Team of the Week: Kimberley's gems
Griquas continued their march up the standings, into the play-off spots, after a slow start to the season and they are being rewarded in our famous Team of the Week.
The men from Kimberley, who are sitting in forth place after a third consecutive win, have five players in our starting XV and another three bubbling under.
The Sharks and Golden Lions, the other winners from Round Six, have four players each starting. The Blue Bulls and Free State Cheetahs, with one each, make up the numbers.
The Lions have another four players bubbling under, to go with Griquas' three, the same number as the Cheetahs, two from the Bulls and Western Province and one Shark.
Three players return this week - centre Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions), lock Martin Muller (Griquas), prop JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Van Rensburg has featured every week in our team!
Team of the Week - Round Six:
15 - Louis Ludik (Sharks):
The manner in which he dealt with those high bombs in the conditions said as much about his skills as his maturity.
Bubbling under: Gio Aplon (Western Province)
14 - Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls):
The twins are still enjoying life on the domestic circuit and they are good value for money.,
Bubbling under: Odwa Ndungane (Sharks)
13 - Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions):
His reading of the game and creative skills are refreshing.
Bubbling under: Jean Stemmet (Griquas)
12 - Meyer Bosman (Sharks):
Not so long ago he had an army of critics wanting him out of the Sharks team. No he is their midfield rock!
Bubbling under: Walter Venter (Griquas)
11 - Rocco Jansen (Griquas):
His blistering pace often had the bumbling Bulls defenders grasping at thin air.
Bubbling under: Ruan Combrinck (Golden Lions)
10 - Elton Jantjies (Golden Lions):
He keeps reminding the national selectors that there are other quality flyhalves in South Africa.
Bubbling under: Francois Brummer (Griquas)
9 - Cobus Reinach (Sharks):
He has more pace that most scrumhalves, but all the skills required of a quality No.9.
Bubbling under: Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs)
8 - Keegan Daniel (Sharks):
He is obviously trying to make a point to somebody ... perhaps the national selectors.
Bubbling under: Warren Whiteley (Golden Lions)
7 - Wesley Wilkins (Griquas):
Another player who first cut his teeth in the Varsity Cup and no making the step up at Griquas.
Bubbling under: CJ Stander (Blue Bulls)
6 - Marnus Schoeman (Griquas):
One of several former Bulls who rubbed salt into those festering wounds in Pretoria.
Bubbling under: Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs)
5 - Martin Muller (Griquas):
His coach feels he has the potential to be an international lock and he showed exactly why.
Bubbling under: Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions)
4 - Rynhardt Landman (Griquas):
He is forming a formidable second row partnership with Muller.
Bubbling under: Don Armand (Western Province)
3 - Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs):
He is busy developing into a quality player and if he can work on his scrumming may even have an international future.
Bubbling under: Jacobie Adriaanse (Golden Lions)
2 - Callie Visagie (Golden Lions):
His mobility is invaluable to the Lions team's high-tempo game.
Bubbling under: Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls)
1 - JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions):
The leader of the pride!
Bubbling under: Schalk van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs)
Our individual selections!
Michael de Vries XV: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Rynhardt Landman, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Quintin van Jaarsveld XV: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 CJ Stander, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Franco van der Merwe, 4 Don Armand, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Paul Dobson XV: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Deon Helberg, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Wesley Wilkins, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Francois Uys, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Leonard Kaplan XV: 15 Louis Ludik 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Keegan Daniel, 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Don Armand, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Jan de Koning XV: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Meyer Bosman, 11 Ruan Combrinck, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Wesley Wilkins, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Martin Muller, 4 Rynhardt Landman, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg.
Previous selections:
Team of the Week - Round Five: 15 Clayton Blommetjies (Blue Bulls), 14 Deon Helberg (Golden Lions), 13 Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions), 12 Marcel Brache (Western Province), 11 Damian de Allende (Western Province), 10 Demetri Catrakilis (Western Province), 9 Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), 8 Warren Whiteley (Golden Lions), 7 Pieter Labuschagne (Free State Cheetahs), 6 Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs), 5 Martin Muller (Griquas), 4 Don Armand (Western Province), 3 Lourens Adriaanse (Griquas), 2 Ryno Barnes (Griquas), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week - Round Four: 15 Willie le Roux (Griquas), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 JP du Plessis (Western Province), 12 Marcel Brache (Western Province), 11 Raymond Rhule (Free State Cheetahs), 10 Demetri Catrakilis (Western Province), 9 Nic Groom (Western Province), 8 Keegan Daniel (Sharks), 7 Rynhard Elstadt (Western Province), 6 Deon Fourie (Western Province), 5 Martin Muller (Griquas), 4 Don Armand (Western Province), 3 Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs), 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week - Round Three: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls), 13 Johann Sadie (Blue Bulls), 12 Butch James (Golden Lions), 11 Clayton Blommetjies (Blue Bulls), 10 Elton Jantjies (Golden Lions), 9 Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), 8 Duane Vermeulen (Western Province), 7 CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), 6 Frans Viljoen (Free State Cheetahs), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 4 Rynhard Landman (Griquas), 3 Marcel van der Merwe (Free State Cheetahs), 2 Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week - Round Two: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 Paul Jordaan (Sharks), 12 Marcel Brache (Western Province), 11 S'bura Sithole (Sharks), 10 Riaan Viljoen (Sharks), 9 Sarel Pretorius (Free State Cheetahs), 8 CJ Stander (Blue Bulls), 7 Jean Deysel (Sharks), 6 Wesley Wilkins (Griquas), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Golden Lions), 4 Andries Ferreira (Free State Cheetahs), 3 Jacobie Adriaanse (Golden Lions), 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).
Team of the Week - Round One: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls), 13 Paul Jordaan (Sharks), 12 Waylon Murray (Golden Lions), 11 Raymond Rhule (Free State Cheetahs), 10 Butch James (Golden Lions), 9 Cobus Reinach (Sharks), 8 Derick Minnie (Golden Lions), 7 Arno Botha (Blue Bulls), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (Golden Lions), 5 Martin Muller (Griquas), 4 Hendrik Roodt (Golden Lions), 3 Lourens Adriaanse (Griquas), 2 Willie Wepener (Blue Bulls), 1 JC Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions).