Four Dragons have been named in the Guinness PRO14 Team of the Week for the final round of league action following victory over Edinburgh at the Principality Stadium.
The latest bout of PRO14 action brought with it the usual feast of thrills and spills, and with the league season coming to a close Leinster became Champions once again dispatching arch rivals Munster at the RDS for a fourth successive title.
Even though it was Grand Final weekend there were still some catch up games to be played and potential European qualification places up for grabs. That said it’s the Dragons that provide over a quarter of the Team of the Week.
Wing Ashton Hewitt appears for a second week with 84 metres made, beating 7 defenders and was unlucky to have a fine try disallowed for a foot in touch. He is joined in the backs by young outside centre Aneurin Owen who has been given chances this season by Dean Ryan and again showed his promise with a fine game in our victory over Edinburgh making 13 tackles.
Up front Dragons stalwart loosehead prop Brok Harris gets the nod once again for his 11 tackles and a 100% scrum performance that warranted 2 penalties. In the second row Dragons lock Matthew Screech won a Player of the Match accolade for his 2 tries, 7 lineouts won and for being the games top tackler, he’s chosen as the Star Forward this week.
While there were also impressive performances from several players across the league in some high quality contests, we take a look at who else has made the cut in the final Guinness Pro14 Team of the Week of the season, brought to you by Macron.
At full back, we have a player on the losing team this weekend, Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn. Kinghorn was close to selection last week but in defeat to the Dragons at the Principality Stadium, his 16 carries at an average of 6.5m a carry to make him top metre maker, 7 tackles and a searing kicking game from both 15 and 10 gets him in.
On the wing joining Hewitt, Leinster’s Jordan Larmour returned to some excellent form beating 6 defenders from 10 carries to be a constant thorn in Munster’s side.
At inside centre Robbie Henshaw continued his brilliant Six Nations form for Leinster in the Final gaining the most metres in the game from 16 carries, beating 4 defenders and adding 7 tackles to continue to turn Lions coach Warren Gatland’s head, Henshaw is therefore Star Back of the Week and partners Owen in the centre.
It’s been a frustrating season for Glasgow Warriors coach Danny Wilson, but his half back pairing from the weekends fine win over Benetton make the team of the week.
Young Ross Thompson at 10 has really pushed through this term and once again looked in control landing 4 conversions and 2 penalties. The dangerous George Horne at scum half reminded his competition of what he can do with a try and an average of 7.5 metres a carry to worry the Italians’ defence.
Up front Dragons stalwart loosehead prop Brok Harris is joined by former Jaguares and Puma front rower Enrique Pieretto Heiland who has been playing consistently well and he’s selected for a 70-minute 100% scrum performance that gleaned 2 penalties and 2 free kicks, with 14 tackles to boot.
In between them at hooker is Ireland and Leinster’s Ronan Kelleher. 12 tackles without the ball and 9 carries at an average of 4 metres gain and 5 defenders beaten gets him in.
Screech is joined in the boiler room by a player from the same game, Edinburgh’s Jamie Hodgson as he typified the Scots forward effort to nearly snatch a draw with an industrious 13 carries and 17 tackles.
Leinster No.8 Jack Conan scored the only try of the Grand Final and claimed the Player of the Match with 20 carries and 12 tackles. But he was out done by his back row partner Rhys Ruddock who’s 23 carries and 3 defenders beaten rounded off a superb campaign.
Joining the two Leinster stars is Edinburgh’s Mesulame Kunavula, who had an astonishing performance with a total of 9 defenders beaten, the most this week, from 25 carries albeit in vain.
Guinness PRO14 Team of the Week, brought to you by Macron
15 - Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), 14 - Jordan Larmour (Leinster), 13 - Aneurin Owen (Dragons), 12 - Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), 11 - Ashton Hewitt (Dragons), 10 - Ross Thompson (Glasgow), 9 - George Horne (Glasgow), 1 - Brok Harris (Dragons), 2 - Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), 3 - Enrique Pieretto Heiland (Glasgow), 4 - Jamie Hodgson (Edinburgh), 5 - Matthew Screech (Dragons), 6 - Mesulame Kunavula (Edinburgh), 7 - Rhys Ruddock (Leinster), 8 - Jack Conan (Leinster)
