Shaun Goosen selects a starting XV of players that stood out from the rest during the sixth round of the United Rugby Championship on the weekend.
Front rankers: Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Johnny Matthews (Glasgow Warriors) and Simone Ferrari (Benetton)
Nche continued his vintage form, making 13 tackles and two gainline carries, while Matthews scored a try, made 66 metres with ball in hand (including four carries across the gainline) as well as nine tackle for Glasgow. Ferrari made 11 tackles and won a turnover in a losing cause for Benetton.
Second row: Ruben Schoeman (Lions) and Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Cheating slightly to have two No 4s on this list, but Schoeman’s 18-tackle performance against Leinster couldn’t go unnoticed. Etzebeth was an absolute menace for the Sharks and put in several classic hits in a game that saw him make 14 tackles in all.
Back row: Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks) and Caelan Doris (Leinster)
Morgan attacked 24 rucks, made 11 carries and 16 tackles for Ospreys while Doris scored a try, made 78 carry metres, 16 carries across the gainline to go with nine tackles. Tireless Tshituka scored a try and made 21 tackles for the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
Halfbacks: Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) and Callum Sheedy (Cardiff)
Man of the Match Williams was unplayable against Munster, scoring a try and assisting two more in one of the scrumhalf’s finest outings to date. Sheedy kicked three from three, carried for 43 metres and made nine tackles in the Cardiff comeback win over Ulster.
Midfield: Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster)
Esterhuizen scored a try, set up another and made five carries across the gainline for the Sharks, while Ulsterman Postlethwaite bagged a brace of tries, carried for 36 metres, made two clean breaks and put in nine tackles in the narrow defeat to Cardiff.
Back three: Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Calvin Nash (Munster) and Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets)
Mapimpi dotted down for the Sharks and made a staggering 134 metres with ball in hand. Munster right winger Nash scored a try, made 107 metres in the carry, four clean breaks and two offloads in a busy 80-minute shift in Durban. Lloyd made 125 carry metres and kicked 10 points in Scarlets’ big win over Zebre.
