With the dust having settled on Round 12 of Super Rugby, we have gone through the action to pick out the best players from the past weekend.

Following their outstanding clash on Saturday, the Highlanders and Chiefs have plenty of representatives, with three players apiece in the XV, while the Bulls are the next best with two.

Team of the Week: Super Rugby, Round 12

15 Ben Smith (Highlanders): There was concern within New Zealand when the full-back was forced off due to injury but those fears were allayed by boss Aaron Mauger, much to the delight of All Blacks supporters who witnessed another superb display by the 32-year-old. Smith touched down for the Highlanders’ second try and also made 62 metres against the Chiefs before departing after the break. Warrick Gelant and Emiliano Boffelliwere impressive for the Bulls and Jaguares respectively, but Smith gets the nod in the XV.

14 Gerhard van den Heever (Sunwolves): Has impressed for the Japanese outfit this season and continued his superb individual form by touching down twice against the Reds. It didn’t stop the visitors from succumbing to the Brisbane outfit, who went away with a 32-26 triumph, but Van den Heever’s scores kept Tony Brown’s men in the contest. He edges out opposite number from Saturday, Jock Campbell, who was outstanding for the Queenslanders after running for 146 metres, which included four clean breaks and six defenders beaten.

13 Samu Kerevi (Reds): Played at 12 but moved to 13 here following another excellent effort against the Sunwolves. Kerevi was a constant menace to the the opposition rearguard and ran for just shy of 100 metres. He also made three clean breaks and beat four defenders as Brad Thorn’s side defeated the visitors at Suncorp Stadium. The Australia international duly edges out the Highlanders’ Rob Thompson.

12 Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes): The All Blacks have so many quality centre options, including the excellent Anton Lienert-Brown who once again stood out for the Chiefs, but Laumape simply has to go to the World Cup if fit. Laumape scored another stunning individual try, barrelling his way through three would-be tacklers to touch down and give the Hurricanes the lead. It set the tone for the Wellington team as they opened up a 26-0 advantage against the Rebels after 21 minutes.

11 George Bridge (Crusaders): Ramiro Moyano touched down for the Jaguares and produced another solid display but Bridge was consistently involved in the Crusaders’ draw against the Sharks. It was a poor performance from the defending champions but the 24-year-old wing managed to shine as he ran for a game-high 81 metres, which included one clean break.

10 Josh Ioane (Highlanders): Has improved as the season has gone on and was superb against the Chiefs. Made good decisions and was a constant threat with ball in hand, making 58 metres and three clean breaks. Ioane also crossed the whitewash for the first try which rounded off an excellent individual effort, meaning he edges out the Sharks’ Curwin Bosch and the Hurricanes’ Beauden Barrett.

9 Brad Weber (Chiefs): Another outstanding performer in the thrilling Highlanders v Chiefs encounter in Dunedin. Although Tate McDermott and Tomas Cubelli also shone for the Reds and Jaguares respectively, Weber got the better of All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith in the 68 minutes they were on the field together. His passing was sharp while he was typically excellent in the loose, scoring their first try after latching onto Tyler Ardron’s break and pass.

8 Duane Vermeulen (Bulls): Showed why he is the Springboks’ first-choice number eight with a superb all-round display in his side’s narrow victory over the Waratahs in Pretoria. Vermeulen was prominent with ball in hand, gaining 71 metres from seven carries which included a memorable break where he beat two defenders and scored a deserved try. Reds veteran Scott Higginbotham and Dan du Preez of the Sharks also impressed.

7 Marcos Kremer (Jaguares): This was a difficult choice as Marco van Staden was one of the the Bulls’ best players and Lachlan Boshier also impressed for the Chiefs, but Kremer gets the nod after coming to the fore with a huge shift in the Jaguares’ win over the Stormers in Buenos Aires. In a tough physical battle, Kremer was at the forefront of the Jaguares’ forward onslaught and was particularly effective on defence with 13 hits.

6 Luke Jacobson (Chiefs): The 22-year-old was one of the best players of the round and played a big part in his team’s fightback against the Highlanders in Dunedin. The former New Zealand U20 captain got through a mountain of work and was rewarded with a try for his efforts. Eventually gained 58 metres from 10 runs with three clean breaks, four defenders beaten and two offloads. Pablo Matera of the Jaguares and the Hurricanes’ Vaea Fifita also played well.

5 Jackson Hemopo (Highlanders): The utility forward came to the fore with a brilliant display against the Chiefs and beats out the Sunwolves’ Grant Hattingh, who also impressed in a losing cause against the Reds in Brisbane. Hemopo made his mark on attack, gaining 42 metres from 14 carries which included three clean breaks, five defenders beaten and three offloads.

4 Ruben van Heerden (Sharks): The Sharks ran the Crusaders close in Christchurch and, although they had to settle for a draw, it could so easily have been a win for the visitors thanks in no small part to the efforts of Van Heerden. The 21-year-old was superb on defence, especially around the fringes of the rucks and mauls, and eventually completed a game-high 19 tackles. Tomas Lavanini of the Jaguares was next best.

3 Angus Ta’avao (Chiefs): The All Blacks front-row came on as a replacement in the second half in Dunedin and played a leading role in his side’s comeback. Ta’avao was superb with ball in hand and scored two memorable tries from close range. Also scrummed well and comes in ahead of Taniela Tupou and Coenie Oosthuizen, who impressed for the Reds and Sharks respectively.

2 Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies): The Wallaby delivered the standout performance of the round in a crucial win for the Brumbies over the Blues in Canberra. Fainga’a continued with his excellent try-scoring form and crossed the whitewash on three occasions and is now the leading try-scorer in the competition with 10 five-pointers. Also shone on defence with nine tackles and beats out Codie Taylor of the Crusaders.

1 Lizo Gqoboka (Bulls): Another outstanding showing from the 29-year-old, who makes our team for the second successive week after catching the eye in the Bulls’ home triumph over the Waratahs. Gqoboka got the better of Wallaby veteran Sekope Kepu in the scrums but made his biggest impact on attack where he gained 35 metres from seven carries which included two clean breaks and as many defenders beaten. Also did his bit on defence with six hits and comes in ahead of the Brumbies’ Scott Sio and Thomas du Toit of the Sharks.