CRAIG LEWIS picks a South African XV based on performances in round two of Super Rugby.
The Bulls were the big winners on a weekend where all the South African teams were in action except the Sharks, who had a bye.
The team from Pretoria produced an impressive all-round performance, with Springboks such as Handré Pollard and Jesse Kriel operating with a new-found sense of freedom, while Lood de Jager and RG Snyman were outstanding in the second row.
As good as the Bulls were in downing the Hurricanes, over in Johannesburg, the Lions produced a typically vibrant performance to power to a 47-27 bonus-point win over the Jaguares.
For the second week in a row, Man of the Match Aphiwe Dyantyi was the star of the show, with the talented winger scoring two tries while making 158m, completing five clean breaks and beating 11 defenders.
Despite the fact that the Stormers suffered a disappointing defeat to the Waratahs in Sydney, they were highly impressive at scrum time, and their entire front row is rewarded as a result.
REVIEW: Stormers on top – for now
SA TEAM OF THE WEEK (Round 2)
15. Andries Coetzee (Lions)
14. Sylvian Mahuza (Lions)
13. Jesse Kriel (Bulls)
12. Burger Odendaal (Bulls)
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi (Lions)
10. Handré Pollard (Bulls)
9. Ross Cronjé (Lions)
8. Warren Whitely (Lions)
7. Thembelani Bholi (Bulls)
6. Roelof Smit (Bulls)
5. Lood de Jager (Bulls)
4. RG Snyman (Bulls)
3. Wilco Louw (Stormers)
2. Ramone Samuels (Stormers)
1. Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)
Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
