Weekly Selection of Outstanding Athletes in South African Universities - Round 12
In the latest United Rugby Championship (URC) spectacle, the Lions claimed an emphatic 38-14 triumph over the Sharks, while the Stormers snatched a narrow 19-16 victory against the Bulls. Here's our Team of the Week roundup for these nail-biting matches!
15: Red-hot Ryan Korcok (Sharks)
Decimated Jordaan Maree and plowed through Manie Rass, showcasing his strength with the ball in hand. Korcok was rock-solid under high balls, knocked down a restart, and tirelessly chased kicks at the back.
14: Sizzling Salad Hoffman (Lions)
Capitalized on limited opportunities, darting over for the Lions' bonus point try.
13: World-class Webber Rass (Lions)
Stepped in admirably for the injured Henco van Wyk, injecting energy into Ellis Park during blackouts and demonstrating an equally impressive defense and attack, which earned Man of the Match honors.
12: Greybeard Groenewald (Lions)
Delivered a solid performance, slicing up errors, registering a good assist for Hoffman, and playing like a fourth loose forward, ultimately securing three crucial turnovers.
11: Firecracker Freman Williams (Lions)
Unleashed a blistering performance that caught Rassie Erasmus' eye. Cut through the defense effortlessly, racked up a South African-best 90 meters, made sound defensive reads, and dominated in the air.
10: Calm and Collected Krige Coetzee (Stormers)
Amidst favorable conditions, Coetzee deftly led his team, exerting precision control. He was a vital figure in the visitors' win through spot-on goal-kicking and shrewd kicking out of hand, totaling 14 points in the process.
9: Maestro Morne van den Berg (Lions) - Player of the Week
Orchestrated things flawlessly from the base. Shrewd short passes, snappy assist for Williams, and disruptive kicks into the corners put constant pressure on the Sharks.
8: Explosive Evan Roos (Stormers)
Undoubtedly the most intimidating man on the pitch, Roos displayed relentless energy throughout. He sparked the counter-ruck that initiated the first penalty, carried powerfully, and stole the breakdown penalty that sealed the victory. Richly deserved Man of the Match accolades.
7: Hustling Hardwick (Stormers)
Working tirelessly to regain his best form, Hardwick's performance at Loftus in the rain laid a crucial step on the path to redemption. His work rate was fantastic, he scored two turnovers, and he provided rock-solid performance in the lineout.
6: Scorching Spider Pretorius (Lions)
Spider catapulted to perfection, confusing the Sharks with his speed on the ball. He carried, tackled tenaciously, and was a menace at the breakdown, swiping the ball in the 34th minute.
5: Stalwart Steel Meester (Stormers)
The Stormers captain elevated his game on all fronts, leading his team to a moving victory. He thrived in the physical confrontations, counter-rucked continuously, and excelled in the lineout.
4: Ironclad Iceman Fouche (Bulls)
No stopping the Bulls titan. He scrummaged his opponents into submission, earning his team four penalties, the initial ones laying the foundation for their scoring opportunities. Fouche also landed a strong tackle on Wandisile Simelane.
3: Titanic Tendai Makwara (Stormers)
Tackled the opposition with unparalleled ferocity, demonstrating a team-high nine tackles while his astute decision-making bolstered the Stormers lineout during critical moments.
2: Resilient Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)
Regardless of lineout throwing challenges, Wessels won the day, outshining opposite number Johan Grobbelaar on numerous occasions. He was a formidable ball carrier as well.
1: Relentless Rampage RhysMarcell (Stormers)
Paired exceptionally with Tendai Makwara at scrum time. Rarely outmatched wrestling with fellow prop Neethling Fouche or Frans Malherbe. RhysMarcell subdued both in the same match.
Absolutely impressive performances were displayed in the latest United Rugby Championship matches, with several standout players. Hendrikse, the Lions' scrum-half, was Player of the Week, faultlessly orchestrating things from the base and setting up a try for Freman Williams. Williams, a firecracker on the wing, dominated in the air, racked up a South African-best 90 meters, and scored a bonus point try. In the forward department, Evan Roos of the Stormers demonstrated relentless energy, undoubtedly being the most intimidating man on the pitch, and Stormers captain, Stalwart Steel Meester, elevated his game, thriving in the physical confrontations and leading his team to a moving victory. In rugby, football wasn't the only sport where there were nail-biting matches, as the Lions and Stormers delivered spectacular performances, leaving their opponents in their dust.
