Super 14 Team of the Week
After a cracking start to the 2010 Super 14 – well, five out of sevens games isn't bad! – it's come that time when we at Planet Rugby sift through the contenders for the first edition of our Team of the Week.
After a cracking start to the 2010 Super 14 – well, five out of sevens games isn't bad! – it's come that time when we at Planet Rugby sift through the contenders for the first edition of our Team of the Week.
It wasn't easy, it never is, especially with a few players blowing hot and cold (take a bow Stephen Brett) in matches that made our selection process a bruising affair – literally!
In the end, the team does have quite a bullish look about it with a touch of class from the Crusaders (two), Chiefs (two), Highlanders (one), Hurricanes (one), Stormers (one), Cheetahs (one), Reds (one) and Force (one).
15 James O'Connor (Force): Unlucky to be on the losing side after such a fine outing in the number fifteen shirt for the Western Force. Kept his side in the hunt with a flawless performance from the kicking tee, but in the end his fifteen-point contribution just wasn't enough. He definitely has his nose in front of opposite number Adam Ashley-Cooper in the race for the Wallaby Test jumper.
14 Lionel Mapoe (Cheetahs): Another player on the wrong end of the score, but was a thorn in the Bulls' side throughout the match. Mapoe, along with his partner in crime Jongi Nokwe, was a menace on the wing and kept the defending champions chasing shadows. A tremendous opening try on Super 14 debut with barely 30 seconds gone on the clock also lifted his team to greater heights – even though they remain at the bottom of the table.
13 Robbie Fruean (Crusaders): After changing our minds several times, Fruean sneaks into our XV which means the likes of Jaque Fourie, Stirling Mortlock and Conrad Smith have to wait another week for a possible call-up. The Crusaders' new signing was a constant threat on an impressive debut, and it seems Todd Blackadder has successfully filled a big hole left by Casey Laulala.
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls): Unlike outside centre, this was the easiest choice of the lot! It came as no surprise that the Bulls star received an unanimous vote following his stellar display in midfield against the Cheetahs. Rock solid on defence and dangerous on attack, Olivier set up three of the Bulls six tries and threw in one of his own. Don't let Olivier's pretty-boy looks fool you, this guy means business…
11 Zac Guildford (Crusaders): Another Crusaders debutant who looks to have carried his eye-catching form from last year into the new season. Guildford has pace to burn, as we saw in the former Hurricane player's game-changing try that gave his new fans at Christchurch plenty to cheer about.
10 Morne Steyn (Bulls): Another close call with Dan Carter (Crusaders), Michael Hobbs (Highlanders) and Quade Cooper (Reds) a little unlucky to miss out, while Stephen Brett was a shoe-in before he lost his way in the second half for the Blues. Steyn, however, never took his foot off the accelerator and put 29 points past the Cheetahs in a terrific all-round performance. The Bulls pivot even showed he has an eye for the try-line too, and isn't just all about kicking points.
9 Will Genia (Reds): The third back-line player from a losing team that gets the nod, but Genia – despite his size – was head and shoulders above the rest. The Reds number nine provided quick service to the backs, took pressure off his pivot when required and marshalled his forwards around the pitch with aplomb. Won his team a penalty try, but we're pretty sure he would have preferred to see his name on the score sheet instead.
8 Duane Vermeulen (Stormers): Was deservedly voted man of the match against the Lions and gets our vote too. Vermeulen was one of the few Stormers players that didn't go to sleep after half-time as the hard-as-nails number eight bullied his way around the Coca-Cola Park pitch. A storming performance (sorry – ed).
7 Tanerau Latimer (Chiefs): The loose forwards were on fire this weekend, so this was quite a lengthy debate! In the end, we went for the Chiefs' powerhouse whose hard graft in the wet left Sharks fans with a bad taste in their mouth.
6 Deon Stegmann (Bulls): Another tough one, but we couldn't leave out a player that got the better of one of the best fetchers in world rugby – Heinrich Brussow. The Bulls flank gave Brussow a taste of his own medicine on the deck and when he wasn't securing quality ball, he was making try-saving tackles on the quickest winger in Bloemfontein.
5 Tom Donnelly (Highlanders): Won the personal duel with Crusaders lock Isaac Ross in the battle of the tall timber at AMI Stadium. Donnelly was instrumental in the air, but it was his skills in open play that impressed us the most as he stepped past would-be tacklers with power and pace, keeping the Highlanders' momentum alive.
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls): Who needs Bakkies Botha when you have Danie Rossouw? The big Bull proved he is an able replacement while his Springbok colleague recuperates from injury and even outshone lock partner Victor Matfield. The Bulls battering ram was also a valuable line-out option, but the highlight was without a doubt his clever grubber kick ahead that set up Zane Kirchner for the visitors' fourth try and bonus point.
3 Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes): Was a storm in a teacup for the Hurricanes and gave his team plenty of go-forward ball in the tight and loose. Tialata has his critics, but silenced a few of them with a powerful scrum performance against All Blacks partner Tony Woodcock.
2 Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs): Just why this Chief has to constantly warm the All Blacks bench is beyond us. De Malmanche gave the Sharks' all-Bok front row a hard time and found his target more often than not in terrible conditions. Andrew Hore also deserves an honourable mention for the 'Canes.
1 Guthro Steenkamp (Bulls): Another front rower constantly in the firing line but rose to the occasion with a flawless scrummaging display. The Bulls loosehead made the pretty impressive Cheetahs front row look pretty average, while his work in general play was tiresome to watch.
Compiled by Dave Morris