United Rugby Championship Round 3: South African team of the week

At Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls ran in nine tries to thrash the Lions 57-15 in the trans-Yukskei derby, while the Stormers ended the Sharks’ unbeaten start with a convincing 39-22 win in front of more than 42,000 fans at DHL Stadium.

Despite the one-sided results, standout individual performances still emerged across all four franchises.

15. Willie le Roux (Bulls)

The 37-year-old showed he still has plenty to offer as the 'Bulls' primary playmaker, and he undid the 'Lions' defence on several occasions with strong running lines and clever distribution.

14. Canan Moodie (Bulls)

Moodie posed a significant threat out wide all game. He ran for over 90 metres from seven carries and made a couple of clean line breaks. Scored a well-taken try to open the second half and reinforce the Bulls' dominance.

13. Ruhan Nel (Stormers)

Led from the front as Stormers captain and kept the Sharks defence under pressure, with excellent support running off Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Nel provided a significant physical presence in midfield and broke the gain line on four occasions.

12. Harold Vorster (Bulls)

Showed off some neat skills with a chip-and-regather to score the opening try and set the tone for the Bulls. Vorster was a willing ball-carrier, taking the ball to the line nine times and breaking through the defence twice, while also providing an assist.

11. Ethan Hooker (Sharks)

One of the few players to stand out for the Sharks on a tough day for the men from Durban. His attacking opportunities were limited, but he shone in defence with strong tackling, including a try-saving stop on a flying Seabelo Senatla, and got stuck into the rucks out wide to help slow the Stormers down.

10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)

Played with confidence and flair all game, with his kicking out of hand a particular highlight. Feinberg-Mngomezulu was also committed in defence, putting his body on the line to stop the Sharks. He struggled a bit off the kicking tee but was exceptional in every other area.

9. Paul de Wet (Bulls)

Showed the Bulls' depth at scrumhalf with a superb performance in Embrose Papier's absence. De Wet was always in the right place at the right time, distributing accurately to keep up the Bulls' momentum and leave the Lions' defence reeling.

8. Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)

The Springbok eighth man put on a barnstorming display and was comfortably the best player on the pitch. Hanekom got stuck into all areas of the game with eight tackles, seven carries for around 80 metres that included two line breaks and a couple of offloads.

He also scored two tries, the second of which included a brutal hand-off of Richard Kriel.

7. Siba Qoma (Lions)

Put in a solid performance on a tough day for the Lions. Qoma was a constant presence in the rucks and made some big carries into contact around the breakdown, scoring one of only two tries his side managed on the day.

6. Jeandre Rudolf (Bulls)

Another strong showing from Rudolf, who has become one of the Bulls' most reliable performers since he joined the side last season. Contributed on both sides of the ball with some strong carries and big hits, making 12 tackles in just over an hour on the pitch.

5. JD Schickerling (Stormers)

Provided a reliable option at lineout time for the Stormers, which set the platform for a couple of devastating driving mauls. Schickerling wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty at ruck time and also contributed on defence with seven tackles.

4. Adre Smith (Stormers)

A strong defender for the Stormers, he got stuck into 10 tackles while also helping the scrum dominate the Sharks.

3. Wilco Louw (Stormers)

The Stormers scrum demolished the Sharks and Louw played his part as the anchor of the set piece for the men from Cape Town. Consistently turned scrums into penalties, punishing the Sharks' mistakes by creating legitimate attacking opportunities.

2. Andre-Hugo Venter (Stormers)

Was accurate with his lineout throws and scrummed well. Venter also won a crucial turnover inside the Stormers' 22m around 25 minutes to halt a dangerous Sharks attack and peeled off a powerful rolling maul to score a try in the first half.

1. Ntuthuko Mchunu (Stormers)

Had a tough assignment up against Thomas du Toit and more than held his own, gaining the upper hand over his Springbok opponent at scrum time.