After last week’s anomaly of 6 away wins, normalcy was restored in the URC. The Stormers’ first-ever win away at Benetton was the sole win recorded by an away side. The Bulls would also have fancied their chances going into the final 20, but two late tries saw Glasgow not only take the win, but also deny a losing bonus. There were further tight games that were in the balance until the clock went red (and even beyond) as Cardiff snuck past Edinburgh, Munster held on against Connacht, and the Dragons missed two late kicks to draw with the Ospreys
Hat-trick alert! Isn’t it great to see Baloucoune back to his barnstorming best? A hot day on a dry field in Joburg allowed Baloucoune to showcase the best of himself. He finished off two tries, including one tiptoeing down the touchline, created by expert Ulster hands earlier in the phase. However, his best moment was his first as he glided through an opening in a porous Lions defence, beat the covering fullback, and scored under the poles – 88 points
A 50+ metre intercept is always going to go some way toward earning a place in a fantasy TOTW. That play alone accounted for nearly half his points haul this week. It was a poor pass from Josh Ioane, but Kilgallen still had to have the presence of mind to catch the ball and burst away from potential chasers. Otherwise, he worked incredibly hard from his wing, making 16 carries for over 100 metres – 71 points
Wells was a beneficiary of a sublime cross-kick from his flyhalf for his early try. The kick was weighted perfectly, allowing him to run onto the ball without breaking stride. Wells didn’t shy away from contact on either side of the ball, even notching up a dominant tackle – 59 points
An excellent attacking performance in what was, for large parts, a tightly fought contest. He is obviously an elite ball-carrier, as evidenced by his 16 carries and 61 post-contact metres, but it is his ability to take the ball to the line and disguise a pass out the back, or a short pass to a runner on a hard line, that makes him perhaps the best 12 in the world – 60 points
Between Nankivell, Farrell, and Kelly, Munster have an excellent stock of centres available to them. Nankivell is a proper dual threat player who carries hard, with 8 of his 18 carries being dominant, and is an important link man in Munster’s attacking shape. One of his twelve passes was crucial to the opening try as he set his centre partner, Dan Kelly, away, who only had to draw the last man and pass to O’Donoghue – 75points
Of the five teams of the week assembled so far, three have featured a Stormer at flyhalf. Personally, this is Mathee’s second entry. He was once again excellent, in a Man of the Match performance guiding his side to a tough away win in Treviso. His boot kept the Stormers in the contest throughout the first half and then finished off a try himself when the game opened up. He really seems to be growing into this 10 role with Libbok off to Japan, and SFM often in Springbok camp – 64 points
SH: Johan Mulder – Cardiff (1 try, 2 try assists, 80 passes) – Player of the Round
Mulder was everywhere in this game. Within the first few minutes, he was already getting his hands in breakdowns to slow the ball down. He ended up with two turnovers won. The headlines will rightly highlight his try and assist earned from running superb support lines and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He marshalled his forward pack well, and got his second assist with a pop pass to one of his heavies from close-range – 89 points
The first of what I expect to be many high-scoring weeks for the ever on-form Coombes. Carry, tackle, hit breakdowns – rinse and repeat for 80 minutes. Scoring over 85 points, as a back-rower, without scoring or assisting a try, really highlights the sheer workload of the Munsterman. Coombes’ battle stats must have been off the charts this week. These aren’t just involvements for their own sake either, as he tackles hard and accurately, carries across the gainline, and wins breakdown turnovers – 87 points
BK: Scott Penny – Leinster (14/21 carries across the gainline, 89 metres, 16 tackles)
At 26, Penny was one of the more experienced players to take to the field for Leinster against Zebre. He has long since established himself as a go-to option whenever Leinster decide not to field their elite back-row options. He carried well, including a wonderful line break towards the end of the first half, and made his mark on defence, making 16 tackles and forcing a turnover – 71 points
Carrying 19 times, with only four not being dominant, puts into perspective how good an evening Wainwright had with ball in hand in a tight affair against the Ospreys. While other players may have made more metres (Wainwright still made an impressive 52), Wainwright just kept his team moving forward. Dominant carries mean momentum and quick ball – essential to a team’s success – 62 points
LK: Ben Carter – Dragons (10 tackles, 2 dominant tackles, 7 lineout takes)
Two weeks in a row for Ben Carter. Once again, he earns his spot through solidly doing a lock’s job. He made all his tackles (including 2 dominant), carried well (6/9 dominant), and secured lineout ball – 50 points
Sutton, although listed as a lock, started as a blindside against the Dragons. He played as an edge forward, which helped him rack up attacking points. His try assist was very well worked as he fixed the last man with a double pump before feeding his winger to score in the corner – 50 points
The Sharks are not clicking – that is clear for all to see. Even when they win, it is never slick or easy on the eye. However, what they do have is an absolute weapon of a scrum. While it was weaker for the late withdrawal of Vincent Koch, the Sharks, and specifically Nche, still feasted. His performance was not limited to the set-piece, as he carried hard and won two crucial breakdown turnovers – 69 points
A physical performance from the Scot as he each of his 8 carries were classified as dominant – a wrecking ball. He made a habit of breaking through weak tackles and gaining an extra few yards for his side each time. One of his eight carries was for his try as he muscled his way over from very close range – 71 points
PR: Pierre Schoeman – Edinburgh (7 carries, 14/14 tackles)
Another player going back-to-back in TOTW4 and 5 – Schoeman is a prop made for high fantasy scoring. While he is perhaps better known for his exuberance with ball in hand, it was on defence where he left his mark against Cardiff. He made each of his 14 tackles and secured a turnover as well – 59 points
