Team of the Week: Super Rugby
With the dust having settled on Round 15 of Super Rugby, we have gone through the action to pick out the best players from last weekend.
Just four matches took place as the South African, Argentine and Japanese sides played catch-up, with the Lions starring with a 14-try win.
Without further ado, here's our XV…
15 Warrick Gelant (Bulls): Warrick Gelant followed up his brace for the SA 'A' side with a hat-trick for the Bulls in their 30-17 victory over the Sharks. Showing superb support running lines, Gelant has developed a telepathic understanding with Bok centre Jan Serfontein, who set up two of his tries. Jaguares full-back Joaquín Tuculet impressed with a brace against the Kings but Gelant gets in.
14 Ruan Combrinck (Lions): Combrinck scored a scintillating hat-trick in his side's thumping of the Sunwolves. Once regarded as a certainty in the Bok starting side, Combrinck has done himself no harm in forcing his way back into the thinking of Allister Coetzee.
13 Luzuko Vulindlu (Kings): Vulindlu was a constant menace on attack as his side won in Argentina. He scored a try and made another. Meanwhile, Lions centre Lionel Mapoe was involved in a number of his side's tries and Jesse Kriel had a good game for the Bulls.
12 Jan Serfontein (Bulls): He was the creator-in-chief for his charges, setting up two tries. His ability to break the line came to the fore in this game and he also displayed a good passing game, able to switch play in either direction with consummate accuracy. It's amazing what confidence does for a player and at the moment Serfontein is flourishing, which will hurt the Bulls more when he leaves.
11 Cheslin Kolbe (Stormers): Kolbe completes a proudly South African backline and is another to score a hat-trick over last weekend. The Cheetahs had no answer to Kolbe's searing pace and clinical finishing. Who needs brute force when you possess the sort of gas reminiscent of Gio Aplon? Makazole Mapimpi was superb against the Jaguares as he notched up a brace while Courtnall Skosan also gets a nod.
10 Damian Willemse (Stormers): A strong debut from the promising fly-half as he made several line breaks against the Cheetahs. There is a good deal of excitement surrounding the youngster and while tougher defences will be in front of him in the future, this was a strong first start to what should be a long career. Two replacements caught the eye for special mentions, Tiaan Schoeman and Faf de Klerk.
9 Ross Cronjé (Lions): Enjoying his best season so far at the Lions and while playing in front of a pack that is moving forward at such a rate as the Lions should be a breeze, he still made all the right decisions and got the ball rolling with a well taken crossing.
8 Andisa Ntsila (Kings): Difficult choice as Lions youngster Ruan Ackermann also impressed in his side's thrashing of the Sunwolves but in the end, Ntsila gets the nod after a superb shift in his side's epic win over the Jaguares. The South Africa 'A' back-row impressed with 62 metres gained from 14 carries and also made 12 tackles.
7 Jaco Kriel (Lions): Such a destructive carrier against an albeit poor Sunwolves defence, Kriel's first try saw him shrug off several tacklers en route to the line. He is so difficult to bring to ground and was the outstanding candidate to don our openside jersey.
6 Kwagga Smith (Lions): Joining Kriel on the flank is team-mate Smith, who was arguably even better on Saturday. He also scored two tries, showing searing pace for both, and gets in ahead of Kings back-row Tyler Paul who made 73 metres from 9 carries in Buenos Aires.
5 Matías Alemanno (Jaguares): Despite finishing on the losing side to the Kings, Alemanno impressed for the Jaguares and delivered a busy shift. Was a willing ball carrier but made his biggest impact on defence, especially around the fringes of the rucks and mauls, and finished with 12 tackles made which was the most by a Jaguares player.
4 RG Snyman (Bulls): Made up for lost time after returning from suspension and was at the forefront of the Bulls' forward effort in their win over the Sharks in Durban. Cleaned out the rucks with great intent and also did well on defence with 10 tackles. Andries Ferreira also played well for the Lions.
3 Ruan Dreyer (Lions): We haven't witnessed a more dominant scrum all season than the Lions' against the Sunwolves on Saturday. Their whole eight deserves credit here but Dreyer, Malcolm Marx and Jacques van Rooyen get a lot of the plaudits. It was a demolition job.
2 Armand van der Merwe (Lions): Replaced Marx at half-time against the Sunwolves and made a big impact with ball in hand. Van der Merwe finished with 41 metres gained from six runs with two clean breaks, two defenders beaten and was rewarded with a try for his efforts. Beats out Michael Willemse of the Kings.
1 Thomas du Toit (Sharks): Seven carries for 23 metres from the 22-year-old loosehead with one of those seeing him hit a great line en route to the whitewash. Such a physical specimen, the Sharks and Springboks will hope he continues to improve in the coming years.