Four became two in the United Rugby Championship as the DHL Stormers and Munster claimed impressive semi-final victories over Connacht and Leinster, respectively in their semi-finals.

It is no surprise that this week’s URC team of the week are dominated by players who will contest the May 27^th final. 

15. Damian Willemse – DHL Stormers 

Always a threat with the ball in hand, Willemse has risen to being one of the best utility backs in the game. The challenge is where to play him, having now enjoyed an extended run at fullback, could he be an option here for the Springboks? Time will tell, but as an out-and-out rugby player, he is quite possibly one of the top five talents in the game today. 

14. Mack Hansen – Connacht Rugby 

Wolverine himself would be proud of the Connacht winger’s marvellous sideburns, not since Maxime Medard has rugby enjoyed such luscious locks. Like Medard, Hansen knows his way to the try line and is in such a rich vein of form that he is now undroppable for both province and country. Crossing for the first try in this weekend’s semi-final, Hansen showed a clean pair of heels despite the attentions of the Stormers' cover defence. 

13. Antoine Frisch – Munster Rugby 

Could he be Ireland’s biggest bolter for this year’s World Cup? On current form, this, at the very least, has to be a consideration, and he will almost certainly get capped in the warm-up games. Frisch brings a hard edge to the Munster midfield with big hits, strong carries and a subtle offloading game. Having slotted into the Chris Farrell role seamlessly, the 26-year-old has all the makings of a top-class international centre. 

12. Jack Crowley – Munster Rugby 

Whilst he played the bulk of the clash at flyhalf, we just had to fit both him and Manie Libbok into this week’s side. Quite frankly, Crowley is the best flyhalf prospect Munster Rugby have seen since Ronan O’Gara in 2013. His well-taken drop goal proved he is ready for the big time whilst his game management continues to come on leaps and bounds. Whilst all of the fanfare around Ross Byrne and Sam Prendergast has dominated the headlines of late, Crowley has all of the traits to be the successor to Jonathan Sexton’s crown. The Stormers Dan Du Plessis deserves a mention here for yet another sublime showing for the Cape Townians. 

11. Angelo Davids – DHL Stormers 

If he is not a Springbok winger this season, then someone at SA Rugby needs to be fired. Consistently excellent, the 23-year-old is a pinball of excitement. Playing with a small on his face, Davids mind meld with Libbok, and Willemse has seen him become one of the most prolific finishers in the URC. 

10. Manie Libbok – DHL Stormers 

Blocking out the noise surrounding his late-season dip from the kicking tee, Libbok has come back swinging. Immaculate from the kicking tee, he has almost certainly stamped his place in the Bok squad this season. Whilst goal kicking is a major component of his game, it is his general play and, in particular, the laser-accurate cross-kicks that make him so special. Whilst Handre Pollard has been lighting up the English Premiership, Libbok cannot be far behind for the World Champions' number ten shirt. 

9. Craig Casey – Munster Rugby 

A coming of age performance for the 24-year-old who thoroughly outshone Luke McGrath in the battle of the number nines. His talent has never been in doubt, but such is the quality of the Irish scrumhalves at the moment that he needed a performance like this on the biggest stage to reiterate to Andy Farrell that he is ready to push Jamison Gibson-Park. Without getting carried away, his combination with Crowley could prove to be the next Irish combination for the next World Cup cycle.   

8. Gavin Coombes – Munster Rugby 

Industrious as ever, few players in world rugby get through the work of the Skibbereen man. A physical freak, the giant number eight clearly took his dropping from the Irish set-up to heart and has come back renewed with a sense of purpose. Whilst displacing the incumbent players in the national side will be a challenge, Coombe’s versatility as a backrow-cum-secondrow could see him work his way into the Irish World Cup squad later this year. 

7. Hacjivah Dayimani – DHL Stormers 

Like his Stormers teammate Davids, it will be criminal if the dynamic backrow is not a Springbok this season. To call him simply dynamic would be a disservice to the full package he brings to the game. Equally adept across the three backrow positions, Dayimani is essentially an extra back who creates mismatches on the edge. Yet, unlike many other loose forwards, his skill is at such a level that he is not simply a strike runner but a playmaker capable of offloading, kicking, and carrying to a world-class level. All we can say is watch this space… 

6. Peter O’Mahony – Munster Rugby

A warrior in the truest sense of the word, O’Mahony, like his Irish teammate Sexton is ageing like a fine wine. Consistently putting in 8 out of 10 performances whilst leading with his renowned doggedness, the 33-year-old is on the verge of landing Munster’s first silverware in over a decade. Having carried a niggle into the semi-finals, the two-week break should allow him and several crucial teammates to get some much-needed recovery time before the final. 

5. Tadhg Beirne – Munster Rugby 

Could he be the most vital forward in Irish Rugby at the current moment? Confirming his reputation as a turnover machine, Beirne stunted the Leinster attack with crucial tackles and turnovers whilst generally just disrupting the usually slick rucking game of the Dubliners. Whilst he is a sensational lock, RG Snyman’s expected return for the final should see him shift to backrow, where he is possibly even more effective.   

4. Ryan Baird – Leinster Rugby 

Harnessing our inner Michael Scott “Everybody stay calm!”, Baird is a physical specimen that Irish Rugby have rarely produced. Still just 23-years-old, the 6’6” utility forward is on the verge of becoming a truly world-class player. Despite having had a well-taken individual try chalked off the board by the match officials, Baird gave a snippet of his otherworldly athleticism. Not only did he break through tackles, but he burnt Munster's cover defence as he skinned fullback Mike Haley on the outside. His time is coming, the only question now remaining is where to play him. 

3. Frans Malherbe – DHL Stormers 

No Tighthead truly stood out this weekend, but the Springbok was the pick of the bunch with yet another solid showing. It’s conceivable to believe that Malherbe is possibly the best tighthead to ever pull on a Stormers jersey and will likely be the first-choice option for the Boks again this season. Rarely putting a foot wrong, the big man will never be found wanting at set piece time and is an integral cog in the reigning champion’s squad. 

2. Diarmuid Barron – Munster Rugby 

Another position of strength for Irish Rugby at the moment is a hooker, where first choice Dan Sheehan is quite possibly the best number 2 in the world. Just behind him are a plethora of options, including Ronan Kelleher, Rob Herring, Tom Stewart and now Barron. The 24-year-old has had to bide his time behind clubmate Niall Scannell but is now firmly established as the first choice in Graham Rowntree’s squad. Lack the bulk of the players listed above, Barron plays to his strengths as a lethal chop tackler and dynamic breakdown artist. Whilst there is a log jam ahead of him in the national set-up, if he can continue the improvements, he has shown this season he will have a real chance of breaking through. 

1. Steven Kitshoff – DHL Stormers 

The Stormers captain was once again impervious in not only his performance but also his leadership for the reigning champions. Firmly in his prime at 31 years old, his departure to Ulster next season will leave a hole in John Dobson’s squad that will be nearly impossible to fill. Before that, however, is a shot at retaining the title in front of what will be a raucous Cape Town fanbase.