Sharks duo in Super Rugby team
The team consists of a healthy spread of players from the five South African franchises with three from the Emirates Lions, two from the Cell C Sharks, two DHL Stormers players and a player from the Toyota Cheetahs and Vodacom Bulls each.
Players earn points according to their positions and the statistics taken from the Vodacom Rugby App.
While a prop will certainly get points for running 50 metres to score a try, he will get even more points for doing what he is on the field to do – win scrums.
Sharks fullback Lwazi Mvovo made seven Carries for a total of 178m, beating four defenders and three Clean Breaks to add a try for his efforts against the Rebels on Friday night.
Joining him as part of a Stats XV back three is Lions flyer Ruan Combrinck, who was all over the place in the Lions’ historic victory over the Waratahs in Durban over the weekend.
Combrinck was in rampant form beating six defenders with his eight carries while scoring a brace of tries and also playing a hand in his side’s third try of the evening.
Stormers inside centre Damian de Allende and the Lions’ Lionel Mapoe form a South African midfield combination in the Stats XV team.
Mapoe beat two defenders and made four offloads with his seven carrries while De Allende put the Cheetahs defense to shame beating 10 defenders against the Bloemfontein side.
De Allende made 14 carries to execute four offloads, and four clean breaks while he was rewarded for a try for his stellar performance.
Lions flanker Jaco Kriel and the Cheetahs’ Boom Prinsloo are the two loose forwards in the pack after both players produced lively performances in their respective matches.
Kriel’s nine carrries saw him beating seven defenders including two clean breaks to cover 86 metres while also executing 18 tackles.
Prinsloo in turn made 23 tackles and made 11 carries to get over the whitewash to add his name to the score sheet.
In the second-row the Bulls’ Grant Hattingh and Eben Etzebeth of the Stormers form a South African second-row combination.
Hattingh won 11 lineouts on his side’s throw and made 10 tackles in his side's defeat over the Brumbies.
Eben Etzebeth stole one of the opposition's lineouts while taking five of his own. He made five carries and executed five tackles for an all-round performance.
The Sharks' Bismarck du Plessis was the form hooker this weekend where he made five carries, 12 Tackles while making a turnover.
Vodacom Stats XV team:
15. Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), 14. Ruan Cobrinck (Lions), 13. Lionel Mapoe (Lions), 12. Damian de Allende (Stormers), 11. Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders), 10. Quade Cooper (Reds), 9. Will Genia (Reds), 8. Ita Vaea (Brumbies), 7. Boom Prinsloo (Cheetahs), 6. Jaco Kriel (Lions), 5. Grant Hattingh (Bulls), 4. Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), 3. Laurie Weeks (Rebels), 2. Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), 1. Toby Smith (Rebels)
(File Photo: Andre Bloem)
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre @ECRSportswave