Following a thrilling weekend in the first United Rugby Championship knockout stage, here is the Planet Rugby Team of the Week from the quarter-finals.
Glasgow Warriors arguably produced the performance of the round after hammering the Stormers at Scotstoun and are rewarded with five players making the cut, while the Sharks are next best after their thrilling battle with Munster in Durban.
Team of the Week
15 Willie le Roux (Bulls): After the start the Springboks great had to the game, we didn’t think he would be in this section but Le Roux was absolutely vital to the Bulls’ recovery against Edinburgh. He showed all his skills to create opportunities for his team-mates as they cut through the opposition defence at will. He duly sees off Glasgow Warriors’ Josh McKay, Edinburgh’s Wes Goosen and Leinster’s Hugo Keenan.
14 Ethan Hooker (Sharks): Some brilliance from his team-mates opened the space for the youngster to get free down the right, but Hooker still had lots to do and he finished his try superbly. The 22-year-old was also exceptional in the air and did his job defensively as the Sharks dominated possession and territory against Munster. Kyle Rowe of Glasgow Warriors touched down twice in their dominant victory over the Stormers.
13 Tom Farrell (Munster): Didn’t have much ball to work with in attack but did play a key role in Josh Wycherley’s try, while he also kept the defensive line intact with some excellent organisation and reads. Farrell has had an outstanding season and it is cruel that it is not going on at least another week.
12 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors): In Durban, Andre Esterhuizen was hugely physical for the Sharks and was their go-to man if they needed some thrust in midfield, but Tuipulotu was a creative presence for Glasgow. There were the usual dominant carries with ball in hand but it was his variety, which included a fine grubber through for a try assist, which got him the nod.
11 Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors): Both wings in the Sharks v Munster match – Makazole Mapimpi and Diarmuid Kilgallen – had standout games, with the former responding particularly well after being shoved off the ball too easily for Calvin Nash’s try. James Lowe also played well for Leinster but Steyn made metres at will and took a number of excellent lines to scythe through the Stormers defence.
Proving Andy Farrell wrong
10 Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors): Has Andy Farrell dropped the ball by not selecting the versatile Scotland back? Jordan was utterly exceptional for the Warriors on Friday, making breaks, creating chances for his team-mates and controlling the match superbly as he edged out Jack Crowley (Munster). He was unlucky to miss out on the initial British and Irish Lions squad but will surely be called up if there are injuries.
9 Bradley Davids (Sharks): Came on just before the end of extra time and bisected the uprights twice, including the winning shot, in the penalty shootout to take his side into the semi-finals. Davids, who is only 21, showed serious composure to handle all that pressure and do the job for the Sharks. Meanwhile, George Horne had yet another fine game for Glasgow.
8 Cameron Hanekom (Bulls): Continues to excel for the Pretoria outfit and, as a result, looks set to get more game time for the Springboks this season. An absolute powerhouse in the carry and a workhorse in defence as the Bulls overcame an impressive Edinburgh start, in which Magnus Bradbury starred, to move into the semi-finals.
7 Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors): A defensive masterclass in the first half as Glasgow withstood some fierce Stormers pressure in the first half before Darge brought that physicality into his carrying after the break. Munster’s John Hodnett was also outstanding without the ball as the Irish province kept the Sharks attack at bay.
6 Henco Venter (Glasgow Warriors): Featured at number eight but we simply had to get him in the team after a fine all-round showing at Scotstoun. Against his fellow South Africans, Venter was a huge presence on both sides of the ball, regularly making ground in the loose and helping out defensively with some key interventions.
Fantastic second-row battle in Durban
5 Tadhg Beirne (Munster): Absolutely immense in the Irish province’s agonising defeat. Beirne edged out Leinster’s RG Snyman, who made a significant impact off the bench, by doing some incredible work in defence as he never stopped working while the Sharks laid siege to their 22.
4 Eben Etzebeth (Sharks): The Springboks’ record cap holder spoke about the battle between him and Test team-mate Jean Kleyn before the match and it lived up to the hype. Kleyn was superb but Etzebeth, like the Sharks, just about edged the contest by doing plenty of good work in both the loose and the tight.
3 Wilco Louw (Bulls): Not much more we can really say about the brilliant Louw. Once again dominated in the set-piece to set the platform for the Bulls’ comeback as his amazing season continued. Neethling Fouche was one of the few bright spots in the Stormers’ abysmal performance as South Africa’s immense tighthead depth was on show at the weekend.
2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster): Another underwhelming display from the Irish giants but they got the job done, thanks in part to Sheehan’s impact off the bench. The Ireland hooker was very busy when he joined the action early in the second period to help Leinster get over the line in their URC quarter-final.
1 Ntuthuko Mchunu (Sharks): Starting loosehead Ox Nche was also excellent in Durban while Jan-Hendrik-Wessels enjoyed scrum dominance against Edinburgh, but Mchunu was simply incredible for the Sharks. Built on the work of Nche in the set-piece but also added so much punch with ball in hand, putting Munster under immense pressure.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/urc-team-of-the-week-springboks-battle-lives-up-to-the-hype-as-andy-farrell-potentially-drops-the-ball-after-lions-snubs-utterly-exceptional-display
