Team of the week: Gallagher Premiership, PRO14, Top 14 and Super Rugby standouts combine
Monday 20 May 2019 15:02, UK
Find out who made it into this week's XV from the PRO14 play-offs, final round of the Gallagher Premiership regular season, Top 14 and Round 14 of the Super Rugby campaign.
You can have your say on who you think was the standout performer of the weekend too in our poll below…
15. Charles Piutau (Bristol Bears)
Bristol have enjoyed a solid first season back among English club rugby's elite, comfortably avoiding relegation and finishing ninth, and full-back Piutau has played an important role in their success.
The former All Black showed another glimpse of just why that has been the case as Pat Lam's side ended the season with a 19-12 victory away to Newcastle Falcons, scoring a try, beating 11 defenders and making a total of 137 metres from 28 carries.
14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors)
The Scotland international led the way as the Warriors overwhelmed Ulster 50-20 in the PRO14 semi-finals to book a place in the decider at Celtic Park this Saturday.
Seymour ran in two tries for the Warriors and proved difficult to contain all night for the Ulster defence, making four clean breaks and 55 metres to help power Glasgow to an impressive victory in front of a full house at Scotstoun.
13. Piers O'Conor (Bristol)
Recruited from Championship side Ealing Trailfinders for this season, O'Conor has quickly become an established member of the Bears team, slotting in at centre after starting his career as a full-back.
Along with getting on the scoresheet with a second-half try, the 23-year-old made 69 metres on 13 carries, helped keep play alive with three offloads and showed his defensive worth by winning a turnover as well.
12. Jeronimo de la Fuente (Jaguares)
The Argentinian side are now second in Super Rugby's South African conference as they handed the Hurricanes their first defeat at home to foreign opposition for four years.
Centre De la Fuente played a big role in the 28-20 win Los Jaguares. Not only did he score a try, but the Argentina international beat eight defenders and came up with two offloads as well.
11. Jordan Larmour (Leinster)
The winger was not among the try-scorers as Leinster overcame old rivals Munster 24-9 to secure their place in this Saturday's PRO14 final, but he still made some vital contributions.
Larmour made some important inroads for Leinster in the match, making 69 metres from 12 carries, along with beating nine defenders and making two clean breaks.
10. Jon Wisniewski (Lyon)
A 29-19 victory at home to La Rochelle secured Lyon's place in the Top 14 play-offs, with fly-half Wisniewski putting in a superb kicking performance to help them to victory.
The 33-year-old kicked six out of six conversion attempts and landed a drop-goal, meaning he has now successfully kicked his last 13 attempts at goal.
9. Joe Simpson (Wasps)
One of the players who will be departing Wasps now the season is over, the scrum-half showed what they will be missing - and what Gloucester will be gaining - after signing off with two tries in the 27-25 win at home to Harlequins.
Always a dangerous running threat, Simpson beat four defenders and made four clean breaks to help his team end the Premiership season on a high.
1. Ross Harrison (Sale Sharks)
The Sharks' clash with Gloucester was perhaps most notable for the fact a total of 87 points were scored between the two teams, with the hosts coming out on top 46-41 at the AJ Bell Stadium.
But prop Harrison put in a big shift for Sale in the win too, making 25 tackles - the second-highest of any player in the round - in a supreme defensive effort.
2. Sean Cronin (Leinster)
Not just a threat at the set-piece, the Leinster and Ireland hooker is one of his club's go-to forwards with the ball in hand as well.
That was evidenced in the PRO14 semi-final win over Munster last Saturday, where Cronin beat five defenders, made three clean breaks and made 37 metres as well.
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
The Tigers may have ended a season of struggle with a 32-31 defeat at home to Bath, but Cole's performance was one positive for the team as the battle-hardened prop showed he still has plenty of value to the team.
Along with making 15 tackles, the 32-year-old won three turnovers in a supreme defensive performance.
4. Guido Petti Pagadizaval (Jaguares)
A player who has been part of the Jaguares set-up since their inaugural Super Rugby season, the second row came to the fore in the line-out as the Argentines scored a memorable win away to the Hurricanes.
Petti Pagadizaval came up with three steals against the Hurricanes, along with winning two more line-outs for his team.
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys)
Whether or not the Wales captain has played his last game for the Ospreys remains to be seen, but if he has then he will have at least gone out on a high after helping ensure the Swansea-based team's place in the Champions Cup next season.
Jones was immense at the line-out with 12 wins as the Ospreys defeated the Scarlets 21-10 at the Liberty Stadium.
6. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers)
There was nothing to choose between the Stormers and the Crusaders as they battled out a 19-19 draw at Newlands on Saturday.
One of the star men for the hosts was flanker Du Toit, who forced two turnovers, won seven lineouts and came up with a line-out steal.
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
It was a superb defensive effort from Leinster which helped them overcome Munster and restrict them to scores from three penalties in their semi-final win.
A huge part of that was Van der Flier, with the Irish flanker making 25 tackles and winning two turnovers to help thwart Munster's attacks on his first appearance for the team since February.
8. Zach Mercer (Bath)
Rhys Preistland grabbed the headlines for helping Bath seal their Champions Cup place for next season with a last-gasp conversion in the 32-31 win over Leicester Tigers.
Yet number eight Mercer had a big role in the win with both the ball in hand and in defence. The 21-year-old beat seven defenders on 15 carries, made two offloads and came up with a steal at a line-out too.
