Tuesday 2 May 2017 00:22, UK
Harlequins and the Highlanders contribute five players to our team of the week after both teams registered impressive victories on Friday.
Quins were convincing winners over Premiership leaders Wasps with Nick Evans starring on his last appearance at the Stoop, while Aaron Smith was at his electric best as the Highlanders routed the Stormers.
Twelves teams in total are included with hat-trick heroes on the wing and at No 8.
15. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
McKenzie was again the matchwinner as the jetlagged Chiefs struggled to see off the Sunwolves in Hamilton. The smiling assassin was outstanding with ball in hand, scoring two brilliant tries and creating another.
McKenzie made 137 metres from 15 carries, beating six defenders, with two missed kicks at goal the only negative.
Dan Evans also deserves a mention for his man-of-the-match performance in the Ospreys' impressive win over Ulster.
14. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Olly Woodburn bagged a brace for the Chiefs against Northampton but he is edged out by team-mate Nowell, who popped up all over the paddock in an excellent all-round display.
Nowell made four line breaks and beat a whopping nine defenders as he made 155 metres from 28 carries. He had one try ruled out but touched down on 58 minutes for Exeter's bonus-point clinching try, and then turned provider for Woodburn's second.
13. Joe Marchant (Harlequins)
England coach Eddie Jones was at the Stoop on Friday and will have liked what he saw from the 20-year-old, who outshone Wasps' international centre pairing of Kurtley Beale and Elliot Daly.
Marchant made an impressive four line breaks and beat six defenders for a gain of 104 metres from 10 carries. He also made seven tackles, missing none, and his last-minute try put the seal on an excellent outing.
12. Rob Thompson (Highlanders)
Thompson scored a try and created another as the Highlanders hammered the Stormers.
The centre threw an outrageous offload to Ben Smith in the lead-up to Patrick Osborne's second try, and Osborne then returned the favour on the stroke of half-time with Thompson showing good pace to beat two defenders and dive under the posts.
The 25-year-old beat six defenders and made two line breaks on a red-hot night for the Highlanders in Dunedin, while his nine tackles were the most of any back.
11. George Bridge (Crusaders)
South African sides will be glad to see the back of Bridge after he followed up his hat-trick against the Stormers with another treble against the Cheetahs.
Bridge scored twice in five minutes at the end of the first half to put the Crusaders on course for a ninth successive victory.
Four line breaks, eight defenders beaten and a gain of 142 metres from 12 carries; it was an excellent display by the 22-year-old.
Patrick Osborne is unfortunate to miss out after scoring two tries and creating another with a fantastic offload during the Highlanders' hammering of the Stormers.
10. Nick Evans (Harlequins)
Evans said farewell to the Stoop in style with a man-of-the-match performance against Wasps.
The former All Black slotted eight of his nine kicks off the tee for a 22-point haul to keep Quins' Champions Cup qualification hopes alive.
Freddie Burns also impressed on his Welford Road farewell while Bernard Foley slotted three clutch kicks late on in the Waratahs' comeback win over the Reds.
9. Aaron Smith (Highlanders)
The All Black was at his brilliant best against the Stormers, bringing great variety to his game and to devastating effect.
Smith terrorised the outclassed South Africans, from quick tap penalties to deft passes out the back, and he threw two fantastic try-scoring passes as the Highlanders racked up a half-century of points.
"It's no surprise that the Highlanders have started to play very well and five on the trot, because a lot of it has to do with Smith," said Sean Fitzpatrick, who named Smith his All Black of the week.
"His decision-making is quite outstanding."
Notable mentions to Sonatane Takulua, who scored all of Newcastle's points in their last-gasp win over Worcester, and Nick McCarthy who was named man of the match on his first Leinster start.
1. Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)
Genge was central as Leicester moved a step closer to the Premiership play-offs with a comprehensive win over Sale.
The loosehead made a team-high 11 carries which includes a powerful charge during the second half, while also chipping in with nine tackles.
2. James Tracy (Leinster)
The 26-year-old produced an excellent 80-minute display as Leinster edged a thrilling contest with Glasgow.
Tracy's darts were on the money, finding a team-mate with all nine throws, but he was also outstanding in the loose, making a mammoth 17 tackles and eight carries.
David Paice also deserves a mention, the London Irish skipper scoring a brace in their first-leg victory at Doncaster.
3. Petrus du Plessis (Saracens)
Any try by a tighthead should be celebrated, let alone two, but Du Plessis' double is made even more remarkable by the fact he had not scored in 106 games!
The 35-year-old prop was introduced on 55 minutes and touched down four minutes later from a driving lineout, and he repeated the trick at the death to clinch a try bonus point.
4. Wilhelm van der Sluys (Kings)
The Kings ran riot against the Rebels to clinch back-to-back Super Rugby wins for the first time but their defensive effort also deserves a mention.
Seven of the eight Kings forwards reached double figures in the tackle charts and Van der Sluys led the way with 20. He also won two turnovers and was the go-to man at the lineout, claiming five throws.
5. Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors)
An outstanding performances from the Scotland lock helped Glasgow turn a 17-point deficit into a two-point lead against Leinster, only for Joey Carbery to end their feint play-off hopes at the death.
Gray topped the charts with a whopping 21 tackles and 17 carries, while also winning five lineouts.
6. Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
Robshaw was influential as Quins kept their Champions Cup qualification hopes alive with an impressive victory over Wasps.
The England flanker led the tackle charts with 12, missing none and winning two turnovers, while his 11 carries were the most of the Quins forwards and included one line break.
Sam Underhill also impressed in the Ospreys' victory over Ulster, making 19 tackles.
7. Michael Hooper (Waratahs)
The Australia captain edged his battle with Wallabies legend George Smith as the Waratahs overturned a 12-point deficit in Brisbane.
Hooper scored from an excellent training ground move two minutes before the break, one of two line breaks from the openside.
And he was at his tenacious best in defence, making nine tackles and winning four turnovers in a fine 80-minute performance.
8. Taulupe Faletau (Bath)
The battle for the No 8 shirt on this summer's Lions tour is going to be intense and Faletau did his chances no harm with a hat-trick against Gloucester.
The 26-year-old gets in ahead of Victor Vito, who scored two tries for La Rochelle against Montpellier, and Kai Horstmann, who made a lung-busting 16 carries and 13 tackles during Exeter's win over Northampton.
