Pete Samu scored two tries in the Brumbies' win over the Chiefs in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport
Pete Samu scored two tries in the Brumbies' win over the Chiefs in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport
Round four was one for the Australian and South African conferences, as reflected in Christopher Reive's team of the week.
1. Aidan Ross (Chiefs)
As a team, defence wasn't the Chiefs' strong suit against the Brumbies – but that was no fault of Ross'. The prop continued a string ofstrong performances, making a heap of tackles and muscling up to try slow down the Brumbies attack. He put in plenty of work at the breakdown and was solid at the set piece.
2. Connal McInerney (Brumbies)
McInerney made his presence felt in a big way on the defensive side of the ball, with a massive tackle count and a turnover to his credit. He worked hard across the paddock, and he was reliable at lineout time.
Tried hard to get involved in the side's attack where he could, carrying the ball strongly and breaking the defensive line. On defense, he was terrific, making plenty of tackles while working hard off the ball.
Another key factor in the Brumbies' shock win over the Chiefs, Douglas impressed on the defensive end, while doing his part at the set pieces and in the attack too.
5. Angus Blyth (Reds)
Despite the Reds obliterating the Sunwolves and dominating possession and territory, it was Blyth's work on the defensive end that made him stand out, making his tackles and working hard at the breakdown.
6. Jeandre Rudolph (Bulls)
Rudolph flashed a little bit of everything in a slim loss to the Blues. The loose forward put his head down for some strong carriers, raking through more than 50m with ball in hand. He also scored a try, worked tirelessly on defence and even put in a kick.
7. Tom Christie (Crusaders)
For the second week in a row, Christie stood out from the pack for his sheer work rate. Hitting the 20-tackle mark yet again, securing a turnover, scoring a try and carrying the ball with intent, Christie had a say in every facet of the game.
After being pipped late by the Highlanders a week prior, the Brumbies needed a shot of energy from somewhere against the Chiefs. They got it from Samu. The former Crusaders put in a stunning performance with two tries, the second one a brilliant display of his pace and power.
Tate McDermott was a major player in the Reds' win over the Sunwolves. Photo / Getty Images
9. Tate McDermott (Reds)
In a game where the Reds scored 64 points, McDermott had his fingerprints all over it. With two tries and as many assists, he was heavily involved in the attack. His decision making and distribution were terrific and he worked superbly alongside No10 James O'Connor to control the game.
10. Otere Black (Blues)
Black was strong in his first competition game of the season due to injury and while the pace affected him at times, it didn't hurt his perfect cross-kick for Stephen Perofeta's try, or indeed the match-winning penalty in the final seconds – the last act of the game.
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks)
A major factor in the Sharks' win over the Rebels, Mapimpi was a menace with ball in hand. He chalked up more than 110m, scored two tries and assisted on another in an impressive performance.
12. Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks)
In a solid all-round performance, Esterhuizen stood up as an imposing force for the Sharks. Making double-digit tackles and securing three turnovers, he set the benchmark for his team's defensive efforts.
13. Hunter Paisami (Reds)
With line breaks, a try, plenty of metres with ball in hand and flashing his offloading prowess, Paisami took full advantage of his chances to impress against the Sunwolves.
Otere Black kicked the match-winning penalty for the Blues against the Bulls. Photo / Photosport
14. Chris Feauai-Sautia (Reds)
Looked threatening whenever he had the pill. While he wasn't among the Reds' nine try scorers, he did plenty of work on attack, beating defenders, breaking the line and getting teammates into space.
15. Michael Collins (Highlanders)
While the Highlanders got blown away by the Crusaders, Collins had an individual performance to be proud of. He was a handful for the defence when he got room to move, carrying the ball for more than 130m and broke clean through the defensive line a couple of times, providing an attacking threat the Highlanders have been lacking early in the season.
