TWF Team of the Week - Round 8

[MI5_Dog]

Time to cast your votes for your team of the week.
Players can be drawn from any Super 14 team that played during round 8.
A full 15 players must be submitted for your vote to count towards the total.
Voting closes Wednesday at 7 PM
Hopefully I'll get the results out on Thursday.

[tdevil]

S14: Team of the Week, Round Eight
Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:09

We have a nice spread this week, with nine of the 14 teams represented in our weekly selection - a team that shows 14 changes from last week.

The only player who returns from Round Seven is tighthead prop John Afoa (Blues).

This week the Cheetahs, after their first win of the season have the biggest representation with four members of our squad. The Chiefs, after a very impressive performance against the Brumbies, have three members and the Hurricanes two.

The Highlanders, Waratahs, Blues, Bulls, Brumbies and Sharks all have one each.

Team of the Week - Round Eight:

15 - Stefan Terblanche (Sharks):
He again showed how valuable experience is in tight situations. He is now to the Sharks what Percy Montgomery was to the Springboks at the World Cup last year - a rock in the last line.

14 - Lelia Masaga (Chiefs):
Despite being the youngest member of the Chiefs squad, 20-year-old Masaga (already in his second season with the Chiefs) again showed he is a young player with huge potential.

13 - Conrad Smith (Hurricanes):
He is once again living up to his nickname - 'Snake', showing that ability to spot a gap, after a slow start to the season.

12 - Meyer Bosman (Cheetahs):
He may not be the most consistent player at the moment, but when Meyer Bosman is on song he is world class.

11 - Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs):
Commentators do him a great injustice by continuously referring to him as the cousin of All Black teammate Joe Rokocoko. Sivivatu is a match-winner in his own right.

10 - Stephen Donald (Chiefs):
Donald, although slightly erratic at times, has been hugely impressive this season.

9 - Piri Weepu (Hurricanes):
The prerequisite for a scrumhalf is to be cocky and lippy. Although Weepu does have some of those attributes, he has developed into one of the most complete No.9s in the game.

8 - Duanne Vermeulen (Cheetahs):
He has enough bulk to function at lock as well, but his true value is as a loose forward.

7 - George Smith (Brumbies):
When he cut off his trademark dreadlocks for charity last year, they said he would be like Samson ... having lost his powers. He has shown that his true ability is in his rugby talent, which he has in abundance.

6 - Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs):
He has been coming on in leaps and bounds this season and the young flank gets to measure himself against Schalk Burger this week.

5 - Barend Pieterse (Cheetahs):
Pieterse, a reliable man in the engine room for the Cheetahs, was finally rewarded for his outstanding displays with Springbok colours last year. He looks set for more appearances in the Green and Gold.

4 - Bakkies Botha (Bulls):
Hard and uncompromising, but the most outstanding feature of his game at the weekend was that he did not allow Nathan Sharpe's childish taunting to distract him from his job.

3 - John Afoa (Blues):
The All Black prop continues to improve in leaps and bounds. Still relatively young at only 24 years of age; he continues to impress in the Super 14.

2 - Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs):
He is once again showing why he became one of the few players to play Test rugby before he made his Super 14 debut.

1 - Jamie Mackintosh (Highlanders):
You know you've got your opponent's number when he is subbed well before half-time. It was meant to be Eugene Maqwelana's big Super 14 test ... a test he failed miserably.

Individual selections for Week Eight:

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Duanne Vermeulen, 7 George Smith, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.

Phil Coetzer XV: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 JW Jonker, 12 Johnny Leota, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Duanne Vermeulen, 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Steven Sykes, 4 Rory Duncan, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.

Steve Farrell XV: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Duanne Vermeulen, 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Pedrie Wannenburg, 5 Troy Flavell, 4 Bakkies Botha 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Stefan Terblanche, 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Duanne Vermeulen, 7 George Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Barend Pieterse, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Afoa, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.

[laura]

Lote Tuqiri made Paul Dobson's team? I didn't see the Tahs game but was he better than Drew?
Only Tatafu Polota-Nau & George Smith made the team from Australia

[frontrow]

I reckon it was definately a better performance from Lote, so warranted a selection over Drew, and as for the fact only two Aussies made the team, i would tend to agree...I am surprised a few more tahs players didn't make it to be honest, they did play well...We, on the other hand, didn't play well at all...

[GIGS20]

I think Gits and Crossy were good for us, I don't really pay much attention to the other nations so I can only say best from Oz with any certainty.

As for best from Oz I'd also add Sharpie, most of the others were pretty lineball really. wouldn't be keen to split them!