Super Rugby Unlocked Team of the Week – Round 2

Cheetahs and Pumas players form the nucleus of our Team of the Week. This following a hard-fought second round of Super Rugby Unlocked at the weekend.

The Cheetahs made it back-to-back wins when they pipped the Bulls 19-17 in Bloemfontein on Friday night. The Pumas produced the first upset of the competition and became the first team to triumph away from home with a splendid 27-21 win over Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon before the Stormers saw off the Lions 23-17 to kick-off their campaign in Cape Town.

Super Rugby Unlocked Team of the Week – Round 1

The minnows from Mpumalanga have been rewarded with four players in our team, the same as the Cheetahs. Newlands foes the Stormers and Cheetahs each have three representatives with a lone Bulls star completing our side.

15: Clayton Blommetjies (Cheetahs)

A difficult decision as EW Viljoen was excellent for the Lions, not only on attack (beating one defender for 68 metres in nine runs) but tactically as well. He had some piercing kicks and safe hands under the high ball. With it being his 100th match, we leaned toward Blommetjies. He was a constant threat, beating four defenders and making 60 metres in 10 carries. Popped up at scrumhalf in his continuous search for work and made a vital, textbook tackle-turnover on Gio Aplon.

14: Etienne Taljaard (Pumas)

Malcolm Jaer’s speed and skill were on display in Bloemfontein, especially in the sweeping backline move that put Rosko Specman in for the opening try. The Bulls David Kriel was a picture of assuredness. However, Taljaard takes the cake for scoring an early contender for Try of the Season. He swerved in and out to leave James Verity-Amm in the dust. Linked up with Neil Maritz with a slick offload and looked for worked, which earned him a turnover.

13: Burger Odendaal (Lions) – Player of the Week

At the centre of the Lions’ courageous effort (excuse the pun). Being discarded by the Bulls has seemingly lit a fire under the veteran. He produced his best performance in years to claim the Man of the Match award in a losing effort. Outstanding work rate, made several hard hits (ask Damian Willemse) and was sensational on attack. 50-50 TMO decision denied him what would’ve been a deserved try but he didn’t let that or a neck shot stop him from wreaking further havoc, making a brilliant break from outside his 22 and a classy step and pass to Elton Jantjies to score to get the Lions back in the game in the final 10 minutes. Beat five defenders and ran for 70 metres in seven carries.

12: Rikus Pretorius (Stormers)

A toss-up between the Stormers rookie and Cheetahs veteran Frans Steyn. The latter used his big boot and experience to guide his team. The two-time World Cup winner stepped up all the more after the injury to Ruan Pienaar. Pretorius was in the Lions’ faces (making all nine of his tackles) and turned defence into attack. His intercept try changed the complexion of the game. While his hunger saw him rip the ball to force a turnover. Looked like a lock at the restarts, where he was used throughout.

11: Sibahle Maxwane (Lions)

Was the key man in creating and finishing an electric try from inside the Lions’ 22. Freeing up Jaco Kriel down the flank with lightning-fast hands and followed up with textbook support play to dot down. His stats read 62 metres from four runs with two clean breaks. Worked hard off the ball all evening, chasing and competing in the air with complete commitment.

10: Eddie Fouché (Pumas)

Elton Jantjies was in the groove at Newlands, showing guts, generalship and an array of skills to trouble the Stormers. The Springbok stalwart could easily have earned our No.10 jersey. However, the unheralded Fouché deserves his place for orchestrating the Pumas’ surprise away win. It earned him a deserved Man of the Match performance. He controlled the game well, slotted 12 points and sparked the try that sealed the deal with a good break and offload to Phumzile Maqondwana.

9: Morné van den Berg (Lions)

Ginter Smuts edged Griquas counterpart Zak Burger in a very good scrumhalf battle, which saw him burrow over through two defenders to score the opening try from a quick tap. Van den Berg’s blinder was unmatched, though. Exciting and unpredictable yet technically sound with his passing and kicking. Caused all sorts of problems with sniping runs, including an excellent breakaway from a scrum inside his 22, and also did his sweeping defensive duties well.

8: Jasper Wiese (Cheetahs)

A strong contender for Player of the Week, no-one’s made a bigger impression in the first two rounds than the barnstorming Cheetahs back-rower. A second sensational showing (even better than the first) saw him put the hammer down on both sides of the ball. Broke three tackles in seven carries for 15 metres and spearheaded the hosts’ dominant defence. He even drove back Duane Vermeulen in one of his seven hits. A lineout force as well with four takes.

7: Stefan Willemse (Pumas)

Edged Willie Engelbrecht in a terrific tit-for-tat tussle. Full of fire, Willemse was one of the Pumas’ most productive ball carriers (6), got stuck in at the gainline and most importantly, was a menace at the breakdown, where he won a crucial turnover in his 22 in either half. Ernst van Rhyn was a workhorse for the Stormers, making nine tackles.

6: Marco van Staden (Bulls)

Kriel got to show his pace down the wing to help put Maxwane away for a great counter-attacking try, while Andisa Ntsila opted for powerful leg drives to gain ground. Aside from one miscalculation (which saw Pienaar sustain an injury), Van Staden was in vintage fetcher mode, winning a round-high four penalties, two of those while the Bulls were under the cosh in their half.

5: Pieter Jansen van Vuren (Pumas)

Victor Sekekete was a shining light on a dark day for Griquas, carrying strong all afternoon and scoring a vital try on the stroke of half-time to put the hosts within six (17-11) despite being outplayed. However, his opposite number was the Pumas’ captain fantastic, leading by example in a passion-powered complete performance (six carries and tackles) capped by two important steals in the lineouts, which the visitors dominated to set the platform for their victory.

4: Carl Wegner (Cheetahs)

Salmaan Moerat made his presence felt with two important lineout poaches and seven tackles. Wegner, with his mongrel, however, played a pivotal part in the Cheetahs’ win. The hard-as-nails second-rower’s line speed and work rate (7 tackles) on defence kept the Bulls on the back foot and saw him disrupt the Pretoria outfit’s driving mauls. Was a pillar when it came to restarts as well.

3: Frans Malherbe (Stormers)

Carlu Sadie made a solid case with steady scrummaging and a key breakdown turnover in the 22 just before the break, but he couldn’t keep up with Malherbe. For all the talk about the weight he gained during lockdown, Malherbe’s work rate was fantastic, the Springbok tighthead making nine tackles without slipping any. Only eighthman Juarno Augustus made more hits (10) on the night.

2: Reinach Venter (Cheetahs)

A real energiser. With star hooker Joseph Dweba having moved on, Venter played like a man determined to make the Cheetahs No.2 jersey his own. The stocky hooker was the Free Staters’ best ball-carrying forward in terms of metres made (22 in six hit-ups) and his fundamentals were flawless, with the Cheetahs winning all 19 of their lineouts. Bongi Mbonambi also caught the eye, especially on defence (7 tackles).

1: Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)

Pumas powerhouse Morgan Naude deserves a special mention for popping John-Roy Jenkinson like a champagne cork in the scrums, but Kitshoff was on another level. The Springbok loosehead’s conditioning and work rate (which included a charge down) were otherworldly. Got stronger as the game went on and won two crucial scrum penalties in the final quarter, the first leading to a try, and the second would’ve put the Stormers out of reach had Willemse slotted the regulation kick.