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Team of the Week: Premiership, PRO14, Top 14 and Super Rugby standouts combine

hooper

With the Six Nations over for another year, domestic duties take centre stage as the best players from the Premiership, PRO14, Top 14 and Super Rugby combine for our XV...

Find out who makes our cut and have your say when it comes to the most influential player of the weekend with our vote below...

15. Dan Evans (Ospreys)

Israle Folau was superb as the Waratahs picked up a monumental Super Rugby win over the Crusaders, while the Chiefs' Damian McKenzie was in sensational form again too in victory over the Bulls. But for scoring four tries, Ospreys full-back Evans must take our 15 shirt.

The 30-year-old Welshman ripped things up against the Dragons, making 17 carries and some 154 metres with ball in hand - both the most of anyone on the pitch. He also beat 12 defenders and made four clean breaks.

Evans becomes just the sixth player in PRO14/PRO12/Celtic League history to score four tries in a match, and the first ever to score all four of his side's tries in a single game.

14. Owen Lane (Cardiff Blues)

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Welsh rugby is in rude health at the minute and on Friday, another star in the making was on show.

Cardiff Blues wing Lane was in menacing form as his region tore the Scarlets apart at the Arms Park.

Lane scored two tries in the 41-17 win to mark his fifth game in succession when getting on the scoresheet. His distribution skills were also silky all night. A real talent.

13. Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints)

Northampton enjoyed one of the standout Premiership results in the latest round of fixtures, travelling to Leicester and taking the derby spoils in a 29-15 success.

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Once again, 23-year-old centre Hutchinson stood out for Chris Boyd's side. He made 13 carries and 12 tackles in a well-rounded performance, while he beat an incredible seven defenders going forward and made two clean breaks.

12. Alex Nankivell (Chiefs)

A late call-up to the Chiefs team on Saturday for their Super Rugby clash with the Bulls, centre Nankivell let nobody down as he scored two tries in the dominant 56-20 success.

Alex Nankivell

The Kiwi made 13 carries - the most of anyone on the Chiefs side - beat three defenders and made one clean break.

11. Rieko Ioane (Blues)

The Blues made a bit of history on Friday as they snapped a 20-game losing run against Kiwi opposition with a 33-26 win over the Highlanders.

Key to that was outstanding wing Rieko Ioane, who got on the scoresheet twice to notch 10 tries for the campaign and six in his last two appearances.

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When you have a player who is as quick as Ioane and as good a finisher, tries are guaranteed.

10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints)

Fresh from his crucial role as Grand Slam impact replacement for Wales, Biggar was back in club duty on Friday night and played a key role as Northampton picked up a derby win at Leicester.

dan biggar

The Wales fly-half kicked 14 points in the Saints' 29-15 success, routinely punishing the Tigers off the tee.

A note too for Connacht's Jack Carty, who emerged off the bench in their win over Benetton on Friday to become the province's all-time leading point scorer.

9. Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92)

French scrum-half Machenaud is still on the comeback trail following his serious ACL knee injury last season, but when he is on it, he's a Rolls Royce of a rugby player.

machenaud

The 30-year-old kept the powerful machine that is Racing ticking in Paris on Sunday, as they battered Bordeaux 45-27.

Machenaud was faultless with the boot, kicking six from six off the tee.

1. Siegfried Fisi'ihoi (Stade Francais)

In the Top 14, Stade Francais crushed defending champions Castres at home on Saturday 32-16, with loosehead prop Fisi'ihoi really catching the eye.

The 31-year-old Tongan made 12 carries - the most of anyone in Stade colours - beat two defenders, made one superb break and pass to Arthur Coville for a try, while also scoring a try himself. Fisi'ihoi was also part of a scrum which was well on top all game.

2. James Parsons (Blues)

For a display of fantastic hard-work, Blues hooker Parsons takes our No 2 shirt this week for his performance in their marquee victory over the Highlanders.

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Parsons made 10 carries - the second most of anyone from either side - beat one defender and was on target with nine of his lineout throws from 11.

3. Karl Tu'inukuafe (Blues)

All Black loosehead Tu'inukuafe was brought onto the pitch at tighthead prop for the Blues against the Highlanders on Saturday after 46 minutes, and his presence immediately brought about scrum dominance.

Karl Tu'inukuafe

From there, the Auckland-based outfit kicked on for a crucial Super Rugby victory. How many props are able to do that on the wrong side of the scrum these days? Not very many at all.

4. Brodie Retallick (Chiefs)

Chiefs skipper Retallick was in magnificent form as they went to the Bulls and scored 56 points.

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The big second row notched two of the tries himself, called a lineout which operated at 100 per cent - claiming three takes - and stood up for 11 carries - the most of any forward.

5. Will Skelton (Saracens)

At the London Stadium on Saturday, monstrous Australian second row Skelton was the take-away for a lot of supporters as Saracens got the better of Harlequins.

Will Skelton on the charge for Saracens

The defending Premiership champions were 17-6 down at half-time, but two unstoppable short range tries from Skelton ensured victory. The lock also made 17 carries - only Billy Vunipola made more from either side - and beat four defenders.

6. John Barclay (Edinburgh)

Hats off to Barclay. The Scotland flanker faced 10 gruelling months out with a troublesome Achilles injury and his comeback game - and Edinburgh debut - was up against defending PRO14 champions Leinster on Friday.

How did he fare? Well, he put in a composite man of the match display as Richard Cockerill's side claimed a highly impressive bonus-point win at Murrayfield.

Barclay made 14 carries and 13 tackles - missing none - while he also claimed four lineouts. What an addition he will be for Edinburgh going forward.

7. Michael Hooper (Waratahs)

Waratahs skipper Michael Hooper worked his socks off as the Australian side claimed a fabulous 20-12 Super Rugby victory over the Crusaders on Saturday.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 23: during the round six Super Rugby match between the Waratahs and the Crusaders on March 23, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The Wallaby flanker made 22 tackles - the most of anyone on the pitch - while he also earned one turnover, beat three defenders and contributed nine carries.

8. Marcell Coetzee (Ulster)

Like Barclay, Ulster's luckless Springbok Marcell Coetzee was making his comeback from injury this week, having not played for over two months.

On Saturday, he was back in the starting team and scored one of Ulster's five tries as they saw off the Kings to go second in PRO14 Conference B.

Coetzee also made 18 carries, beat four defenders and made one clean break.

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