Our Super 14 team of week
Blues players dominate our New Zealand Super 14 team of the week for round five, after Pat Lam's side were the most impressive performers of the weekend.
After dismantling the road-weary Cheetahs 46-12 at Albany on Friday night, we've found room for no less than seven of the Blues in our team of the week.
The situation was helped by the fact that with the Hurricanes idle, the Crusaders struggling to a home draw against the Western Force and the Chiefs and Highlanders battling out a pretty turgid 14-10 contest in Invercargill, contenders were a little thin on the ground.
In our backline Isaia Toeava gets the nod at fullback after he was the best Blues back on the paddock against the Cheetahs; Chiefs star Lelia Masaga is unchallenged for the right wing after his match-winning turn in the south; while his Highlanders opposite Fetu'u Vainikolo made the most of his limited opportunities to get the nod on the left flank.
The Blues' Anthony Tuitavake shades Crusaders youngster Tim Bateman and Richard Kahui of the Chiefs at centre, while Chiefs tyro Jackson Willison gets our nod almost by default in the problem position of second five where standout performers are like Crusaders wins - hard to find.
Blues pair Jimmy Gopperth and Taniela Moa get the inside backs pairing, though both the Chiefs' Stephen Donald and Highlanders' Daniel Bowden played well enough at 10 to run Gopperth close.
In the loose trio the Blues' Jerome Kaino shades Liam Messam for the No 8 spot, the Chiefs' Serge Lilo was the liveliest openside on display while into-everything Highlanders flanker Adam Thomson was our best performer at blindside.
The Blues Ali Williams showed he's coming back to form to earn a second-row berth alongside his national team-mate Brad Thorn of the Crusaders, though Thorn's offsider Isaac Ross would not have disgraced this selection either.
Finally in the front row, the Blues' John Afoa joins a couple of Highlanders in the under-rated David Hall and much improved Chris King as our selections. Wyatt Crockett of the Crusaders and Sona Taumalolo of the Chiefs deserve honourable mentions at loosehead.
Here's our New Zealand team of the week for round 5 of the Super 14: 15 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 13 Anthony Tuitavake (Blues), 12 Jackson Willison (Chiefs), 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo (Highlanders), 10 Jimmy Gopperth (Blues), 9 Taniela Moa (Blues); 8 Jerome Kaino (Blues), 7 Serge Lilo (Chiefs), 6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders), 5 Ali Williams (Blues), 4 Brad Thorn (Crusaders), 3 John Afoa (Blues), 2 David Hall (Highlanders), 1 Chris King (Highlanders).
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Our Super 14 team of week
