Super Rugby Round 9 Review - Team Of The Week & More

Man of the Match

Blues vs Brumbies:                Jerome Kaino
Crusaders vs Highlanders:                 Ben Smith
Waratahs vs Stormers:                    Damian de Allende
Force vs Cheetahs:                             Joe Pietersen
Lions vs Sharks:                                  Faf de Klerk
Bulls vs Reds:                                    Jesse Kriel


Team of the Week

15 Ben Smith, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Nemani Nadolo, 10 Joe Pietersen, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 David Pocock, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Best of the Week

Best Game:
Crusaders vs Highlanders in Christchurch was a gem of a game – tight and tense, with more than a few moments of special skill and some real excitement. There were too many errors on either side for it to have been a great game overall, but Waratahs vs Stormers in Sydney provided a few tries when nothing seemed on – and excellent defence.

Team Performance:
The Blues, Cheetahs, and Lions hung in to record what were for them important wins, while the Bulls scored six tries but conceded too many points in beating the hapless Reds, and the Highlanders scored an impressive away win over the Crusaders, but the team of the week must be the Stormers, who bounced back from three losses to beat the reigning champion Waratahs in Sydney.

Player:
Jerome Kaino (Blues)

Back:
Damian de Allende (Stormers)

Forward: 
David Pocock (Brumbies)

Tries:
There were two exceptional tries:
The try by Waratahs right wing Taqele Naiyaravoro (13^th minute) from an offload by Will Skelton and wonderful skill from Israel Folau, and then Naiyaravoro’s powering through three defenders, was remarkable.
But the try of Round 9 came from the Highlanders (39^th minute). From a counter-attack 30 metres from their goal-line, Lima Sopoaga raced through a gap in the Crusaders defence and timed his pass to Ben Smith (running just the right angle) to perfection to put his fullback clear. Consummate skill and spot-on timing.