Former Cheetahs hooker Joseph Dweba is among the four South Africans who have earned a place in the PRO14 Dream Team for the 2019-20 season.
Media from across all five countries, including former players and coaches, voted for the PRO14 Dream Team. Players needed to have a minimum of eight appearances during the current campaign.
In total, seven teams are represented in the Dream Team selection with Edinburgh leading the way with six selections, finalists Leinster have three, their opponents Ulster have two players in the team with Dragons, Cheetahs, Benetton Rugby and Cardiff Blues all earning one spot each.
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Dweba – who left the Cheetahs for French club Bordeaux halfway through the season – is one of two South Africans in the pack after a phenomenal 2019-20 where the 24-year-old scored seven tries in 12 appearances.
Loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman, who helped Edinburgh into the PRO14 semi-finals (where they were beaten by Ulster), is the only other South African among the forwards as he continues to prove worthy of a place in Scotland’s squad when he is eligible.
Springbok No 8 Marcell Coetzee missed out on selection to Edinburgh’s Bill Mata. The Ulsterman can count himself unlucky after helping his club progress to the final where they will meet Irish rivals and defending champions Leinster.
Among the backs, Jaco van der Walt has been named as the team’s flyhalf after a fine campaign, with him finishing as the season’s fourth-highest points-scorer and earning shouts for a call-up to Scotland’s squad.
Van der Walt’s Edinburgh teammate Duhan van der Merwe, who lit up the competition with seven tries (rank fifth), 32 clean breaks (rank first), 80 defenders beaten (rank first) and 971 metres gained (rank first) is the final South African in the team.
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The PRO14 Player of the Season and Coach of the Season will be named on Thursday, 10 September.
PRO14 Dream Team (2019-20) – 15 Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), 14 Monty Ioane (Benetton), 13 Ray Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues), 12 Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), 11 Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh), 10 Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh), 9 John Cooney (Ulster), 8 Bill Mata (Edinburgh), 7 Will Conners (Leinster), 6 Max Deegan (Leinster), 5 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), 4 Scott Fardy (Leinster), 3 Leon Brown (Dragons), 2 Joseph Dweba (Cheetahs), 1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh).
Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images
