IRELAND
Dan Sheehan (Leinster)
It’s some effort for a hooker to be second on the league try-scoring chart, but then Sheehan is not your average hooker. For one thing, he’s 6ft 3ins and 17st 5lbs. He’s a big man, more than able to hold his own physically, delivering the grunt at the coalface, putting in the tackles (33 of them) and taking the fight to the enemy ball in hand, with his 40 carries and 104 metres made the most of any front row player.
But, on top of that, he’s outstanding in the loose, where he functions like another back row forward. His footwork is off the charts, helping him beat nine defenders so far - again the most within the Vodacom URC front row union. He’s blessed with startling acceleration and agility and he’s a skilled handler. Add to that his predatory prowess - four tries against Benetton and another versus Ulster - and you have some player.
SCOTLAND
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby)
The one player ahead
of Sheehan in the Vodacom URC try table is winger Graham who has touched down no fewer
than eight times. There have been some memorable scores along the way too,
notably an acrobatic finish in the corner against the Lions, while there was a
quality hat-trick versus the Bulls in Pretoria. He’s got serious gas, he’s got
dancing feet and he hits great lines. He must be a nightmare to defend against.
The stats confirm as much. He’s made the most clean breaks (12) of any player
in the league this season, run the most metres (442) and beaten the most
defenders (22). The 25-year-old from Hawick is on fire.
SOUTH AFRICA
Henco van Wyk (Emirates Lions)
There have been
plenty of candidates from the Rainbow Nation. You’ve got Lions flanker Francke
Horn, who has five tries to his name, Sharks winger Werner Kok, serial-tackling
Bulls back row Marcell Coetzee and Stormers fly-half magician Manie Libbok. But
21-year-old centre Van Wyk is the one who has really caught the eye as a rising
star of the game. He is so hard to contain with ball in hand, while his
defensive work is exceptional. The way he tackles and then jackals in an
instant is something to behold, while his try-saving intervention up in
Edinburgh, where he hunted down a flying Darcy Graham, stands as one of the
highlights of the season.
If you look at his stats, it points to a player with a real all round game.
He’s got the second best figures among all the Vodacom URC centres for clean breaks (5)
and turnovers won (4), he’s beaten 10 defenders, made 147 metres and has a 97
per cent tackle success. It’s what you call an all-court game.
ITALY
Tomás Albornoz (Benetton)
The Argentine
international fly-half, who made his Test debut earlier this year, has been a
pivotal figure in Benetton winning three of their first five Vodacom URC matches. There
were 19 points, including a try, in the victory over the Scarlets, with 14 to
follow in the defeat of the Dragons, as he landed six successful shots at goal.
He has also been pulling the strings very effectively and serving as a real
threat with ball in hand. He’s beaten 14 defenders and made 33 metres in
contact, in both cases the most by any fly-half, while there have been 32
carries and 210 metres made in all. A mention too for his team-mate Edoardo
Padovani, who has made the second-most clean break from full-back, with Zebre
wing Pierre Bruno another to shine.
WALES
Jac Morgan (Ospreys)
The former Scarlets flanker picked up the Vodacom URC Turnover King
award last season, pulling off no fewer than 24 of them in his first campaign
with the Ospreys. He’s been hugely effective again this term, with his
rearguard action really standing out, amid 67 tackles, more defensive ruck
entries than any other player (43), the most dominant tackle contacts (9) and
the most low tackles (40). He was immense in atrocious conditions during last weekend’s
draw with the Stormers and his form has now seen him called up to the Wales
squad for the autumn internationals. That is some achievement given the
openside options available to Wayne Pivac. Speaking of which, fellow No 7
Thomas Young - who hasn’t received a call-up - has been excellent since
returning to Cardiff from Wasps, while Scarlets No 8 Sione Kalamafoni produces
the goods week-in, week-out.
