Team of the Week

The horrendous weather that inevitably hits European rugby at this time of year has put a serious damper on the entertainment value, but we’ve still managed to sift through the mess to come up with a semi-decent side. The return of the Pro D2 should restore us to a full compliment of options next week.

1 – Ignacio Sáenz Lancuba (Jersey) Had a tough quarter as Doncaster came back to tie the match but Marcos Ayerza had one of his worst ever days in a Leicester shirt and just can’t possibly be picked.

2 – Martín García Veiga (Jersey) Same as his countryman. He wasn’t great but there are just no viable alternatives this week.

3 – Francisco Gomez Kodela (Bordeaux) Continues to show himself as one of the best in the scrum in the Top 14. Huge drive earned a penalty in the first half, and defended well around the fringes before being making way for Sekope Kepu in the final quarter.

4 – Manuel Carizza (Racing 92) Another strong game in the engine room. Numerous tackles, offered himself as a carrier, and won clean lineout ball.

5 – Greg Peterson (Glasgow) Decent effort in an 80-minute performance in the middle of a superior pack. Sadly his side couldn’t put points on the board despite a huge advantage in possession and field position.

6 – Brett Beukeboom (Cornish Pirates) We’ll need a heavyweight pack on these muddy fields, so the big Canadian lock shimmies over to the side of the scrum. Played a big part as the Pirates steamrolled the Rotherham pack and his pass to Jack Arnott put the winger away for a key score before the break.

7 – Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Toulon) Arguably RCT’s best player as they overcame a resilient Pau side at Stade Mayol. Put in a shift on both sides of the ball with double digits in both carries and tackles.

8 – Sergio Parisse (Stade Français) A huge match as he led Paris to a key victory over Toulouse with his carrying and overall presence critical to success.

9 – Robbie Shaw (Hartpury) We’ve had to reach down into the English third division, but at least we’ve found somebody. The former Eagles international came on as a replacement on a horrible wet pitch as his side grabbed a come-from-behind win over Fylde.

10 – Juan Pablo Socino (Newcastle) A rough day for Pato Fernández means we need to improvise at flyhalf, and Socino has experience there so he’s our man. Very surprisingly not given the kicking duties for points, but his slicing nudge into the corner put Bath under serious pressure. Put in several tackles as Falcons scored a major upset and finally got a win.

11 – DTH van der Merwe (Scarlets) Intercept try and several strong carries had the Blues on the rack, but his side’s discipline cost them what should have been a win.

12 – Ciaran Hearn (London Irish) The Exiles couldn’t replicate their winning effort of a week ago, but the Canadian centre scored an early try – his first in professional rugby – to give them a lead, and defended soundly in awful conditions.

13 – Marcelo Bosch (Saracens) Not the most difficult match – it has to be said – playing behind a dominant pack, but the Pumas star put in his fair share with several strong carries that kept the Tigers midfield defense on their toes from start to finish.

14 – Jeff Hassler (Ospreys) Returned from a minor injury to put in a solid effort, often moving inside to look for work as a carrier or support player. Made two clean breaks, one that led to points, and his clear-out near the Dragons line gave Hanno Dirksen a free pass to the line.

15 – Lucas González Amorosino (Munster) Not a great day to be a fullback at one of Europe’s most challenging venues, the silky Argentine came away with the thumbs up for his excellent kick coverage and counter-attack on the heavy grounds.