Super Rugby Round 12: Team of the Week & More

Man of the Match

Highlanders vs Sharks:             Patrick Osborne
Brumbies vs Waratahs:                                David Pocock
Blues vs Force:                                            Akira Ioane
Hurricanes vs Crusaders:                             Beauden Barrett
Rebels vs Chiefs:                                         Jordy Reid
Cheetahs vs Stormers:                                 Michael van der Spuy
Bulls vs Lions:                                             Arno Botha

Team of the Week

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Arno Botha, 7 David Pocock, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Mark Reddish, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Reggie Goodes.

Best of the Week

Best Game:
Hurricanes vs Crusaders – a high quality game, with absolute class from both teams

Team Performance:
Hurricanes – scoring four tries to two to win a cracker of a game against a Crusaders team giving what captain Kieran Read believes was their best performance of the season

Player:
Beauden Barrett

Back:
Patrick Osborne

Forward: 
Arno Botha

Tries:

Best team try:
Blade Thomson for the Hurricanes (62^nd minute): accurate and perfectly timed passing by Hurricanes players running into space from a counter-attack launched by Beauden Barrett 70 metres out from a Crusaders kick, with Thomson finishing in the corner

Best individual try:
Akira Ioane for the Blues: using pace and elusive skill to beat one Force defender after another in a solo run from 55 metres out

Best quote:
“I can guarantee you the people did not come to see collapse after collapse.”
- referee Marius van der Westhuizen to the Bulls and Lions front rows