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United Rugby Championship

TOP PERFORMERS: 2024/25 United Rugby Champion Team of Round 8

We select a starting XV of players that stood out from the rest during the eighth round of the United Rugby Championship on the weekend.

Manu Tshituka

We select a starting XV of players that stood out from the rest during the eighth round of the United Rugby Championship on the weekend.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Front rankers: Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Johnny Matthews (Glasgow Warriors) and Wilco Louw (Bulls)

Steenekamp and Louw manhandled Bok teammates Ox Nche and Vincent Koch in Durban, with the Bulls duo underlining the crazy front row depth at the disposal of one Dr Johan Erasmus.

Never one to shy away from the tryline, 31-year-old Matthews bagged a brace in the season’s first 1872 Cup clash at Hampden Park – he now has four in his last three games against Edinburgh.

Second row: Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors) and Andrea Zambonin (Zebre)

Brown hit 24-attacking rucks, won a turnover and made eight tackles for Warriors while Zambronin scored a try and made 14-tackles in the one-point defeat at Benetton.

Back row: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Manu Tshituka (Sharks) and Elrigh Louw (Bulls)

18-tackles, a turnover and 29-carry metres for busy BJ in the Cape while Tshituka earned the Man of the Match nod in Durban after a highly industrious 80-minute shift on both sides of the ball. Louw continues to grow as a player and was huge for the Bulls, carrying for 41-metres and effecting two turnovers.

Halfbacks: Embrose Papier (Bulls) and Sam Costelow (Scarlets)

Livewire Papier was in the zone at the Shark Tank, setting up one try and looking dangerous throughout the contest. It’s not often we see a flyhalf make as many as 14-tackles in a game, but that’s precisely what Costelow did in the defeat at Ospreys, alongside a successful penalty, clean break and turnover.

Midfield: Jordie Barrett (Leinster) and Tom Farrell (Munster)

Barrett scooped Man of the Match against Connacht as the Kiwi midfielder continues his unbelievable form for his new club while Farrell bagged a match-winning hattrick for Munster against Ulster.

Back three: Edwill van der Merwe (Lions), Sulieman Hartzenberg (Stormers) and Aphelele Fassi (Sharks)

In a losing cause, valiant van der Merwe won a turnover, made 28-metres with ball in hand and scored a worldie of a chip ‘n chase try.

Hartzenberg dotted down himself to go with 60-carry metres and two clean breaks, while Fassi was an ever-present threat for the Sharks in difficult conditions.

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