Dream Team features four SA players
PRO14 SPOTLIGHT: The tournaments Dream Team features four South Africans, even though only one actually comes from an SA franchise.
Two front row forwards – Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh) and Joseph Dweba (Cheetahs) – headline the SA selections.
Schoeman, with 60-odd games for the Bulls, is soon to be Scotland qualified on residency grounds and may actually feature in the eight-nation year-end series for his adopted country.
Dweba, with 70-odd games for the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and Pro14, earlier this year confirmed his move to Bordeaux-Begles in France.
He made his debut for his new club in August and scored a try in a Top 14 pre-season match.
There are also two South Africans in the Dream Team backline – Jaco van der Walt and Duhan van der Merwe (both Edinburgh).
Van der Walt played 60-odd games for the Lions before he moved to Edinburgh in 2017 – where he has made more than 50 appearances.
Van der Merwe, the brother of Springbok hooker Armand van der Merwe, is also Scotland qualified and looks set to get his call-up for the year-end series as well.
He played twice for the Blue Bulls, before moving to France – where he featured in four games for Montpellier. He joined Edinburgh in 2017.
Media from across all five countries involved in the Pro14 – including former players and coaches – voted for the Dream Team 2019/20.
Players needed to appear a minimum of eight times during the current campaign.
In total, seven teams are represented in the Dream Team selection with Edinburgh leading the way with six selections, finalists Leinster have three, their opponents Ulster have two players in the team with Dragons, Cheetahs, Benetton Rugby and Cardiff Blues all earning one spot each.
Dream Team 2019/20:
1 Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh)
2 Joseph Dweba (Cheetahs)
3 Leon Brown (Dragons)
4 Scott Fardy (Leinster)
5 Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh)
6 Max Deegan (Leinster)
7 Will Connors (Leinster)
8 Bill Mata (Edinburgh)
9 John Cooney (Ulster)
10 Jaco van der Walt (Edinburgh)
11 Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh)
12 Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
13 Rey Lee-Lo (Cardiff Blues)
14 Monty Ioane (Benetton Rugby)
15 Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby)
