SA Investec Champions Cup Team of the Week – Round 3

The Capetonians kept their hopes of progressing past the pool stage alive with a 40-0 rout of the error-ridden Sale Sharks at DHL Stadium, while the Sharks and Bulls tasted defeat.

The Durbanites went down 20-8 to defending champions Toulouse at Kings Park but are still in the mix to make the Round of 16 whereas the Bulls’ 49-10 loss to Castres at Stade Pierre-Fabre dashed their chances of featuring in the knockouts.

Gelant is one of nine Stormers in our Team of the Week, with the Sharks and Bulls each having three representatives.  

15: Warrick Gelant (Stormers) – Player of the Week

Man of the Match in a game that played to his strengths. Excellent transition play, deft touches with his hands and feet and had the pace to run in the Stormers’ bonus point try.

https://twitter.com/SSRugby/status/1878093132090237290

14: Suleiman Hartzenberg (Stormers)

As good in the air as he was threatening on attack. Good first leap to win Manie Libbok’s contestable kick, kept the ball alive beautifully to spark a counter-attack and got a try assist when he tapped the ball to an unmarked Gelant.

13: Wandisile Simelane (Stormers)

Had a whale of a time to remind the Springbok coaches of his potential. After coming close to scoring, he put JD Schickerling away for the Stormers’ opening try with excellent footwork and an equally good offload. Threatened throughout.

12: Jonathan Roche (Stormers)

The youngster looked the part in his first start for the Stormers. Solid on attack, including making a good half-break to create a try-scoring opportunity, and stood up strong in defence, carrying James Harper back five metres on one occasion.

11: Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks)

Strong and explosive in spurts, while his experience and composure made him an important contributor in scrambling defence. Alertness and physicality saw him force a turnover through a hard hit on Antoine Dupont.

10: Manie Libbok (Stormers)

The mistakes were there but so was the magic, and toughness. Dislodged the ball in a tackle in his 22 from which he ended up scoring a try and kicked eight points.

https://twitter.com/SSRugby/status/1878079227624296739

9: Stefan Ungerer (Stormers)

Smart, sharp and skillful. Sparked both of the Stormers’ first-half tries, the first with good decision-making and the second with a deft lob for Libbok to grab out of the air and run in. His educated boot was huge for the hosts.

8: Nizaam Carr (Bulls)

The Bulls captain led by example. While it looked like mission impossible given the understrength side Jake White put out, Carr never stopped trying and made no less than 20 carries.

7: Mpilo Gumede (Bulls)

A hard-working performance that highlighted his hunger for more opportunities. Popping up everywhere, he made a match-high 12 tackles and seized two turnovers on the deck.

6: Deon Fourie (Stormers)

The veteran’s motor and mongrel were on full display. Immense at the breakdown, both in terms of protecting his team’s ball and slowing down the visitors’ ball, and everywhere on defence, including making a vital cover tackle on Arron Reed.

5: JD Schickerling (Stormers)

A towering performance in his 50th appearance for the Stormers. Great support play put him in the right place to score the opening try, good pressure on the Sale’s lineout and silky offload to Ungerer.

4: Jason Jenkins (Sharks)

One of few Sharks forwards who fronted up well against the powerhouse Toulouse forwards, disrupted the vaunted visitors phenomenally with three lineout steals and made a joint-match-high 13 tackles.

3: Trevor Nyakane (Sharks)

Coming on for an injured Vincent Koch in the 39th minute, Nyakane was world-class. His power earned the Sharks two scrum penalties and he added a breakdown penalty to boot.

2: Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)

A solid showing by the versatile young gun. Scored the Bulls’ only try, won an unrivalled three turnovers and was a productive ball carrier and tackler.

1: Sti Sithole (Stormers)

Back from injury with a bang. Won two scrum penalties, in the 30th and 43rd minutes, and capped one of his best performances for the Stormers with a try.