Super Rugby Team of the Week - Round 17

Super Rugby Team of the Week - Round 17

Super Rugby returned following the June Test break and round 17 of the competition certainly threw up some shock results with a number of sides still in with a chance of making the playoffs while others were looking to finish dissapointing season's on high.

Here is our Team of the Week: 

1. Dylan Smith 

The Lions loosehead put in a massive shift against Springbok tighthead Thomas du Toit.

He was dominant at scrum time and solid on attack and defence. 


His performance against the Sharks sees him just beat the likes of JP Smith, Tom Robertson and Karl Tuinukuafe who were all brilliant this weekend. 

2. Folau Faingaa


The Brumbies hooker had a fantastic game against the Hurricanes.

He missed his jumper just once out 20 attempts during the clash, he was strong in the scrums and won 3 turnovers.

He also made 63 running metres and made smart decisions at the back of a powerful Brumbies maul.

Agustin Creevy had a busy game against the Stormers as did Akker van der Merwe against the Lions with the pair both just missing out.

3. Nahuel Tetaz

Tetaz makes yet another appearance in our team of the week after a strong display against a powerful Stormers pack.

He battled well against the strong Steven Kitshoff and just edges out the likes of Angus Ta'avo and Sekope Kepu. 

4. Matthew Phillip 

A tough decision between Phillip and the Jaguares Guido Petti.

Both players racked up ridiculous running metres for locks with Phillip making 96 and Petti 111.

Phillip's overall work rate sees him crack the nod as he made 19 carries and 7 tackles compared to Petti's 6 and 10.

5. Rory Arnold 

The Brumbies giant played a massive role in his side victory over the Hurricanes and sent a clear message to Wallabies coach Michael Chieka.

He was strong with ball in hand making over 50 running metres and was the Brumbies go-to man at the lineout - an area with the Canberra side dominated. 

He beats Ruan Botha to a spot in our TOTW with the Sharks man putting in a real captains contribution against the Lions. 

6. Philip van der Walt

The Sharks knew they would need to be defensively solid if they were going to beat the Lions this past weekend and Philip van der Walt did not fail to deliver for his side.

He made 24 tackles without missing one. He also slowed the Lions ball down at ruck time to complete a sensational defence effort.

Jerome Kaino is unlucky not to make the side after putting in a classic blindside flank performance in his final appearance at Eden Park, while Pieter-Steph du Toit's best efforts were all in vein. 

7. Will Miller

Miller had big shoes to fill in the absence of Michael Hooper on Saturday against his former side. 

The former Rebel put in a big shift making 16 tackles and won one turnover, he also did well to finish off a try in closing stages of the first half to put his side in the lead.

Willie Brits put in a fine performance for the Sunwolves as they went on to beat the Bulls, while Sam Cane was superb for the Chiefs.

8. Akira Ioane

Another simply sublime performance by Akira, who can't be far from making his test debut. 

He made a round high of 142 running metres from his 14 carries, beating 9 defenders. He also managed to make 3 turnovers and 6 tackles as the Blues went on to claim their first win at Eden Park for 2018.

Liam Messam, Daniel du Preez and Michael Wells all had great games but Ioane's performance was just superior. 

9. Brad Weber

Another tough call for the halfback spot with Gonzalo Bertranou and Joe Powell both playing vital roles in their respectitive sides' victories.

In the end Brad Weber gets the nod for the 9 jersey. He was technically and tactically brilliant as the Chiefs scored six first half tries against the Highlanders.

He combined well with Damian McKenzie and came up with a try assist. 

10. Bernard Foley

A number of flyhalves had good games this weekend notably Damian McKenzie, Hayden Parker and Nicholas Sanchez but Bernard Foley's performance in a tense Aussie derby sees him take the no.10 jersey.

The Wallaby incumbent led the side in Michael Hooper's absence and thrived with the extra responsibility as he accumulated 16 of his side's 31 points.

He slotted all 5 of his attempts at goal as well as a try in the closing minutes of the game to claim the W for his side.  


11. Andy Muirhead

The Brumbies winger was busy throughout the game against the Hurricanes. 

He did well on defence to keep Julian Savea relatively quiet and was a threat on attack making 68 running metres beating 4 defenders.

He was superbly held up by Jordie Barrett late on in the match but got over the line to secure the win for his side minutes later.

Ramiro Mayano and Taqele Naiyaravoro were his closest competitors this weekend. 



12. Rieko Ioane

Ioane was just as impressive as his older brother against the Reds. 

He was the Blues most dangerous attacking weapon in the backline making 114 running metres beating 3 defenders.

He crossed for yet another career try and assisted another. 

Despite yet another strong performance he did have some stiff competition this weekend with Kurtley Beale, Kyle Godwin, Andre Esterhuizen and Michael Little all performing brilliantly for their respective sides. 

13. Anton Lienert-Brown

Lienert-Brown was involved in everything good the Chiefs did well in the first fourty against the Highlanders.

He combined extremely well with Charlie Ngatai and put his teammates through gaps in the Highlanders defence.

He was credited with two try assists and racked up 61 running metres beating 6 defenders. 

His opposite number Rob Thomson was one of the best Highlanders on the day, while his former teammate Jason Emery was good for the Sunwolves.

Jesse Kriel also put in a strong performance despite not being able to steer his side to victory. 

14. Bautista Delguy

The Jaguares flyer built on what has been a brilliant debut season in the competition with another fantastic performance against the Stomers.

He made over 133 running metres beating 9 defenders and scored one of the tries of the round as he beat 4 defenders to score a super try. 

Semisi Masirewa, Alex Newsome, Lwazi Mvovo and Toni Pulu all had strong games this weekend but the 21-year-old takes the no.14 jersey. 

15. Solomon Alaimalo 

Alaimalo was the Chiefs most dangerous weapon on attack against the Highlanders this weekend.

He scored the first of the Chiefs seven tries and was involved in the build up to most of the other six his side scored on the night. 

He racked up over 100 running metres beating 10 defenders and made 3 clean breaks. 

He did have competition from Tom Banks and Dane Haylett-Petty for a place in our team of the week. 

In this Article

Latest News