Team of the Week

With only one Americas player in action outside of the continents it’s an all-domestic team this week. The Canadian Rugby Championship gave some players two bites at the cherry, though it also meant they had to show some consistency. The newly-minted MacTier Cup champion Ontario Blues make up one third of the selection which seems a fair reflection after proving their dominance in the north once again.

1 – Rob Brouwer (Ontario Blues) High workrate and surprising mobility for a front rower. He got through the best part of two games in the stifling heat of Markham and gave nothing away in the set piece.

2 – Eric Howard (Ontario Blues) It was a big couple of days for the Brantford battle wagon, especially at the breakdown. Four turnovers in the first half alone against the Wolf Pack and a try against the Bears.

3 – Chris Baumann (Denver) A couple crunching hits and a strong contribution in the loose for the dude with the hair. Offload to Mose Timoteo made a try and his scrum work was solid as usual.

4 – Mike Sheppard (Ontario Blues) Doesn’t seem to care where he plays in the pack, just puts his head down and does the dirty work. Long arms found the try-line to bust open the floodgates in Sunday’s runaway win over BC.

5 – Jon Phelan (Atlantic Rock) Solid match against the Pack and a step up against the Bears. The main man in the lineout and a pillar of strength in the tight-loose.

6 – Hanco Germishuys (Denver) There aren’t too many teenagers who can mix it up with the best senior players in the country. Reveled in the chaos of a match that resembled the wild west.

7 – Matt Heaton (Atlantic Rock) Four quality loose forwards went to battle for the Rock and Heaton was the pick of the bunch. A menace at the tackle and his link play was exceptional.

8 – Clay Panga (Wolf Pack) Ran hard from the base and did his best to keep his side in the fight against a superior Blues side. Class performance in St. John’s included some marvelous handling skills that most backs would be proud of.

9 – Mike Te’o (San Diego) Started the match at fullback but switched to scrumhalf when Charlie Purdon went down and lit a fire in the Breakers attack. Scored two tries himself in a matter of minutes with heads up play and speed off the mark. Honorable mention to MacTier Cup winner Andrew Ferguson who steered the Blues to two wins in four days.

10 – Patrick Parfrey (Atlantic Rock) A steadying influence at the helm in the win over the Bears and a near-miss against the Wolf Pack. Top notch defense stands him part from his competitors.

11 – Kainoa Lloyd (Ontario Blues) Earned himself a start against the Bears after a try-scoring performance as a replacement against the Wolf Pack. Sunday went even better, including a 75 metre individual effort to cap off a great week for the Mississauga flyer.

12 – Nemia Qoro (Sacramento) Pushed one spot in from his usual no13 shirt in a creative reshuffle but took it in stride with arguably his biggest match of the season. Made the gain line consistently and his offloads put the Express in behind the San Diego defense.

13 – Mozac Samson (Wolf Pack) Had to come at the half in St. John’s and his absence was keenly felt. Despite coming out on the losing end against the Blues he caused problems every time he touched the ball and again proved to be among the most effective attackers in Canadian rugby.

14 – Phil Mack (BC Bears) No, that’s not a mistake. The 7s supremo was a surprise addition to the Bears squad for their road trip and even more surprisingly lined up at wing and fullback. His team wasn’t up to much but his attacking nous gave the BC fans something to cheer about.

15 – Jordan Wilson-Ross (Ontario Blues) Wing against the Wolf Pack and started at his old position of fullback against the Bears. Only notched one try himself but created others with his speed and strength.