15 SP Marais (Stormers): Shone against his former team, the Bulls, and was one of the Stormers’ stars as they ran their traditional rivals ragged especially during the first half when he crossed for a deserved try. Finished with 138 metres gained from 11 runs with one clean break and four defenders beaten. Joaquín Tuculet of the Jaguares and the Crusaders’ Israel Dagg also caught the eye.
14 Vince Aso (Hurricanes): Came into the champions’ starting line-up as a late replacement for the injured Cory Jane and made full ise of his opportunity against the Sunwolves. Aso gained an incredible 164 metres with ball in hand from 14 runs with six clean breaks, three defenders beaten, three offloads and he finished with two tries. Beats out Highlanders flyer Waisake Naholo.
13 Rieko Ioane (Blues): The teenager delivered arguably the performance of the round in his side’s demolition of the Rebels in Melbourne. Ioane finished with a hat-trick of tries after gaining 144 metres from nine runs with five clean breaks and four defenders beaten. Samu Kerevi of the Reds and Stormers newbie EW Viljoen also impressed.
12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg (Lions): Started at outside centre against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein but shifted into his regular inside centre berth after Howard Mnisi was injured early on and was arguably his team’s best player. Janse van Rensburg gained 57 metres on attack from two clean breaks, one defender beaten and scored two tries. Comes in ahead of the Highlanders’ Rob Thompson and Jeronimo de la Fuente of the Jaguares.
11 James Lowe (Chiefs): Sealed victory for his team against the Highlanders in Dunedin with two well-taken tries. Lowe was a constant threat on attack and gained 94 metres from 10 carries with three clean breaks, three defenders beaten and four offloads. Julian Savea and George Bridge also shone for the Hurricanes and Crusaders respectively.
10 Ihaia West (Blues): An inspired choice as helivered a superb allround display in his side’s win over the Rebels. West pulled the strings in the Blues back-line finishing with two try assists and an 18-point haul thanks to six conversions and two penalties. Cheetahs pivot Fred Zeilinga also did well against the Lions.
9 Gonzalo Bertranou (Jaguares): The young number nine made a rare start for the Jaguares and was one of their star players in their win over the Kings in Port Elizabeth, Bertranou delivered a crisp service to his outside backs and kept the defence busy with some sniping breaks. Eventually finished with 58 metres gained from eight runs with three clean breaks, one defender beaten, an offload and also crossed for a try. Augustine Pulu also impressed.
8 Scott Higginbotham (Reds): Towering presence on his return to Suncorp as a Reds player, where he won the title in 2011, as he grabbed the Reds’ first try after half an hour against the Sharks. Twelve carries for over 50 metres marked a productive afternoon for the former Wallaby. Mentions for Leonardo Senatore and Hanro Liebenberg of the Jaguares and Bulls.
7 Ardie Savea (Hurricanes): Just too big and strong for the Sunwolves as Savea showed when he barrelled his way over for his second try, having been set up for an earlier score by brother Julian. Savea thrived in the open space, beating several defenders, making seven tackles and providing two assists to go with his own tries. Beats out George Smith of the Reds and Mitchell Karpik of the Chiefs.
6 Steven Luatua (Blues): Great work-rate upfront from the Blues back-row, who recently signed for Bristol, as the his team pulled off the result of the round in Melbourne. Luatua beat five defenders from his ten carries for over 60 metres, while also making eleven tackles in defence. Scott Fardy of the Brumbies and Stormers captain Siya Kolisi were in contention.
5 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers): The towering Springbok lock proved once again why he is one of the world’s best after another complete performance in a Stormers jersey. Du Toit was immense in the lineout, putting pressure on the Bulls set-piece while stealing one of their throws. The second-row also crash-balled the Bulls into submission after seven fearsome runs. Hurricanes’ Michael Fatialofa lock gets a mention for scoring two tries against Sunwolves.
4 Brodie Retallick (Chiefs): Brodie Retallick was a defensive maestro in his side’s win over the Highlanders on Friday. The All Black second-row made a whopping 13 tackles while containing their New Zealand rivals. His presence was felt on attack as well after leaving the opposition defence in his wake with his barnstorming runs. Lions lock Andries Ferreira gets a shout for putting in nine tackles against the Cheetahs.
3 Wilco Louw (Stormers): The 22-year old tighthead was part of a powerful scrum that wheeled their usually strong opposition around the pack on Saturday. And despite being so young Louw held his own against experienced and older players. The young prop was surprisingly mobile as well after making seven tackles on the day.
2 Tolu Latu (Waratahs): The hooker provided the grit the Waratahs needed in a trench-style battle. Latu’s physical presence in the loose and at the breakdown helped the Sydney side boss the Western Force in the collision area, giving his side the front foot. Latu’s pin-point accuracy in the throw-in was instrumental to his team’s victory after hitting his target successively 12 times. Ricky Riccitelli gets a mention for making 10 tackles and scoring a try against the Sunwolves. Stormers and Springbok hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi also gets a shout out for an incredible scrummaging performance and for some lethal crash balls.
1 Kane Hames (Highlanders): After making 13 tackles against the Chiefs Hames catapults himself into the Team of the Week. The 28-year old managed to move his massive frame around the park with tremendous pace, putting pressure on the opposition. The front-rower also made some vital turnovers. JC Janse Van Rensburg gets a mention for his part in a dominant Stormers scrum.
Mozart must be seriously upset by Du Toit being in the mix and Etzebeth not even mentioned. He should learn that most people see through his fac tual misrepresentations.
