06 April 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

SUPER RUGBY SA TEAM OF THE WEEK – ROUND 12

Round 12 of Super Rugby had it all as far as the three South African teams were concerned.

The Bulls won (28-21 against the Waratahs), the Sharks drew (21-all with the Crusaders) and the Stormers lost (30-25 against the Jaguares), shaking up the closely-contested conference now headed by the men from Pretoria once again.

? Who was your SA Player of the Week?

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Excellent on attack again, beating a South African-high seven defenders and making 78 metres in 15 runs. Courageous on defence, diving on a piercing grubber and suffering a hard blow (not the only one) courtesy of the pouncing Jaguares chasers. Looked sharp when he switched to flyhalf in the 54th minute and slotted three important kicks.

Came on early for the injured Sergeal Petersen and really impressed. Sliced through the Jaguares’ line twice, side-stepped three defenders, rounded off a try and was good on defence, making eight tackles and managing a turnover.

Led the backline’s defensive effort, both in terms of organisation and output (seven tackles). A turnover on the deck was the cherry on top of his defence-dominated performance.

Had a massive game in midfield. Broke tackles, ran hard and straight but also skillfully drifted to the right and pulled two defenders to put Warrick Gelant in for a try. Beat five defenders in all, made a clean break and 48 metres in 11 runs.

Limited opportunities but still showed razzle-dazzle. Played an important role in Gelant’s try with his hot-stepping and saved the day when he won the chase to an attacking kick into the Bulls’ 22, where he secured possession under immense pressure.

Oozed class and was a strong candidate for Player of the Week. Controlled the game superbly, with good decision-making and execution, and scored all 21 of the Sharks’ points with his super boot. Polished to the point of giving Rassie Erasmus much to ponder over.

Was the most consistent of the South African scrumhalves. Kept mistakes to a minimum and varied his play well to keep the Jaguares guessing.

Key players are relied upon to make big plays and that’s exactly what he did. Vermeulen in full flight as he scored a sensational long-range intercept try was a joy to watch, and two maul turnovers in his own 22 (one from a five-metre lineout) at the death were key to the Bulls hanging on.

Another monster shift by the fit-again Sharks loosie looking to make up for lost time. Great on defence, making 15 tackles in total, and bumped off two would-be tacklers with his explosive power.

Came up big at the breakdown and was the Bulls’ best ball carrier, despite being the smallest member of the pack. Made the most carries (12) and metres (74), plus he managed a clean break and eluded three tacklers.

Harlem Globetrotter-like with his outrageous offloads, especially the beautiful behind-the-back ball. Didn’t shirk his primary responsibilities and claimed a crane-like turnover inside his own 22.

The Sharks’ near-upset was driven by relentless defence and no player was more influential in this regard than Van Heerden, with the tireless second-rower making an astonishing 19 hits.

Trevor Nyakane had a big game, especially at scrum time, but Oosthuizen and the Sharks were also dominant in this department against the vaunted ‘Saders pack. What tipped the scales in Oosthuizen’s favour was his high workrate, with the big unit making 11 tackles.

Akker van der Merwe, an early injury replacement for Kerron van Vuuren, was industrious around the park, but the Sharks’ lineout was a shambles. Mbonambi was the most accurate in the all-important set piece and made some dominant tackles.

While Lizo Gqoboka had another big game, the Beast was brilliant Down Under. As stand-in skipper, he inspired those around him as he led from the front with 12 carries and 13 tackles.

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