29 April 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

SUPER RUGBY SA TEAM OF THE WEEK – ROUND 11

South Africa’s coastal sides came good in Round 11 of Super Rugby and make up the bulk of our Team of the Week.

Both the Sharks and Stormers defied expectations, with the Durbanites ending a 19-year drought in Sydney with a 23-15 win over the Waratahs and the Capetonians turning the tables on the Bulls by claiming a 24-23 victory at Newlands.

As expected, the Lions struggled against the red-hot Crusaders in Christchurch, going down 36-10.

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Shaded Warrick Gelant in a fascinating fullback battle worth the price of admission alone. Made 110 metres in 17 runs, beating six defenders. The counter-attack from inside his own 22 that sparked Seabelo Senatla’s try was the highlight of his outing, while he also made a good tackle on a storming Lizo Gqoboka.

Showed his finishing ability when he stepped two cover defenders and scored the opening try, and chased and contested very well in the air.

Was like a bull in a China shop. Was his team’s most effective attacking weapon, weaving past seven defenders and slicing through the Stormers’ line on one occasion. Also made a backline-high eight tackles.

Was in the thick of the action and is back to his best form. Made 77 metres, a clean break and beat five defenders in 14 runs – stats that point to a welcome change from the predictability that has plagued his game in recent years.

Bamboozled the Bulls defence from start to finish. Created the first clean break with a beautiful offload, stabbed a clever grubber through that should’ve resulted in a try and made the biggest play of the day with a brilliant break and pop-up pass to Herschel Jantjies to flop over. A match-winning performance and a timely reminder to Rassie Erasmus of his game-changing capabilities.

Took his first opportunity in the No. 10 jersey since 2017 with both hands and turned the Sharks’ fortunes around with a composed performance. Won the kicking battle with his booming boot, attacked the line, got the backline going and scored 13 of the Sharks’ 23 points.

Outplayed both of his Bok opponents in a complete performance that included his third try of the season. His committed, sweeping defence was particularly impressive. Looks like a Bok in the making.

While Duane Vermeulen made some key plays, Du Preez was the harder worker and more consistent force. The Sharks No.8 powered over for a try, made two line breaks, bumped off three would-be tacklers and made 11 hits.

Showed how vital he is to the Sharks’ cause. Gave the Durban side much-longed-for go-forward ball with 10 rampaging runs (making a team-high 55 metres). Also contributed 17 tackles on defence and won a turnover in his own 22.

It’s often difficult for players on the wrong side of a blowout to stay motivated. Schoeman stood out for the Lions with his exceptional work-rate, making a massive 20 tackles and seven carries. Also turned the ball over at the breakdown.

Had a great back-and-forth battle with RG Snyman, which he edged with a stellar defensive effort (12 hits) and stronger carries.

A colossal 50-minute showing, his best yet for the Stormers. Made a clean break, beat five defenders, made 12 tackles and secured a turnover.

Marked his 100-match milestone with a strong performance. Got the better of Steven Kitshoff at scrum time and was busy across the park. Carlu Sadie deserves a special mention for another top-class outing in Christchurch.

With no clear standout, this was a difficult decision. Visagie won the physical battle against Scarra Ntubeni and was influential on defence, making nine tackles and winning two turnovers.

While Lizo Gqoboka had another big game, the Beast was brilliant Down Under. As stand-in skipper, he inspired those around him as he led from the front with 12 carries and 13 tackles.

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