CC TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT: Best of the best

OPINION: The Sharks are 2018 Currie Cup champions and their players dominate our Team of the Tournament.

The Sharks have a total of seven players in our overall XV this year, while Western Province are the next best represented with five players.

Our back three are all from Western Province and they consist of Dillyn Leyds, Sergeal Petersen and SP Marais.

In the midfield, we have Lionel Mapoe at No.13 and Marius Louw at No.12.

The Sharks duo of Robert du Preez and Louis Schreuder are our choices for flyhalf and scrumhalf respectively.

In the pack, Dan du Preez is at No.8 and he is joined in our loose trio by Tyler Paul and James Venter.

JD Schickerling and Rhyno Herbst make up our second row and in the front row we have Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe and Juan Schoeman.

Team of the Tournament:

15 – Dillyn Leyds (Western Province)
He was outstanding on attack during the league phase for Province. He played a role in a number of tries and made good decisions at the back.
Bubbling under: Curwin Bosch (Sharks)

14 – Sergeal Petersen (Western Province)
He finished as the competition’s leading try scorer. He was lethal out wide, and he got called up to the Springboks squad for the November tour.
Bubbling under: Jade Stighling (Blue Bulls)

13 – Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions)
He was a handful in the midfield throughout the season. His speed and physicality gave defenders plenty of problems.
Bubbling under: Ruhan Nel (Western Province)

12 – Marius Louw (Sharks)
He brought great energy to the Sharks backline and his work rate around the field was simply outstanding.
Bubbling under: Andre Swarts (Griquas)

11 – SP Marais (Western Province)
His kicking for territory and his kicking to polls were great. He showed some nice touches with ball in hand out wide and he was a good finisher as well.
Bubbling under: Courtnall Skosan (Golden Lions)

10 – Robert du Preez (Sharks)
He controlled things nicely at No.10 this season. He was a big presence on attack and he defended his channel well.
Bubbling under: Josh Stander (Western Province)

9 – Louis Schreuder (Sharks)
A stronger leader for the Sharks in the latter half of the competition. His overall game also improved immensely, especially his variation on attack from the breakdowns.
Bubbling under: Ross Cronje (Golden Lions)

8 – Dan du Preez (Sharks)
He was immense with ball in hand this season for the Sharks. His physicality and aggression was there fall all to see. It’s puzzling why he is not in the current Bok squad.
Bubbling under: Hacjivah Dayimani (Golden Lions)

7 – Tyler Paul (Sharks)
He did the unseen hard work during the season for the Sharks. He played an integral role in the Sharks’ ability to dominate their opponents physically.
Bubbling under: Ernst van Rhyn (Western Province)

6 – James Venter (Golden Lions)
The new kid on the scene made quite an impression with his work with ball in hand and his effectiveness at the breakdowns. He has plenty of speed as well.
Bubbling under: Kobus van Dyk (Western Province)

5 – JD Schickerling (Western Province)
A stalwart up front for Western Province. He gave his team a lot in terms of physicality with ball in hand and on defence. He was also an integral part of a strong WP maul.
Bubbling under: Marvin Orie (Golden Lions)

4 – Rhyno Herbst (Golden Lions)
He did a lot of hard work in open play for the Golden Lions. His work rate in the set pieces did not go unnoticed this season.
Bubbling under: Gideon Koegelenberg (Sharks)

3 – Wilco Louw (Western Province)
He dominated all his opponents in the scrums and worked tirelessly around the field.
Bubbling under: Thomas du Toit (Sharks)

2 – Akker van der Merwe (Sharks)
He was influential for the Sharks this season, especially in the Final where he was outstanding. He should be in the United Kingdom with the Boks.
Bubbling under: Corné Fourie (Golden Lions)

1 – Juan Schoeman (Sharks)
He was consistently good throughout the season for the Sharks. He was solid in the scrums and put in a great amount of work around the park as well.
Bubbling under: Alistair Vermaak (Western Province)

SA Rugby U19 Champions ☑️
Currie Cup Champions☑️

That Monday groove when both of #OurSharks teams win their respective Finals!😎🕺#OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/eOhHaPuxJd

— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) October 29, 2018

Our individual selections:

Paul Dobson XV: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Marius Louw, 11 SP Marais, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Kobus van Dyk, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Warren Fortune XV: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Marius Louw, 11 SP Marais, 10 Josh Stander, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 James Venter, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Jan de Koning XV: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Sarel Marais, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 James Venter, 5 John Schickerling, 4 Gideon Koegelenberg, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Juan Schoeman.

Previous selection:

Team of the Week – Semifinals: 15 Divan Rossouw (Blue Bulls), 14 Sibusiso Nkosi (Sharks), 13 Jeremy Ward (Sharks), 12 Marius Louw (Sharks), 11 SP Marais (Western Province), 10 Elton Jantjies (Golden Lions), 9 Nic Groom (Golden Lions), 8 Dan du Preez (Sharks), 7 Marco van Staden (Blue Bulls), 6 Ruan Steenkamp (Blue Bulls), 5 Eli Snyman (Blue Bulls), 4 Gideon Koegelenberg (Sharks), 3 Wilco Louw (Western Province), 2 Akker van der Merwe (Sharks), 1 Juan Schoeman (Sharks).

Team of the Week – Round Eight: 15 Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), 14 Sergeal Petersen (Western Province), 13 Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions), 12 Robert du Preez (Sharks), 11 SP Marais (Western Province), 10 Josh Stander (Western Province), 9 Louis Schreuder (Sharks), 8 Tyler Paul (Sharks), 7 Ernst van Rhyn (Western Province), 6 James Venter (Golden Lions), 5 JD Schickerling (Western Province), 4 Rhyno Herbst (Golden Lions), 3 Wilco Louw (Western Province), 2 Corné Fourie (Golden Lions), 1 Juan Schoeman (Sharks).

Team of the Week – Round Six: 15 Devon Williams (Pumas), 14 Sergeal Petersen (Western Province), 13 Neil Maritz (Pumas), 12 André Swarts (Griquas), 11 JJ Engelbrecht (Western Province), 10 Robert du Preez (Sharks), 9 Louis Schreuder (Sharks), 8 Dan du Preez (Sharks), 7 Jannes Snyman (Free State Cheetahs), 6 Marnus Schoeman (Pumas), 5 Chris van Zyl (Western Province), 4 Salmaan Moerat (Western Province), 3 Thomas du Toit (Sharks), 2 Bongi Mbonambi (Western Province), 1 Juan Schoeman (Sharks).

Team of the Week – Round Five: 15 Dillyn Leyds (Western Province), 14 Sergeal Petersen (Western Province), 13 Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions), 12 Dan Kriel (Western Province), 11 Ruwellyn Isbel (Pumas), 10 Joshua Stander (Western Province), 9 Jano Vermaak (Western Province), 8 Juarno Augustus (Western Province), 7 Sias Koen (Griquas), 6 Kobus van Dyk (Western Province), 5 John Schickerling (Western Province), 4 Rhyno Herbst (Golden Lions), 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen (Blue Bulls), 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province), 1 Sithembiso Sithole (Golden Lions).

Team of the Week – Round Four: 15 Sylvian Mahuza (Golden Lions), 14 Jade Stighling (Blue Bulls), 13 Lionel Mapoe (Golden Lions), 12 Andre Swarts (Griquas), 11 Duncan Matthews (Blue Bulls), 10 Shaun Reynolds (Golden Lions), 9 Christiaan Meyer (Griquas), 8 Hacjivah Dayimani (Golden Lions), 7 Jano Venter (Blue Bulls), 6 James Venter (Golden Lions), 5 Marvin Orie (Golden Lions), 4 Rhyno Herbst (Golden Lions), 3 Jacobie Adriaanse (Golden Lions), 2 Reinach Venter (Free State Cheetahs), 1 Juan Schoeman (Sharks).

Team of the Week – Round Three: 15 Andries Coetzee (Golden Lions), 14 Sergeal Petersen (Western Province), 13 Ruhan Nel (Western Province), 12 Damian de Allende (Western Province), 11 Courtnall Skosan (Golden Lions), 10 Louis Fouché (Free State Cheetahs), 9 Dillon Smit (Golden Lions), 8 Hacjivah Dayimani (Golden Lions), 7 Kobus van Dyk (Western Province), 6 James Venter (Golden Lions), 5 John Schickerling (Western Province), 4 Rhyno Herbst (Golden Lions), 3 Wilco Louw (Western Province), 2 Corné Fourie (Golden Lions), 1 Juan Schoeman (Sharks).

Team of the Week – Round Two: 15 Curwin Bosch (Sharks), 14 Kobus van Wyk (Sharks), 13 Kyle Steyn (Griquas), 12 Johnny Kotze (Blue Bulls), 11 Courtnall Skosan (Golden Lions), 10 Joshua Stander (Western Province), 9 Ross Cronje (Golden Lions), 8 Juarno Augustus (Western Province), 7 Len Massyn (Golden Lions), 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Western Province), 5 John Schickerling (Western Province), 4 Ernst van Rhyn (Western Province), 3 Michael Kumbirai (Western Province), 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni (Western Province), 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche (Free State Cheetahs).

Team of the Week – Round One: 15 Gerrit Smith (Pumas), 14 Jade Stighling (Blue Bulls), 13 Johnny Kotze (Blue Bulls), 12 Nico Lee (Free State Cheetahs), 11 Neil Maritz (Pumas), 10 Manie Libbok (Blue Bulls), 9 Stefan Ungerer (Pumas), 8 Willie Engelbrecht (Pumas), 7 Thembelani Bholi (Blue Bulls), 6 Marnus Schoeman (Pumas), 5 Ruan Nortje (Blue Bulls), 4 Ruben van Heerden (Blue Bulls), 3 Marne Coetzee (Pumas), 2 Joseph Dweba (Free State Cheetahs), 1 Retshegofaditswe Nche (Free State Cheetahs).

@rugby365com

#OurSharks @TheCurrieCup captain, @ChiliboyR placing the coveted piece of silverware back where it belongs.🏆

📷: Howard Cleland Pix #OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/lHmmGN0Uf2

— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) October 29, 2018