Team of the Week: URC Round 9 - Glasgow star makes statement for Scotland return

Speaking of those who hail from the land of the Springboks, the Stormers continue their hot start to the URC with an eighth successive league victory. The Cape Town side have a game in hand following an early round postponement, yet they remain ahead of the chasing pack after their triumph over the Bulls. A late try from Ntuthuko Mchunu helped the Stormers edge past the Bulls, for a famous derby win.

Once again, we have compiled our picks for the United Rugby Championship's Team of the Week, with the top positional performers selected from across the competition. Covering the derby triumphs in Wales, South Africa and Ireland, to the hard fought wins for the two Scottish sides over their Italian counterparts, here's the run-down of our picks for Round Nine of the URC.

Whilst the Sharks fans left Kings Park Stadium devastated by the eventual defeat to the Lions, the Durban faithful were delighted to welcome back Aphelele Fassi to the fray. The Springboks sensation was back to the races after a concussion lay-off, and looked as impressive as ever under the high ball and returning the attack with some blistering breaks from the back-field. An honourable mention is in store for Sam Gilbert of Connacht, who bagged two tries in his side's heavy inter-provincial defeat to Leinster.

Speaking of the Dubliners, we pivot our attention to the Irish capital following a stellar performance from Tommy O'Brien in his fabled Leinster blue. The wing was at his flying best along the touchline, as he crossed over for two tries in the 52-17 win against Connacht. Andy Farrell would have had his sights fixed upon this inter-pro clash, with O'Brien making another claim for inclusion in the Ireland squad in the 2026 Six Nations. We hand an honourable mention to Josh Adams, after the experienced Wales wing picked up a brace of tries in Cardiff's derby defeat to the Ospreys.

From Ireland to Scotland now, and Stafford McDowall had a starring performance in the sole URC action to take place North of the border, as Glasgow Warriors made light work of Zebre. McDowall was the beating heart of the Warriors, who firmly put their swords to the Parma side in the 47-10 thrashing. The 27-year-old opened up the scoring after 12 minutes with a well-taken finish, and commanded the effort of his side across the gain-line. Sharp carries, neat passes and a keen eye to find space, McDowall could well bolster Scotland's midfield once again should this form continue ahead of the 2026 Six Nations.

Arguably the toughest position to pick this week, as the URC presented three very viable options for the inside centre spot. We opt for Charlie Tector, as the up-and-coming Irishman starred in the centres, as he collected a neat brace of tries in Leinster's hammering of Connacht. James Lang of Edinburgh also gets an honourable nod following an exhaustive effort across 16 carries, to top the charts on front-foot ball. Lions man Bronson Mills also gets a shout-out this week, as the midfielder continues to dazzle defenses with a bright future in Springbok green and gold likely on the cards.

Another tough call, the left wing slot could have gone one of two ways in our URC Team of the Week. We hand the accolade to Jamie Dobie of Glasgow Warriors for a fine performance at Scotstoun, as the wing breezed across the line for two tries against Zebre. However, Leinster wing Josh Kenny is also well worth an honourable mention, after he contributed to the ever-mounting tally, but more importantly was the top metres maker this week with a grand total of 132m with ball in hand.

Steering the ship towards another famous Dragons victory, Tinus de Beer continues to breath belief into the Men of Gwent and inspire some peerless performances from the Newport side. After enduring so much negativity at Rodney Parade, the Dragons look to be finding their fire with de Beer leading the way. The fly half kept his attack in check in the 28-5 win over Scarlets, and even worked his way over the try-line with a real 'lead from the front' contribution.

We stick in South Wales for the time being, yet make the 30 mile journey across the coast-line from Newport to Bridgend for the next entry. Kieran Hardy was the thumping heart of the Ospreys attack, in their dramatic win over Cardiff, with this summed up best by his impressive brace of tries against the capital city club. Hardy pulled the strings and set a ferocious tempo to the Ospreys attack, with this match holding more president than just an on-field meeting between two regional foes. If the external noise carries much weight, then the Ospreys could well be the team in hot water come the end of the season. This win was a statement maker to the WRU in uncertain times.

Thanks to the pockets of travelling Edinburgh fans who followed their team out to Italy, the chant of 'schooooeee' was ringing around the stands all the way down in Treviso. Schoeman was a dominant force in his side's tight win over Benetton, with his efforts acrossed the gain-line praised by the unique cheer from the crowd. The prop keeps bucking trends, as at 31-years-old he is showing no signs of slowing down with a Scotland return expected for the 2026 Six Nations. An honourable mention this week also goes to Ntuthuko Mchunu, who saved the Stormers' unbeaten streak with his heroics off the bench.

Another tough call, with the number two jersey decided between two men that could well be back competing for the Irish equivalent in a few short weeks. We hand the Team of the Week accolade to Ulstrer's Tom Stewart, for his commanding role in the impressive dismantling of Munster. However, we must recognise the efforts on display from Dan Sheehan, as the British & Irish Lions match day captain set a searing tempo to Leinster's beat-down of Connacht, with a hot start punctuated by his early score.

Whilst Sheehan undoubtedly starred in Leinster's triumph, Stewart's respective try-scoring efforts arguably meant more, as Ulster continue to break new ground in this rejuvenated season as they currently sit at third. Stewart's efforts could well be rewarded, should Andy Farrell include the hooker for the Six Nations, after the 25-year-old had a prior stint with Ireland A back in the Autumn.

Returning back down to the land of the Springboks, both of the South African derbies were packed with drama. Whilst the Stormers left it late to continue their unbeaten run, the Lions snatched a narrow win away from the Sharks, with tight-head prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye paramount to the efforts of the side from Johannesburg. Ntlabakanye made his Springboks debut in the 2025 Rugby Championship, and the 26-year-old followed this up with a dominant shift in South Africa's Autumn crushing of Wales. This latest effort witnessed an undeniable power game as the prop's point of difference, bringing a hulking first step into contact and often requiring multi-man tackles to bring him to the deck.

We stay in South Africa for our next two entries, with JD Schickerling once again standing out for the Stormers. His presence at the breakdown knew no bounds against the Bulls, who on-paper, were regarded as the more physical of the two South African sides. Schickerling cleared the Bulls out time and again, recycled possession with aplomb and made repeated dents in the defensive line of the Pretorian side. Had Schickerling plied his trade outside of the Etzebeth-Snyman-Nortje era, a Springboks debut would more than likely have been bestowed upon the as-yet uncapped 30-year-old.

Similar to that of his Durban club-mate Aphelele Fassi, Emile van Heerden can take plenty of personal pride away from a tough loss for the Sharks this past weekend. In a sport that is so often decided by the fine margins, van Heerden did all in his power to win his positional plays. The lock excelled at the set-piece, as he ended the weekend the most successful air-borne man with nine lineouts won for his side. Couple this with a tireless work ethic and a real hunger to push his side forward on the front foot, and van Heerden look back on a frustrating defeat with individual fondness.

Keep an eye on this man, as 24-year-old Euan Ferrie is steadily playing his way into a Scotland call-up should he maintain this run of form. Ferrie was a bright spark in Benetton, as he chopped down all who ran down his channel with a lumberjack's proficiency.

The Six Nations is a real test of squad depth as the weeks come thick and fast, and Ferrie could well face off against Italian opponents, should Gregor Townsend rotate his side to face the Azzurri. Ferrie was excellent on the weekend, as he capped off his night with a well-taken try to boot. Also, there is a mention in store for Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who was masterful for the Sharks in their narrow defeat to the Lions. The two-time World Cup winner looks right at home on the blindside flank.

Back to Wales now, with Cardiff back row Dan Thomas the pick of the bunch to occupy the open-side flank this week. It was an exhaustive effort for the back rower, who completed a staggering 25 tackles in the eventual derby defeat to the Ospreys. The man was constantly found at the bottom of the breakdown after completing a strong hit on the regional rivals, with his shoulders likley now looking as black and blue as the Cardiff colours come this Monday morning. It was a tough loss for Cardiff to take, yet you can't overlook the chart-topping tackle count of Dan Thomas.

We close off this week's picks with Bryan Ward of Ulster, who provided a pivotal score for his province to establish clear daylight against the dejected Munster efforts. A physical presence over the gain-line, Ward's try was the final nail in Munster's coffin, and helped seal a memorable win for the Belfast side. The 21-year-old has excelled upon his step-up from Ballynahinch in the All-Ireland league, and looks to be taking the next steps forward with a province on the rise. Ulster continue upon their impressive season with another win, with Ward again at the centre of the action in attack and defense.