European Rugby Champions Cup Team of the Week: Round 6

15. Nick Abendanon (Clermont Auvergne)
That Benjamin Lapeyre, who was so instrumental in Racing’s win in the East Midlands, misses out is a mark of just how good Abendanon was for Clermont. His ability to hit the perfect angle and break the line was a joy to watch, as was his bravery in taking the high ball. It was a masterclass of fullback play and the standout performance of a game otherwise dominated by brawn.

14. Ken Pisi (Northampton Saints)
It was a dire performance in general from the Saints, but their one shining light came in the form of the younger Pisi brother, whose breathtaking, jinking runs were the only thing the home fans had to shout about. Some of his breaks were truly unique and even his sometimes-suspect defence didn’t let him down as those around him were falling off tackles left, right and centre.

13. Darren Cave (Ulster)
Ulster clearly hadn’t read the script and proceeded to ruthlessly sink Leicester’s qualification plan, with a hat-trick from Cave at the forefront of their smash and grab win. They weren’t the most difficult of finishes, but they did showcase the centre’s ability to track the ball-carrier and time his run to perfection to accept the offload.

12. Jamie Roberts (Racing Métro)
Roberts has fired the first shots ahead of England’s visit to the Millenium Stadium next month with a breathtakingly powerful and precise performance that had Northampton’s defence in all sorts of trouble. His opposite man, Luther Burrell, missed six of his 13 tackles, which tells you just how devastating Roberts’ carrying was. Mention to Glasgow’s Alex Dunbar who put in a Roberts-esque performance of his own.

11. Lucas Dupont (Montpellier)
Dupont bagged brace in Montpellier’s thrilling, qualification-denying win over Toulouse. Both tries showed an unerring ability to arrive on the shoulder of the ball-carrier at the perfect time, and the first involved a 50 metre dash to the line that he completed somehow untouched.

10. Nick Evans (Harlequins)
Castres may well have rolled over and had their tummies tickled but in horrific conditions, someone had to orchestrate Quins’ rampant victory – that man was Evans. He played the weather well and his darting, jinking run to set up Yarde proved there’s still plenty of devil in the Kiwi fly-half yet. Mention to Ian Humphreys of Ulster who put in a similarly controlled display.

9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon)
Granted, he had an armchair ride behind a pack that utterly dominated, but Tillous-Borde was nonetheless imperious against the Scarlets, making the initial break that set up their first try and generally escaping the clutches of the Welsh fringe defence to finish with eight defenders beaten. Live-wire stuff.

1. Paul James (Bath Rugby)
The Welsh loosehead hasn’t had it all his way this season but he tormented Glasgow’s Mike Cusack at the weekend, to the extent that the Scotsman was taken off at half time. Bath’s two penalty tries may have come after James was taken off, but he did the hard work in the first half that laid the foundations for Bath’s powerful win.

2. Dmitri Szarzewski (Racing Métro)
That he is apparently deemed surplus to requirements for France is utterly baffling. He so comprehensively outplayed Dylan Hartley that the Englishman will be thoroughly relieved at the French selectors’ assured oversight. He was a raging bull with ball in hand and the lineout was flawless. What more could you ask?

3. BJ Botha (Munster)
The fireworks might not have started until later in the game, when Botha was off the pitch, but the South African tighthead had his opposite man on toast in the scrums in a power-packed 63-minute outing. He was a key cog in the a front five that marched the Sale scrum back over the line for a penalty try in the 53rd minute.

4. Franco van de Merwe (Ulster)
There was general parity between the Ulster and Leicester forwards on Saturday night, but the South African second row was one player who stuck his head above the parapet and stood out. He was always a willing carrier and despite falling off a few of tackles, his work rate put him amongst the top defenders on the night.

5. Paul O’Connell (Munster)
There is a huge amount of life in the old dog yet. Aside from being a decent source of lineout ball, O’Connell’s insatiable work ethic again shone through as he carried more ball than anyone other than fullback Zebo. 19 carries for a second row forward is a monumental effort, and most of them came with a decent return in terms of metre made, too.

6. Wenceslas Lauret (Racing Métro)
Truth be told, you could name most of the Racing side in this team, such was their astounding dominance over Northampton, but Lauret was certainly amongst their best. The abrasive blindside made more metres than any other forward on the pitch and was also his side’s second top tackler. Mention to Harlequins’ Jack Clifford who was similarly industrious.

7. Steffon Armitage (Toulon)
In a week when the England squad was announced, arguably the most attention continues to be paid to a player not included. Toulon’s English exile was at his rampaging best in Wales as he secured turnover after turnover in his side’s comfortable win that saw them finish among the top seeds for the quarter finals. A huge mention for Glasgow’s Fraser Brown, who was at times the best player on the pitch despite having spent most of his time at hooker this season.

8. Nick Easter (Harlequins)
There was a gorgeous offload in the second half that set up Mark Lambert for his try and showcased the kind of deft footballing ability that no other English number eight possesses. Can he translate it to the international stage? We may well find out this spring but one thing’s for certain – his recent performances continue to justify his England inclusion.

By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43

Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images