Super Rugby Round 16: Team of the Week & More
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Team of the Week
Selecting
wings is an invidious task this week, with right wings Waisake Naholo, Henry
Speight, and Ruan Combrinck, and left wings Nemani Nadolo, S’bura Sithole, Seabelo
Senatla, and Patrick Osborne all in top form. At openside, we have Richie McCaw
reminding us he may well still be the best in the world at what he does, and also
excellent performances from Ardie Savea, David Pocock, and Jaco Kriel.
15 Ben Smith, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Damian de Allende, 11
Nemani Nadolo, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Scott Higginbotham, 7 Richie
McCaw, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 James Broadhurst, 4 Martin Muller, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bismarck
du Plessis, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Best of the Week
Best Games:
There were three riveting matches – the Crusaders back at their best in beating
the competition-leading Hurricanes, the Highlanders comprehensive defeat of the
Chiefs, and the Lions winning a tense, tight thriller against the Waratahs.
Team Performance:
The Crusaders, Highlanders, Stormers, and Lions were all impressive. The
Crusaders were probably the best of the lot, earning a superb bonus-point win
against the Hurricanes, who went into the game as runaway log-leaders.
Player:
Waisake Naholo
Back:
Nemani Nadolo
Forward:
Scott Higginbotham
Tries:
If you have access to recordings or replays, these tries are memorable
and worth watching:
One of the team tries of the year:
Ardie Savea for the Hurricanes (41st minute) – a spectacular team
try, launching an attack 80 metres out, from the Crusaders second half kick-off.
One of the individual tries of the year:
Waisake Naholo for the Highlanders (44th minute) – from a set move
from a lineout just inside his own half. Naholo does score some extraordinary
tries.
Two other individual tries were outstanding as well:
Patrick Osborne for the Highlanders (30th minute) – a short but elusive run by Osborne to beat three defenders close to the tryline and score when most attackers would have run into contact and tried to recycle.
Henry Speight for the Brumbies (46th minute) – coming in from the blindside and running a great line from a scrum 48 metres out.
