Here are our picks for the URC team of the week after both the Stormers and Bulls secured important wins in a second round that saw the Hollywoodbets Sharks draw in Newport and the Lions lose out to Zebre at the death.
Front row: Simphiwe Matanzima (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Dewi Lake (Ospreys) and Ruan Dreyer (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
The Hollywoodbets Sharks duo of Matanzima and Dreyer laid a great scrummaging platform for their backline at Rodney Parade that deserved to be capitalised on. In the end, the pair made a combined 10-tackles and helped their team to a scrum penalty count of 11-3 in their favour.
Lake was very influential for Ospreys in Cape Town, nailing 10 of his 11 lineout throws, carrying for 25-metres, winning two turnovers and making 14-tackles. His all-round display shades the Bulls’ Johan Grobbelaar, who made a massive 25-tackles against Leinster.
Second row: Jean Kleyn (Munster) and Huw Owen-Sutton (Ospreys)
World Cup-winning Kleyn got properly stuck in for the Red Army on the weekend, making 16 tackles and carrying for 24-metres in a memorable display from the second rower, whose time with the Boks does unfortunately seem to be over. Owen-Sutton won three turnovers and made 13 tackles for Ospreys in a massive shift from the 25-year-old.
Loose trio: Alex Mann (Cardiff), Ruadhan Quinn (Munster) and Evan Roos (Stormers)
Munster’s Quinn scored one try, assisted another and made nine tackles in their narrow win over Cardiff, while the Welsh club’s Mann put in 14-tackles and won two turnovers in a big game on the side of the scrum.
Roos scored one try, put in 10-defensive shots and carried for 23-metres as he looks to catch Rassie Erasmus’ eye once more.
Halfbacks: Kieran Hardy (Ospreys) and Jack Crowley (Munster)
Ospreys No 9 Hardy scored twice against the Stormers in the Mother City, while making six tackles, winning a turnover and running 35-metres with ball in hand. Crowley was influential at Thomond Park, kicking eight-points. making one clean break, carrying for 13-metres and making 10-tackles.
Midfield: Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton) and David Kriel (Bulls)
We’ve shifted Menoncello to No 12 here after the classy Itay international scored an important try in the Benetton win over the Lions on Sunday. Two tries for Kriel, who added a conversion and ended up running 111-metres in an important attacking performance against the defending champions.
Back three: Tom Bowen (Cardiff), Angelo Davids (Lions) and Willie Le Roux (Bulls)
A hattrick for Bowen in a losing cause at Munster in which he made just 28-metres with ball in hand – surprising stats given his high scoring contribution. He also made two clean breaks. In a losing cause, Davids produced a good performance and did exceptionally well to set up SJ Kotze for a try.
On his return to Loftus from Springbok duty, Le Roux came off the wood for the Bulls with 24-minutes to go and calmly secured them the win, running in a long-range try and wonderfully controlling matters.
