We select a starting XV of players that excelled in the 15th round of URC action, with the Hollywoodbets Sharks, Bulls and Stormers all collecting wins.
Front rankers: Alec Hepburn (Scarlets), Dan Sheehan (Leinster) and Keron Assiratti (Cardiff)
A try and 14 tackles for Hepburn in a good Scarlets scrummaging effort. Sheehan, arguably the best hooker on the planet right now, casually came off the Leinster bench to score a hattrick, while also making 10-tackles, 19-carry metres and hitting all six of his lineout targets in just 33-minutes of action in Dublin. In his 53 minutes on the Principality pitch, Assiratti was rock solid at scrum time and even put in 11 shots on defence.
Second rowers: Matteo Canali (Zebre) and Ruan Nortje (Bulls)
Zebre didn’t have it all their own way at lineout time against Glasgow, but Canali still impressed with 19 tackles and two won turnovers. In a typically solid set piece showing, the ever-consistent Nortje also managed to put in 19 tackles for the Bulls.
Back rowers: Marcell Coetzee (Bulls), Alex Mann (Cardiff) and Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)
A monstrous innings from Bulls veteran Coetzee, who scored a try and made a ridiculous 31 tackles against Munster. Mann scored twice for Cardiff, made three turnovers and 21 tackles. Hanekom followed Coetzee’s lead at Thomond Park, executing 20 tackles, winning two turnovers and carrying for 35 metres.
Halfbacks: Luke McGrath (Leinster) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)
Veteran McGrath made the most of a rare start, with a clean break, six tackles and 48-carry metres. A memorable hat-trick within 26 minutes for Sacha in Cape Town, who scored 24 points in total and set up Suleiman Hartzenberg with an audacious Quade Cooper-esque backdoor fling-pass. What a performance from the young Bok flyhalf.
Midfield: Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) and Garry Ringrose (Leinster)
Andre lived up to his billing as “The Giant” with a huge 80-minute shift for an otherwise under-par Sharks side, making 26-carry metres, two turnovers and 12 crucial tackles. A first British & Irish Lions tour is surely within touching distance for Ringrose, who dotted down and carried for 49 metres against Ulster.
Back three: Gabriel Harmer-Webb (Cardiff), Tommy O’Brien (Leinster) and Blair Murray (Scarlets)
England-born Cardiff winger Harmer-Webb scored three times and made 98 metres with ball in hand against Ospreys. In-form O’Brien scored one try and set up another against Ulster. Murray was on hand to score one try, run 98 metres and make three clean breaks for Scarlets against Dragons.
