Investec Champions Cup Team of the Week: ‘Maestro’ stars in demolition job while ‘top drawer’ shift against Springboks’ power rewarded

Following around three of the Investec Champions Cup, we select our Team of the Week.

With Saracens, Bordeaux-Begles and Bristol Bears dominating the weekend headlines, here are our picks.

Investec Champions Cup Team of the Week

15 Salesi Rayasi (Union Bordeaux Bègles): The big Fijian back three maestro grabbed an impressive hat-trick in UBB’s demolition job on Saints in a wonderful running display. Elliot Daly was back to his gliding best for Saracens as they overturned the might of Toulouse at the StoneX, whilst Santiago Carreras was his usual threatening self for Bath Rugby as they saw off Castres in style on the road.

14 Noah Heward (Bristol Bears): A brilliant hat-trick, including the finish of the year in the corner, sees Heward beat off stern competition- with Glasgow’s Kyle Steyn and Harlequins’ hat-trick hero Nick David in brilliant form as our runners up. Union Bordeaux Bègles’ Damian Penaud unusually failed to get on the scorecard but made so much for others around him so also deserves a mention.

13 Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors): Weegies’ Lion, Jones, crossed for a try, beat five defenders and made two clean breaks as he ran for 90m in an impressive display. Benhard Janse van Rensburg delivered a phenomenal performance on both sides of the ball for Bristol. Little things matter in big matches, and his tap tackle in the 75th minute saw off a potential Bulls’ comeback. Alex Lowzowski may have butchered a try for Saracens, but he made another and defended brilliantly all evening,

12 Rekeiti Maasi-White (Sale Sharks): Maasi-White reminded everyone that he’s still an emerging England option with a rumbling and powerful try-scoring display against the Durban Sharks. Cameron Redpath crossed for the opening try for Bath and delivered an assured display on the road. French fans will be delighted at the return to form of Yoram Moefana, who looks to be approaching his very best for UBB, whilst Robbie Henshaw grabbed a try and impressed for Leinster.

11 Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers): Radwan is in prime form, and he couldn’t have done more in terms of Test selection with the EPS announced next week. Unfortunately, his game ended with an injury. Sale’s Tom O’Flaherty grabbed a brace in their disposal of Sharks, as did Josh Kenny for Leinster, whilst both Cadan Murley and Rotimi Segun both delivered assured displays.

10 Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers): We can’t stop picking him- and when you’ve grabbed a personal hat-trick and also made two for others, it’s pretty easy to see why. He’s good enough to beat off a quite brilliant personal display from Mattieu Jalibert for Bordeaux and to see off two Test tens in George Ford (Sale) and Tom Jordan (Glasgow). And of course, a very assured display from Leinster’s Sam Prendergast. But what a performance from Searle!

9 Lucas Friday (Harlequins): The youngster left the Stoop to a standing ovation, and rightly so, as he really stamped a mark on the game with pace and accuracy from the base. Leinster’s Lions nine Jamison Gibson-Park was brilliant once more for his team, whilst Toulon’s Ben White also deserves a mention in a scrappy match at the Mayol.

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8 Tom Willis (Saracens): Absolutely huge. A seismic carrying performance, brilliant at the breakdown and a try to boot makes Willis our Player of the Round. Caelan Doris also reminded us of his credentials in a classy skipper’s knock for Leinster, whilst Henry Pollock’s two tries and all-round game in defeat against UBB cemented his place as the most hated man in Bordeaux. Finally, words for Alfie Barbearry – another clattering display from the Bath eight, and ditto for Glasgow’s Jack Dempsey, another try scorer.

7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster): Van der Flier and La Rochelle’s Levani Botia treated us to a match-up of the master sevens, a battle that only went the Irishman’s way by context of the result- otherwise it may have been declared a dead heat. Fitz Harding is the heartbeat of Bristol Bears, and he led the demolition of a Springboks-loaded Bulls pack, whilst Tommy Reffell made a timely reminder of his skill set to the Wales selectors.

6 Cameron Woki (Union Bordeaux Bègles): The man known to all as ‘Jabber’ was sensational on the Atlantic Coast. His sojourn to Racing really didn’t suit him, and both Bordeaux and France supporters will be delighted he’s back to his enormous best. Jack Conan was quietly impressive for Leinster, whilst Oscar Jegou reminded us all of the depth of French back row stocks as he shone in defeat.

5 Pedro Rubiolo (Bristol Bears): A straight coin toss between the Puma and England’s Ollie Chessum. The England lock grabbed one and smashed everything in sight in a fantastic performance for Tigers. However, travelling to Pretoria and taking on Ruan Nortje and walking away with the spoils cannot be underestimated, so we have to go with the big Bear. Scott Cummings was another to impress as Glasgow saw off Clermont in a big statement on the road.

4 Maro Itoje (Saracens): Itoje dismantled the much-vaunted Toulouse lineout as he stole four from their grasp and made three other turnovers in open play. He was absolutely sensational in every aspect of the lock’s game. Cameron Henderson was an eager partner for Chessum in the Tigers’ win, whilst Bristol’s Joe Batley shone once again in the loose at altitude.

3 Carlu Sadie (Union Bordeaux Bègles): People will look at the scoreline of the Bordeaux match and think it was all about the backs, but this was a game won up front and it was Sadie who did the damage. Absolutely beast mode for the big Saffer. Toulon’s Kyle Sinckler continued his good form in an impressive all-round display, whilst George Kloska came through a baptism of fire for the Bears in Pretoria.

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2 Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears): A brilliant showing from the young hooker showcased his mobility and speed. He was the early catalyst for the win, and so impressive that he takes the shirt from a powerhouse performance from UBB’s Maxime Lemothe, who might just be edging his way to the French starting jersey.

1 Max Lahiff (Bristol Bears): Bath’s Beno Obano is the runner-up in our selection as he grabbed a try and carried brilliantly all evening, despite his yellow card. Jefferson Poirot deserves a mention- especially for his fun and games with Henry Pollock. But Lahiff’s performance, at altitude, against a Bok front row, in a match where he also played for a short time on the tighthead, was something right out of the top drawer.

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