In what was a pretty topsy turvy round for the South African teams, most of us managed to still pick up 2 wins this weekend.
The Bulls were their own worst enemy against the Jaguares. Without Handre Pollard at 10, they looked rudderless.
The Lions were abysmal and I don't really want to speak much about them . This weekend brought back tragic memories of Eugene Eloff and Dick Muir.
The Stormers were... well, the Stormers.
What can be said, is that there are a number of players that are putting their hands up for Bok selection this year.
It's going to be hard for Rassie to look past Carlu Sadie from the Lions. He has played and dominated consistently, week in and week out.
For all the Andre Esterhyusen knockers out there, he's been playing some good ball in 2019. He has something that many ball carrying 12's don't have. He has a wonderful perception of space and knows when to off-load.
Though he may not be the final product, he's shown a lot more diversity on attack when compared to Damian de Allende. Although the latter did show some sparkling touches this weekend, he seems to lack any sort of consistency to make him a permanent threat.
This coming weekend sees two massivee Kiwi derby games with the Crusaders hosting the Highlanders and the resurgent Chiefs travelling to Auckland to face the Blues.
Derbys have a knack of throwing out a few upsets, so make your Week 9 picks carefully.
Have a great week.
Yours in ruggaEd