Three South Africa Rugby Players Who Stole The Show In Round 5 Of The URC
Three South Africa Rugby Players Who Stole The Show In Round 5 Of The URC
Round 5 of the United Rugby Championship saw players have great performances, with Springboks RG Snyman, Damian Willemse and Aphelele Faiss leading the way
Round five of the United Rugby Championship came in like a wrecking ball, with several of the league’s so-called ‘big boys’ getting knocked off their perch.
Among the teams to suffer defeat were reigning champions Glasgow, season two champions Munster and the previously undefeated Vodacom Bulls.
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Whilst these three giants had a bucket of cold water doused on their motor, three teams who kept rolling through round three were Leinster, the DHL Stormers and the Hollywoodbets Sharks. Spearheading these three teams were some top-notch Springbok players who looked a class above those around them.
In Galway, RG Snyman looked like LeBron James playing a game of pick-up basketball against Woody Harrelson (not the white men can’t jump version) as he pulled off an outlandish eight offloads and scored a superb try.
Linking up with Irish international James Ryan to form what, on paper, is one of the best lock combinations in world rugby, Snyman brought everything that Leinster hoped for when they signed him. Packing bundles of power into the Leinster engine room at scrum time, Snyman makes the aggressive Leinster scrum a force to be reckoned with.
In general play, Snyman’s ability to power through contact and get his hands free brings a new dimension to the already intricate Leinster attack game plan.
If early indications are correct (which we believe they are), Snyman feels like the secret sauce that will finally deliver that fifth European title and a first-ever URC for the men in blue.
United Rugby Championship Team Of The Week
In Cape Town, the Boks backline Swiss Army knife Damian Willemse reminded Rassie Erasmus that when fit, he is their best player, albeit just where he slots in remains an unsolved Rubik’s cube.
Starting at flyhalf against a team his side had never beaten in Munster, Willemse was decisive in his decision-making and physically in his execution. Nailing his shots at goal, including a drop goal, was huge for a team that will be looking to integrate the mercurial Manie Libbok into the starting line-up over the coming weeks.
When Libbok does return, a shift back into the centres or fullback feels like the most logical choice for the Stormers, who had their tails up in attack for the first time this season. Operating this dual playmaking axis has always been the best approach for the Stormers under head coach John Dobson and should bring more balance to proceedings. Adding in South African Rugby’s breakthrough star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will make the Cape Townians a triple-headed attacking monster who will be tough to contain at the business end of the season.
Finally, Aphelele Fassi, the man who took over Willemse’s green number 15 shirt with aplomb this season, hit the ground running in Durban. Clearly wearing his jet shoes, Fassi’s pace burned the defending champions Glasgow Warriors.
Topping the meters gained chart for his team with 71, Fassi limited the Warrior's tactical kicking game with his counter-attacking prowess from the back.
Playing with a newfound confidence since his return from the Springbok camp, Fassi acknowledged that spending time with some of the world’s best coaches has given him the confidence to truly back himself.
“I think I would say credit to the coaches because the confidence that they give you during the week and the players, you know, it speaks volumes,” said Fassi.
“So, when you go out there, you’re free, man.
“You know what? You’re not worried about making mistakes and everything, you know? So, we work a lot with, like, Willie (le Roux), Handre (Pollard), Lukhanyo (Am), (Makazole) Mapimpi.
“We, you know, the way that they understand the game and the way that they bring it towards, like, me, Sacha (Feinberg-Mgomezulu), the youngsters, you know, when you go out there, it’s just like, now, go out and play, you know?
“So, it’s nice, yeah,” He concluded.
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