Following around three of the Investec Champions Cup, we select our Team of the Week.<\/p>\n
With Saracens, Bordeaux-Begles and Bristol Bears dominating the weekend headlines, here are our picks.<\/p>\n
Investec Champions Cup Team of the Week<\/p>\n
15 Salesi Rayasi (Union Bordeaux B\u00e8gles<\/a>): The big Fijian back three maestro grabbed an impressive hat-trick in UBB\u2019s demolition job on Saints in a wonderful running display. Elliot Daly was back to his gliding best for Saracens<\/a> as they overturned the might of Toulouse<\/a> at the StoneX, whilst Santiago Carreras was his usual threatening self for Bath Rugby as they saw off Castres in style on the road.<\/p>\n 14 Noah Heward (Bristol Bears<\/a>): A brilliant hat-trick, including the finish of the year in the corner, sees Heward beat off stern competition- with Glasgow\u2019s Kyle Steyn and Harlequins\u2019 hat-trick hero Nick David in brilliant form as our runners up. Union Bordeaux B\u00e8gles\u2019 Damian Penaud unusually failed to get on the scorecard but made so much for others around him so also deserves a mention.<\/p>\n 13 Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors): Weegies\u2019 Lion, Jones, crossed for a try, beat five defenders and made two clean breaks as he ran for 90m in an impressive display. Benhard Janse van Rensburg delivered a phenomenal performance on both sides of the ball for Bristol. Little things matter in big matches, and his tap tackle in the 75th minute saw off a potential Bulls\u2019 comeback. Alex Lowzowski may have butchered a try for Saracens, but he made another and defended brilliantly all evening,<\/p>\n 12 Rekeiti Maasi-White (Sale Sharks): Maasi-White reminded everyone that he\u2019s still an emerging England option with a rumbling and powerful try-scoring display against the Durban Sharks. Cameron Redpath crossed for the opening try for Bath and delivered an assured display on the road. French fans will be delighted at the return to form of Yoram Moefana, who looks to be approaching his very best for UBB, whilst Robbie Henshaw grabbed a try and impressed for Leinster.<\/p>\n 11 Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers): Radwan is in prime form, and he couldn\u2019t have done more in terms of Test selection with the EPS announced next week. Unfortunately, his game ended with an injury. Sale\u2019s Tom O\u2019Flaherty grabbed a brace in their disposal of Sharks, as did Josh Kenny for Leinster, whilst both Cadan Murley and Rotimi Segun both delivered assured displays.<\/p>\n 10 Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers): We can\u2019t stop picking him- and when you\u2019ve grabbed a personal hat-trick and also made two for others, it\u2019s pretty easy to see why. He\u2019s good enough to beat off a quite brilliant personal display from Mattieu Jalibert for Bordeaux and to see off two Test tens in George Ford (Sale) and Tom Jordan (Glasgow). And of course, a very assured display from Leinster\u2019s Sam Prendergast. But what a performance from Searle!<\/p>\n 9 Lucas Friday (Harlequins): The youngster left the Stoop to a standing ovation, and rightly so, as he really stamped a mark on the game with pace and accuracy from the base. Leinster\u2019s Lions nine Jamison Gibson-Park was brilliant once more for his team, whilst Toulon\u2019s Ben White also deserves a mention in a scrappy match at the Mayol.<\/p>\n England greats weigh in on Antoine Dupont\u2019s \u2018off day\u2019 as Saracens \u2018rattle\u2019 Toulouse and France stars<\/a><\/p>\n Bordeaux and Bristol boss it up front<\/p>\n 8 Tom Willis (Saracens): Absolutely huge. A seismic carrying performance, brilliant at the breakdown and a try to boot makes Willis our Player of the Round. Caelan Doris also reminded us of his credentials in a classy skipper\u2019s knock for Leinster, whilst Henry Pollock\u2019s two tries and all-round game in defeat against UBB cemented his place as the most hated man in Bordeaux. Finally, words for Alfie Barbearry \u2013 another clattering display from the Bath eight, and ditto for Glasgow\u2019s Jack Dempsey, another try scorer.<\/p>\n 7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster): Van der Flier and La Rochelle\u2019s Levani Botia treated us to a match-up of the master sevens, a battle that only went the Irishman\u2019s way by context of the result- otherwise it may have been declared a dead heat. Fitz Harding is the heartbeat of Bristol Bears, and he led the demolition of a Springboks-loaded Bulls pack, whilst Tommy Reffell made a timely reminder of his skill set to the Wales selectors.<\/p>\n 6 Cameron Woki (Union Bordeaux B\u00e8gles): The man known to all as \u2018Jabber\u2019 was sensational on the Atlantic Coast. His sojourn to Racing really didn\u2019t suit him, and both Bordeaux and France supporters will be delighted he\u2019s back to his enormous best. Jack Conan was quietly impressive for Leinster, whilst Oscar Jegou reminded us all of the depth of French back row stocks as he shone in defeat.<\/p>\n 5 Pedro Rubiolo (Bristol Bears): A straight coin toss between the Puma and England\u2019s Ollie Chessum. The England lock grabbed one and smashed everything in sight in a fantastic performance for Tigers. However, travelling to Pretoria and taking on Ruan Nortje and walking away with the spoils cannot be underestimated, so we have to go with the big Bear. Scott Cummings was another to impress as Glasgow saw off Clermont in a big statement on the road.<\/p>\n 4 Maro Itoje (Saracens): Itoje dismantled the much-vaunted Toulouse lineout as he stole four from their grasp and made three other turnovers in open play. He was absolutely sensational in every aspect of the lock\u2019s game. Cameron Henderson was an eager partner for Chessum in the Tigers\u2019 win, whilst Bristol\u2019s Joe Batley shone once again in the loose at altitude.<\/p>\n 3 Carlu Sadie (Union Bordeaux B\u00e8gles): People will look at the scoreline of the Bordeaux match and think it was all about the backs, but this was a game won up front and it was Sadie who did the damage. Absolutely beast mode for the big Saffer. Toulon\u2019s Kyle Sinckler continued his good form in an impressive all-round display, whilst George Kloska came through a baptism of fire for the Bears in Pretoria.<\/p>\n Toulon v Munster: Winners and losers as \u2018benchmark performance\u2019 eclipsed by \u2018on-the-road yellows\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n 2 Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears): A brilliant showing from the young hooker showcased his mobility and speed. He was the early catalyst for the win, and so impressive that he takes the shirt from a powerhouse performance from UBB\u2019s Maxime Lemothe, who might just be edging his way to the French starting jersey.<\/p>\n 1 Max Lahiff (Bristol Bears): Bath\u2019s Beno Obano is the runner-up in our selection as he grabbed a try and carried brilliantly all evening, despite his yellow card. Jefferson Poirot deserves a mention- especially for his fun and games with Henry Pollock. But Lahiff\u2019s performance, at altitude, against a Bok front row, in a match where he also played for a short time on the tighthead, was something right out of the top drawer.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n