24 February 2020, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

SA Super Rugby Team of the Week – Round 4

The Stormers soared to the top of the Super Rugby table after what proved to be another good weekend for South Africa’s coastal sides, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

The Cape Town team outmuscled the Jaguares in challenging conditions to secure a 17-7 win at Newlands on Saturday, taking them to the summit after the fourth round of the competition and earning them six players in our South African Team of the Week.

Earlier in the day, the Sharks bounced back from their disappointing defeat to the Hurricanes with an emphatic 36-24 victory over the Melbourne Rebels. It was the men from Durban’s second win on their Australasian tour and saw seven of their stars included in our team.

Also on Saturday, the Bulls suffered a last-gasp 23-21 loss to the Blues in their first home game of the season to remain winless. Two of their players cracked the nod, while the Lions had a bye.

ALSO READ: SA SUPER RUGBY TEAM – ROUND 3Once again, he was an assassin on attack as he dissected the Rebels Down Under. He made an excellent early break, whisked past five defenders in all and won 52 metres in 10 runs. He also slotted in well at first-receiver on occasion and made key plays, most memorably stabbing through a great grubber to spark the opening try. He needs to work on his defence, but he did make a try-saving tackle on Marika Koroibete before Isi Naisarani picked up the spoils to score. Warrick Gelant had a good game as well as the Bulls’ primary playmaker.Madosh Tambwe was terrific for the Sharks once again, but he was shaded in the end by the Bulls and Springbok stalwart, who needed a big game after botching try-scoring opportunities in the first two games and delivered in spades. This time around, the focus was there to match his work rate, which saw him turn a chip into a scoring chance and chase hard all game. He made three scintillating breaks, evaded five defenders and ran for a match-high 67 metres to claim the Man of the Match award.The outside centres offered little to write home about. Jeremy Ward was a satisfactory stand-in for rested regular Sharks skipper Lukhanyo Am while Johnny Kotze had a bad early knock and made just the one good break. Nel wasn’t significantly better but he looked for work – lending a hand in a few driving mauls – and got onto the scoresheet for the second week in a row.Although André Esterhuizen was colossal as Sharks captain, the fact that Roberts all but carried the Stormers on his back saw the Welshman crack the nod. Often teams make curious signings of veterans that leave fans wondering whether they’re little more than a final payday. No-one can question Roberts’ commitment to the Cape side’s cause after the monster shift he put in on Saturday, smashing into heavy traffic no fewer than 18 times. He also made a try-saving tackle on Sebastian Cancelliere and even helped out at scrum time when the Stormers were down to 14 to EARN the Man of the Match award.The try-scoring machine could’ve had a hat-trick but settled for a sixth Sharks double instead as he unselfishly handed the ball to Curwin Bosch in the in-goal area with eight minutes to go. He beat five defenders, made two clean breaks and clocked up 111 metres, but what was most impressive was the determination he showed for his second try, which he had no right to score but took on two defenders and burrowed over through sheer will. Rosko Specman deserves a special mention for doing everything in his might on attack and defence for the Bulls.The Sharks produced another team effort to triumph on tour, but Bosch was the game-changer who turned the Durbanites’ fortunes around. Back after missing the Hurricanes game due to a family bereavement, Bosch restored rhythm to the backline and provided tactical generalship that was lacking in the loss in Wellington. He took the ball to the line, continued his accurate goal-kicking and notched up 16 points, including the above-mentioned try, in a polished performance.

Congratulations Curwin Bosch on playing an outstanding 50th Vodacom Super Rugby Cap today.#OurSharksForever #REBvSHA pic.twitter.com/9HYvotfP1Z

— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) February 22, 2020

The sparkplug of the Stormers did it again, striking to convert his team’s dominance into points as he scooped up a wayward pass from the visitors, stepped off the right foot to beat Domingo Miotti and cantered in for a try. He’s the ultimate opportunist the Cape side needs. It’s not only that he reads the game so well, but that he puts himself in positions to pounce. That’s what makes him such a threat. He was excellent on defence as well, making a try-saving tackle on his opposite number Tomas Cubelli and getting a leg in the way to stop Julian Montoya from dotting down.He looks a man reborn and continued his red-hot form for his new franchise against the Rebels. It’s clear he had been yearning for game time after having received little opportunities in the stacked Stormers’ back-row and he’s making the most of it. He was in the thick of things once again, collecting Fassi’s grubber and getting his pass away just in time to put Mapimpi in and ran onto an offload from a tackled Jeremy Ward with a great support line to break away, which eventually led to Mapimpi’s second.An ironman as always, he outworked everyone with a team-high 12 tackles, but it’s his physicality that really stood out on Saturday. He cleaned out rucks relentlessly and vehemently to smash the stuffing out of the Jaguares. The World Rugby Player of the Year was a pillar of strength in the mauls as well, sacking two of the visitors’ drives, the second earning the Stormers a turnover in the 22nd minute. With eight charges, he was also one of the go-to ball-carriers.An ironman as always, he outworked everyone with a team-high 12 tackles, but it’s his physicality that really stood out on Saturday. He cleaned out rucks relentlessly and vehemently to smash the stuffing out of the Jaguares. The World Rugby Player of the Year was a pillar of strength in the mauls as well, sacking two of the visitors’ drives, the second earning the Stormers a turnover in the 22nd minute. With eight charges, he was also one of the go-to ball-carriers.The slow pace of the game suited the veteran and he made his presence felt with a workmanlike performance. Kruger carried the ball five times, memorably stretching his legs with a galloping run just before half-time, and was busy on defence as well, making eight hits. He probably would’ve wanted to put more pressure on the Blues on their throw, but he was the banker of the Bulls lineout with five takes.A real close call between the Sharks second-rower and Salmaan Moerat, who continued his good early season form for the Stormers. Van Heerden was a real workhorse against the Rebels, throwing his 116kg around at the rucks and on defence to soften up the hosts. He made 12 tackles in all, five carries and won two lineouts.Another difficult decision. Frans Malherbe pummelled Nahuel Tetaz into submission at scrum time and was good across the park. He was mightily unlucky to be yellow-carded for what was deemed a dangerous tackle and that certainly didn’t impact our decision. Du Toit had a barn-storming game, making a lengthy run he’ll remember for quite some time despite being stopped just short of the tryline and made an impressive 12 tackles.The Sharks hooker worked his socks off in Ballarat, making all 10 of his tackles, while his eight carries were the second-most by a forward behind Notshe’s 11. The struggling lineout also functioned better, with the Durban side winning 13 of their 15 throw-ins. Scarra Ntubeni’s uncharacteristically poor defence (he missed four tackles) and Jaco Visage’s indiscipline and error rate counted against them.Another remarkable performance by the red-haired Stormers skipper whose power and conditioning really is something to admire. He formed part of a dominant scrum, most notably drilling through Santiago Medrano to earn a penalty in the 23rd minute, and led by example with ball-in-hand, taking the fight to the visitors with 11 carries, second only to Roberts.

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Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.