Super Rugby Team of the Week

No surprises in this edition of our Super Rugby Team of the Week with the Highlanders dominating our selections after taming the Bulls in their own back yard.

The Kiwi outfit weren't the only ones to impress - the charged-up Crusaders aren't far behind with four well-earned spots, while the Chiefs (two), Sharks (two), Blues (one), Reds (one) and Brumbies (one) are all represented.

15 Pat McCabe (Brumbies): He may have ended up on the losing side, but the winger cum full-back was the saving grace in a bumbling Brumbies' backline. Scored a gem of a try, and soldiered on with an injured shoulder afterwards.

14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs): Two tries - pardon - two electric tries that included an 80m sprint to the tryline for the Chiefs' bonus point at the death earns 'Flash' a spot in our team this week.

13 Robbie Fruean (Crusaders): Turned the game around for the Crusaders with a brace of tries in the space of three minutes, whilst the big centre was also on hand to help put his centre partner Sonny Bill Williams over the line in the second half.

12 Shaun Treeby (Highlanders): Sliced and diced his way past the Bulls' defence and left opposite number Wynand Olivier chasing shadows all night.

11 Kade Poki (Highlanders): The former Crusaders flyer has settled in quite nicely with the Highlanders - adding two more tries to his resume after touching down against the Chiefs in Round Two.

10 Dan Carter (Crusaders): Tough call on Luke McAlister, Patrick Lambie and perhaps Quade Cooper - Carter though was back to his brilliant best against the in-form team of the competition (which gets him the nod over the other three). The All Blacks pivot had an impeccable match with the boot as he landed seven from seven for 18 points.

9 Will Genia (Reds): Perhaps wasn't the stand-out nine of the round, but Genia - deputising for the injured James Horwill - marshalled his troops to their first ever win in ten Super Rugby matches in Canberra.

8 Keegan Daniel (Sharks): Switched from flank to number eight in a late change before kick-off. Daniel was his usual livewire self and played the game at a high tempo, with his vision and skills complimented by a big heart.

7 Matt Todd (Crusaders): This guy was everywhere. Todd, currently filling the void left by the injured Richie McCaw, played with plenty of grit that ended in an emotional win for the Crusaders.

6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders): Three appearances in three weeks in our XV and without a doubt the form forward - if not player - in the Super Rugby tournament at the moment.

5 Josh Bekhuis (Highlanders): Makes his first appearance in our selections this year, and will be hard to leave out if he continues to punch above his weight. Came out on top against the likes of old heads Victor Matfield and Danie Rossouw, and celebrated a flawless performance with a try.

4 Isaac Ross (Chiefs): Another player that is making the most of his move from the Crusaders. A few more outings like this and the forgotten All Black lock will no doubt remind coach Graham Henry just why he was - and still is - rated so highly.

3 John Afoa (Blues): Scrummed well, and put his big frame and deceptive pace to good use as Afoa tore through Lions' defenders like a hot knife through butter.

2 Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks): It's taken the Bok hooker three weeks to make his debut on our team, but it was well worth the wait after another powerful showing for the Sharks - albeit against 14 men.

1 Wyatt Crocket (Crusaders): Besides making a mess of the Waratahs' scrum, Crocket was impressive in open play, running with pain-inflicting intensity.

Team of Round Two: 15 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 Rob Horne (Waratahs), 12 Julian Huxley (Rebels), 11 Drew Mitchell (Waratahs), 10 Danny Cipriani (Rebels), 9 Charl McLeod (Sharks), 8 Ashley Johnson (Cheetahs), 7 Josh Strauss (Lions), 6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies), 3 WP Nel (Cheetahs), 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs)1 Jamie Mackintosh (Highlanders).

Team of Round One: 15 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), 14 Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs), 13 Rob Horne (Waratahs), 12 Robbie Coleman (Brumbies), 11 Drew Mitchell (Waratahs), 10 James O'Connor (Force), 9 Jano Vermaak (Lions), 8 Kieran Read (Crusaders), 7 Phil Waugh (Waratahs)6 Adam Thomson (Highlanders), 5 Franco van der Merwe (Lions), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), 2 Keven Mealamu (Blues), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls).