Following another enthralling weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) action, here is the Planet Rugby Team of the Week for Round 14.

With the race for the play-offs still incredibly tight, and a lot of the teams facing fellow top eight hopefuls, this weekend’s action did not disappoint.

URC Team of the Week

15 Michael Lowry (Ulster): Full-back was a tough one to pick this weekend, with Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien impressing in their respective outings, but Ulster’s Michael Lowry was exceptional in Ulster’s win over the Stormers on Friday night. He was a consistent threat in his side’s attack, leading the way with 82 metres with ball-in-hand and one line break, but on top of that he had a very steady defensive game too. Could he be back in contention for Ireland?

14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh): Edging his way over Jamie Dobie into our team is Darcy Graham, who is oozing class and confidence right now. The Edinburgh man hit the ground running on his return from a post-Six Nations break with a tidy try-scoring performance. Typically, he found himself right at the heart of his side’s attack too, with 90 metres to his name from 14 carries and a tally of 11 defenders beaten in the process. His Lions chances are rising with every performance.

13 Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors): The whole of Glasgow’s backline was very impressive in the win over the Lions, but Scotland star Stafford McDowall was the pick of the bunch with a proper workhorse display. He made himself regularly available for work on both sides of the ball, making 13 tackles in defence and 12 carries too. Stewart Moore put in a very good cameo off the bench for Ulster on Friday night as well.

12 Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors): McDowall’s midfield partner Tom Jordan was another one in top form at Scotstoun on Saturday night as he put in yet another world-class attacking display. He seems to be really settling into this new role at 12 in place of Sione Tuipulotu, and his exploits against the Lions were another sign of that as he notched 83 metres from his 15 carries and beat seven defenders in the process. Stuart McCloskey was also classy on his 200th appearance. 

11 Jacob Stockdale (Ulster): When he’s been fit this year, Jacob Stockdale has been exceptional, and his performance this weekend was another example of that. Deployed back on the wing, Stockdale was involved in everything good for his side in attack as he grabbed a nice try and made a game-high 14 carries for 67 metres. 

10 Jack Crowley (Munster): Fly-half was the most difficult call of all this weekend, with Tomas Albornoz playing a blinder for Benetton and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also going well despite a cheap yellow card, but Jack Crowley was breathtaking for Munster and more than merits his spot. It’s been tough going for him recently, with Sam Prendergast taking his starting shirt for Ireland, but he looked at his very best in his side’s win over Connacht with a tidy haul of 15 points for his troubles.

9 Craig Casey (Munster): A welcome return to action from the Munster scrum-half, who just excelled in his side’s win. It’s always tough coming back after an injury layoff like his, but he showed no signs of rust in a classy performance. His decision-making really came to the fore too, which is excellent to see given he could find himself at the core of the upcoming Ireland rebuild. Fintan Gunne was also very impressive for Leinster.

8 Max Deegan (Leinster): A proper captain’s knock from the back-row, who always puts on a good display when afforded the chance. He more than fronted up to the monstrous Sharks pack in the tight, with 12 carries, 10 tackles and one turnover to his name. Might want to work on his victory celebrations, though. Gavin Coombes was again solid for Munster.

7 Sione Vailanu (Glasgow Warriors): While the backline took most of the headlines in Glasgow’s win over the Lions, the work of Sione Vailanu was also instrumental to the win. The back-rower made himself a real nuisance at the breakdown with two turnovers, and he more than contributed to the attack too. Nick Timoney deserves a mention for his performance against the Stormers.

6 Vaea Fifita (Scarlets): Another superb display from the rangy back-rower, as he got stuck in on both sides of the ball to good effect. He made 10 tackles in defence and matched that with a team high of 57 metres ball-in-hand. Fifita also excelled in the lineout. Jamie Ritchie again showed why many people think he will tour with the Lions this summer.

5 Brian Deeny (Leinster): Another Leinsterman who stood up to the test against the Sharks was Brian Deeny. Thrown into the deep end, he more than tread water as he just consistently made good impact on both sides of the ball against a Bok-laden opposition. Team-mate Diarmuid Mangan was also very dependable.

4 Ruben van Heerden (Stormers): It might have been in vain by the end, but Ruben van Heerden put in a barnstorming defensive performance against Ulster on Friday. The former Exeter Chiefs ace made a whopping 19 tackles across his shift, and was also very solid in the lineout too. Grant Gilchrist also gave a good account of himself.

3 Wilco Louw (Bulls): Surely he’s becoming Rassie’s go-to tighthead by now? Bulls prop Wilco Louw has really upped his game in the scrum in the past few weeks, and he continued that this weekend too with a fine performance. He’s really pushing his name up that Springboks pecking order now. Fellow Bok Vincent Koch might want a word, though, after his scrummaging performance.

2 John McKee (Leinster): It was a pretty good weekend for hookers too, with Bongi Mbonambi also going well against Leinster, but John McKee showed some serious minerals in his side’s gutsy win. He gave them a pretty solid platform from the lineout, but it was his tireless defensive output that really caught the eye, as he chipped in with a team-high 17.

1 Ox Nche (Sharks): Stormers prop Ali Vermaak gave Tom O’Toole a proper schooling on Friday night, but we couldn’t overlook prop star Ox Nche in this team. The Springboks prop was utterly barbaric in the scrum as he ripped through Tom Clarkson with ease, but he was also fantastic around the park with a game-high 12 carries.