squad, the speedster has been one of Leinster’s best players this season and continued that fine form with a superb display in the semi-final. To be honest, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get a Lions call-up should one of the wing’s go down considering the performances he has put in.
13 Jamie Osborne (Leinster): They may have been without Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw but Osborne stepped into their shoes with an accomplished display at the Aviva Stadium. David Kriel returned to form for the Bulls but it was not enough to get into the XV over the versatile Ireland back.
12 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors): This was a tough call given that Jordie Barrett also played well, but it wasn’t quite as dominant as we’ve come to expect from the All Black and Tuipulotu never took a backwards step despite Glasgow’s struggles. The Scotland centre started at 13 but switched to 12 in the second period after Stafford McDowall came on. He made ground in the carry, showed some nice touches with ball in hand and finished superbly for his try at the end.
Performance of the round
11 Sebastian de Klerk (Bulls): Produced arguably the performance of the semi-finals by inspiring Jake White’s men, so much so that people are starting to talk about him as a potential Springbok. De Klerk crossed the whitewash early on before he set up Moodie with an inch-perfect crossfield kick and simply caused havoc every time he had the ball. Opposite number Makazole Mapimpi also impressed but the Bulls man was an easy pick.
10 Johan Goosen (Bulls): Taken off before the hour mark but prior to that – especially in the first half – Goosen showed great control and dictated the match excellently. It wasn’t necessarily a great weekend for fly-halves with Sam Prendergast once again struggling defensively and Jordan Hendrikse and Adam Hastings playing behind beaten packs, but the Bulls playmaker certainly deserves his spot.
9 Embrose Papier (Bulls): Alongside Goosen in the key decision-making positions is Papier. It takes a special performance to displace Leinster and Ireland star Jamison Gibson-Park but that’s what the 28-year-old has done. He was a real livewire throughout and we just can’t quite fathom why he is not in the Springboks reckoning.
8 Jack Conan (Leinster): Quality operator who has enjoyed a fine season for both club and country. Carried hard and made his tackles as he saw off the other competitors in what was a quiet weekend for number eights. Cameron Hanekom didn’t set the world alight and was yellow carded before he got injured while Siya Kolisi struggled behind a retreating Sharks front five.
7 Ruan Nortje (Bulls): Technically a blindside but he wore seven and we’ve slotted him in alongside Ryan Baird at flanker as we simply could not separate them. Nortje was a huge presence at the lineout while he was similarly monstrous in defence to help the Bulls into the final of the URC.
Incredible athlete
6 Ryan Baird (Leinster): A supreme athlete, the hybrid lock/flanker was exceptional for Leinster and was officially named the player of the match. Like Nortje, he was outstanding in the lineout and impressive in defence, but the back five forward also carried hard with ball in hand.
5 James Ryan (Leinster): As ever, Scott Cummings put in a massive shift for Glasgow Warriors but he can now concentrate on Lions matters after their exit from the URC. Ryan, who will also tour Australia, outshone his future team-mate with an excellent second-row display that saw him be effective in all facets of the game.
4 Cobus Wiese (Bulls): Arguably the lock’s best performance for the Pretoria outfit as he saw off the threat of Joe McCarthy, who was a big presence in the Leinster second-row. Wiese was particularly effective in defence but he also made plenty of metres with ball in hand, with his galloping run and pass providing the assist for Kriel’s decisive try.
3 Wilco Louw (Bulls): Not often you see Ox Nche being sent backwards but that’s what Louw did on Saturday. To be honest, it’s what the Springboks tighthead has done to opposition looseheads all season and Nche was not spared the tighthead’s wrath. Leinster also scrummaged well, with Thomas Clarkson shining, but Louw is a different beast to any other prop in the competition.
2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster): We could have gone for an all-Bulls front-row as Johan Grobbelaar also impressed, once again producing a performance which makes you wonder what he has to do to get more recognition from Rassie Erasmus, but Sheehan was in top form against the Warriors on Saturday, touching down twice, making over 40 metres with ball in hand and doing his core roles effectively.
1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls): Completing the line-up is the other starting Bulls prop, who has deputised superbly following Gerhard Steenekamp’s injury. Wessels has scrummaged just as well as Steenekamp but he has also added a bit more around the field to give them an extra dimension up front.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/urc-team-of-the-week-sione-tuipulotu-gatecrashes-leinster-and-bulls-party-as-ireland-stars-and-springboks-hopefuls-hit-form-in-semi-finals
