All your URC Heroes of the week

Emirates Lions Hero of the week: Jordan Hendrikse

A lot has been written over the past few months since Sanele Nohamba’s arrival as a 10 option for the Lions and possibly even the Boks.

But on Saturday in an incredible win with 14 men in Galway, Hendrikse showed not only his class, but also his ability to act as one of the best defenders on the park.

The pivot not only controlled the game superbly with his boot, keeping his forward pack on the front foot when they were down a man, but was exceptional in marshalling the counter attack that led to six tries being scored against the odds.

And to top it all off, he was the player who made the most tackles on the field on a day where his channel was repeatedly targeted and had to bear the brunt of the Connacht attack.

Nineteen tackles in a game is an incredible number but he made it look easy, something few 10s around the world seem to do.

Plus his ability to read the game, and get the best out of his backline was a pleasure to watch.

Hendrikse may not have had all the opportunities, but if he continues in this vein he will be a massive asset for the Lions for the rest of the season and the Sharks next season.

And it won’t be a surprise if he has made some of the folks in the Springbok coaching team take notice as a possible future option.

Hollywoodbets Sharks Hero of the Week - Ethan Hooker

Ethan Hooker actually made his debut for the Sharks when the Durban team went to Galway last January to play Connacht. Hooker was just 20 at the time, but not many people will remember that game as it was an under-strength team taken to Ireland by defence coach Joey Mongalo to allow the top players to rest ahead of an important Investec Champions Cup game.

Perhaps that’s why it feels like Hooker, a South Africa under-20 international, was a newcomer when the Sharks went to Johannesburg a few weeks ago for a Vodacom United Rugby Championship game.

They lost comprehensively, but were competitive at stages and Hooker was one of the standouts in a much improved attacking effort. The 21-year-old built on that performance in the most recent game against Ulster, contributing far more than just the individualistic bit of brilliance that enabled the Sharks to capitalise on a breakout from deep inside their own half through a try to Phepsi Buthelezi.

A strongly built player with pace to burn, which was obvious from that aforementioned assist, Hooker carries well and straightens the line and just looks the business in the Sharks midfield. He’s also something that is sometimes rare in Sharks country, meaning a home grown product.

Hooker went to the same school, Westville Boys High, that another excellent Sharks (Natal) centre of the 1990s, Errol Stewart did. Stewart will be better remembered as a middle order batsman and wicketkeeper for the Dolphins and the Proteas but had he focussed just on rugby he was talented enough to make it big in that sport. It's early days, but the smart money should be on Hooker going where Stewart's commitment to another sport prevented him from going.

Vodacom Bulls Hero of the week: Kurt-Lee Arendse

The Bulls may have stuttered and struggled with the negative tactics employed by the Dragons this past weekend at Rodney Parade but when they did get it right, it mattered.

Willie le Roux was given the man of the match award and certainly had a big impact on proceedings but the spark of the evening belonged to one of the smallest players on the field.

As he has done at test level, every single time that KLA took the ball there was something special.

From his accepting of Le Roux’s wide pass to score the opening try to a flurry of runs in the second half that totally flummoxed the Dragons defence, he was all class whenever he touched the ball.

And everytime he did, you sensed something special would happen.

The electric speed, the sidestep that looks so easy against the top players in the world and the confidence to have a go at opposition are all trademarks that maes KLA one of the top strike weapons in World Rugby.

And on a chilly night in Newport he was certainly the spark that ignited the Bulls when things were going tough.

DHL Stormers Hero of the Week - Damian Willemse

They say time flies but Damian Willemse has grown so much in recent years that his starring performances for Western Province Schools in the 2016 Craven Week at Kearsney now seem decades ago.

Playing flyhalf then, a former WP pivot Anton Chait, who was at the week watching his son Jordan play, suggested I watch Willemse closely as “He will definitely become a great Springbok”. Indeed, he’s starred for the Boks now in several positions - fullback, centre and for a time in his initial position of flyhalf.

Sometimes players who have too much utility value are described as “Jacks of all trade but masters of none” but that doesn’t apply to Willemse, who was switched to fullback from inside centre for the game against Edinburgh and showed why he is the No 1 in that position in the country.

Edinburgh employed a kicking game to start with but Willemse punished them for that, and while he did not score a try of his own, he was responsible for much of the disarray in the Edinburgh defence that wings Suleiman Hartzenberg with three tries and Leolin Zas with two capitalised on.

He could have crossed for a try of his own towards the end of the first half but unselfishly passed out to Zas to score. Safe under the high ball and destructive with ball in hand, Willemse is a massive threat to opponents no matter where he plays. With Warrick Gelant also in excellent form in the No 15 jersey, we are likely to see Willemse return to the midfield but he showed against Edinburgh just how good he is in the position he mostly plays for the Boks.