It is that time of the season where every round is delivering season-defining results. Round 16 was no different. Glasgow succumbed to a second battering in as many weeks in South Africa as the Stormers dominated the top of the table clash. Leinster, too, suffered a damaging loss as Benetton claimed their scalp of the season. Other key results included Cardiff triumphing over the Ospreys, the Lions mauling Connacht, and Munster putting away a much-rotated Ulster side. There is still all to play for in the remaining two weeks.
Team of the Week
OB: Zekethelo Siyaya – Sharks (1 try assist, 3 line breaks, 149 carry metres, 15 defenders beaten, 1 line break assist) – Player of the Round
Siyaya must be thinking that this professional rugby thing is pretty easy. Parachuted in last week to an injury-crippled Sharks side (He is 2nd academy fullback who has had to be brought in), he has outshone his big-named teammates. Ryan Wilson summarised it best on commentary: “He is like a cheat code”. Seemingly every time he touched the ball, he created something. He beat more than double the defenders than anyone else, and racked up nearly 150 carry metres, also the most across the round. His quality was not just limited to the attack as he was part of a back three who dominated in the air – 103 points
A much-rotated Ulster outfit were dismantled by Munster, but McIlroy can still hold his head high. He was instrumental to what Ulster were able to put together on the attack making more passes than any other outside back across the round. He was a threat himself as well – beating 7 defenders – 68 points
Mendy’s try came at a perfect moment. Just as Leinster were threatening to pull away, he scored a 5 pointer. He collected the ball from a messy pass out wide, before burning Gibson-Park on his outside. Mendy beat a further 4 defenders as he enters the TOTW for the first time for a while, after being a regular selection in the early season – 57 points
CE: Alex Nankivell – Munster (6 defenders beaten, 1 turnover won, 2 line break assists, 1 try saving tackle)
Nankivell was at the heart of an important InterPro victory for Munster in their quest for a home quarter-final. He made the most carries crossing the gain line (11) of any centre, giving his side valuable go-forward time and time again. This ball carrying threat allowed him to create 2 line breaks for teammates. He was impactful on defence as well, making all 9 of his tackles and popping up with a breakdown turnover – 66 points
CE: Henco van Wyk – Lions (2 tries, 1 try assist, 4/5 dominant carries, 2 line breaks, 1 line break assist)
After narrowly missing out on a spot in the TOTW last week, van Wyk finally earns selection. He backed up his brace of tries in Round 15 with another brace in Round 16. His first try was a vintage outside centre try, breaking the line after a strong handoff on a Connacht flanker. Weapon X was a massive physical presence making 4 dominant carries and landing a trademark dominant tackle – 75points
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has blown a little hot-and-cold of late. He has had incredible moments in every game; however, the concern has been the ratio of positive to negative moments. Against Glasgow, this balance fell firmly in favour of positive. He created a beautiful try for Ruhan Nel with a deft grubber in behind the defensive line. He carried with both excellent footwork and brutality – steamrolling Hastings off a set piece move. Furthermore, it was perhaps his best kicking day of the season – 99 points
SH: Matthew Devine – Connacht (2 tries, 2 line breaks, 4 defenders beaten)
Devine came off the bench and sparked a comeback that nearly yielded 2 bonus points. The Lions had wrapped up the bonus point win early on, and the livewire scrumhalf took full advantage. Devine’s sniping around the base was lethal and he was sure to be on the shoulder of teammates after a line break to run in tries – 62 points
Perhaps surprisingly not the player of the round, Hodnett put in an extraordinary performance at home against Ulster. He scored 4 tries, each more expansive than the last. His first try was a classic maul try and his second a close-range finish after an excellent leg drive. His last two tries both came out wide as he stormed down the touchline, bouncing a defender out the way each time. He racked up both the most dominant carries and metres gained by a forward player – 93 points
Anderson was the heart and engine of a spirited Scarlets performance. He stood up valiantly against a strong Bulls pack. His 7 defenders beaten was the highest of any forward this week, most of which came in the tight. He was important on defence as well, making all the tackles that were asked of him – one of which was dominant – 69 points
BR: Francke Horn – Lions (1 try assist, 1 line break, 2 turnovers won, 7/7 carries crossing the gain line)
When the Lions are firing, as they have been for a number of rounds now, Horn is undoubtedly playing a crucial role. Horn maintains his position in the TOTW from Round 15 delivering another outstanding performance. He made metres with all 7 of his carries and brilliantly assisted yet another try in the wide channels. This was almost a carbon copy from last week as he beats a defender before freeing his arms to offload to Cronje for a simple finish – 68 points
LK: Ben Carter – Dragons (1 try, 13/14 tackles made, 1 lineout steal, 8 lineout takes)
Carter was immense at lineout time, paving the way for a last-minute victory over Zebre. He claimed 8 darts on Dragons’ ball and stole 1 away from Zebre. He ran a smart line for his try, allowing his teammate to pop the ball back on the inside for his to crash over from close range – 66 points
Favretto was at the heart of a proud evening for Benetton as they overcame the Galacticos of Leinster. He barely put a foot wrong all game, completing a heroic 17 tackles. Furthermore, he disrupted Leinster’s lineout – making two crucial steals – 63 points
PR: Ntuthuko Mchunu – Stormers (2 tries, 2 defenders beaten, 4/5 carries crossing the gain line)
Mchunu has now scored 4 tries in his last 3 URC appearances – a remarkable scoring-rate for any position let alone a prop. His first try, courtesy of a brilliant pass from Neethling Fouche, finished off a beautifully worked 5m tap move; on the other hand, his 2nd try was pure power close to the line. Mchunu was also part of a dominant scrummaging performance and his absence was felt in the 2nd half where the Stormers began to struggle at set-piece – 67 points
Ashman led from the front in another remarkable performance from the Scottish international. He is one of few World Class players in this Edinburgh side, and makes his presence felt in every game. While the set-piece malfunctioned against a good Sharks defensive lineout, he was immense in the tight-loose. He won more turnovers (3) than any other tight 5 player, and assisted a try after charging down a box kick – 82 points
It is not often that a Zebre player features in the TOTW, but Nocera’s inclusion is well deserved. He was solid in all his key roles, and laid the platform for his side to go on and claim a rare victory – which they ultimately could not do. This was through no fault of Nocera as he made 15/16 tackles and was part of a scrum which operated at 100% – 51 points
