The pool stage of the Champions Cup reached a close, with teams now knowing their fate in either the round of 16 or elsewhere.
Defence was optional for many, with some huge scorelines on the board for Bordeaux Begles, Toulouse and Bulls to name but a few.
Here is Charlie Elliott’s Team of the Week for an exciting weekend of action.
Outside Backs
15- Thomas Ramos (Toulouse)
In Toulouse’s insane 80-12 win at home to Leicester Tigers, Ramos notched an equally crazy 25 points for himself including 20 only from conversions.
With a total of 12 tries scored for the French side, the fullback managed to connect with ten of the conversions, only missing a couple.
It seemed for most of the game that tackling was optional for Tigers, who could not get near Ramos and co.
All of the backs were outstanding, but the full-back’s kicking is what set him apart from the rest.
14- Damian Penaud (Bordeaux Begles)
The electric winger scored SIX tries as Bordeaux battered the Sharks 66-12 to solidify their status as the top team in both their pool and the competition so far.
In case you didn’t read that correctly, he scored a mighty SIX tries, which is a new record in the competition.
Continuously in the right place at the right time, it was a pure poacher’s performance and one that will live long in the memory of plenty of fans.
13- Adrea Cocagi (Castres)
Castres got a surprising and memorable win away at Saracens to secure a top-two berth in their pool.
One of the stars in the win was the eventual Player of the Match Adrea Cocagi, who had a huge game all over the pitch to help the French team to victory.
His carries were a sight to behold, with some beautifully powerful running that gained crucial metres.
12- Jordie Barrett (Leinster)
Leinster have pulled off a real coup in bringing the All Blacks star to an already stacked lineup.
Both he and his teammates capitalised on errors in the second half and their continuous pressure eventually paid dividends with a comfortable win after a shaky start.
Powerful with the ball in hand but elegant when releasing, the All Black was the main reason that Leinster had such a good second half against Bath and came away with the victory.
Apart from the slightly dubious red card that is…
11- Tom Seabrook (Northampton Saints)
In less remarkable fashion than Penaud, Seabrook was another clinical winger who was in the right place at the right time.
He scored a hat trick in Saints’ tight win over Munster by simply knowing where to be and receiving the ball in good positions.
It secured their status as pool winners and gives them a home draw against Clermont in the next round, which is by far the best draw out of the Premiership clubs.
Halfbacks
10- Louis Le Brun (Castres)
The talented playmaker ran the show as Castres fly-half in their huge win at Saracens.
He got plenty of touches on the ball and always looked to make something happen, often opening the Sarries defence with ease.
It was a performance beyond his youthful age of 22.
9- Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
What more can be said about Dupont and Toulouse?
As mentioned, they absolutely annihilated Tigers and could have had 15 players in this squad quite feasibly.
The maestro is the glue that keeps it all together and is just technically unbelievable.
He was at his very best this weekend and provided such a good focal point for Toulouse. When they need a bit of magic, he is always there, and he showed that in abundance.
Not only was he good at helping others, but he also got two tries for himself.
READ MORE: Antoine Dupont returns to Six Nations stage
Front Row
1- Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks)
Seems to be forming a rather formidable front row at Sale which includes Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Won a couple of big penalties at crucial moments of the game and was generally dominant at scrum time.
Showed a neat bit of agility to spin a defender in the build-up to Sharks’ second try.
2- Julien Marchand (Toulouse)
Seemingly like most of Toulouse’s team, Marchand also bagged himself two tries.
One of the best in the world at what he does, he was powerful and efficient.
Managed to maintain focus despite the early signs that it was going to be a comfortable afternoon.
3- Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
It would have been harsh to put Rodd in and not Opoku-Fordjour, as both were equally as good.
A genuinely world-class talent who has such a high ceiling, he and Rodd powered past Toulon and allowed the backs to play, which they did in abundance.
Looked to be wanting the ball in his hand a bit more, which shows just how confident the young man is at the moment.
Second Rows
4- Thibaud Flament (Toulouse)
A lock getting Player of the Match in an 80-12 victory is unheard of, but it shows just how good the Frenchman was.
He got a brace of tries but that only scratched the surface of what was a performance built on pure dominance.
Showed not only the fundamentals of a lock to an impeccable degree, but also some attacking guile to get his tries. World class.
5- Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster)
The Ireland international made 12/12 tackles, had 13 carries and four line out takes in Ulster’s massive win at home to Exeter Chiefs.
Oh, and a hat trick of tries. All from second row.
Surely the 24-year-old is in line for some proper minutes for Ireland soon enough.
Simply everywhere on the field and was an absolute monster.
Back Row
6- Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Many have cited Cunningham-South’s performance in their win against Glasgow Warriors as his best to date.
It is not a bold claim at all, with the powerhouse getting himself 13 tackles, six carries and a try in Quins’ 24-7 home win, which secured progression into the next round.
Player of the Match for a reason, he stood up to the challenge well in a manner that will be getting England fans excited ahead of the Six Nations.
7- Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
One of the most consistent players in the Premiership this season, Curry not only had some very strong defensive output but showed his footballing skills with a neatly worked grubber kick past the last Toulon defender to collect and score.
He kept things tight in defence and didn’t give his opponents a sniff, while also having some big carries and a try.
His brother deserves credit, as does most of the Sale team, but this Curry brother was the one who shined the most.
8- Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)
Hanekom looks to be one of the next big names at number eight for Bulls and South African rugby.
A comfortable win against Stade Francais was spearheaded by his work rate and ability.
Two tries and an assist were the Cherries on top of an outstanding defensive performance that included some big hits and a couple of turnovers won.
At only 22-years-old, the sky’s the limit.
