RUCK's Team of the Week: Dan Carter, Maro Itoje, Jamie Roberts - Ruck

RUCK’s Team of the Week: Dan Carter, Maro Itoje, Jamie Roberts

The RUCK Team of the Week (TOTW) is released by us each Sunday and represent players from the European competitions and the Aviva Premiership that have played best in our opinion the previous week.

Fullback: CARL MEYER (Newport Gwent Dragons)

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Wing: JOE ROKOCOKO (Racing 92)

Centre: OLLIE DEVOTO (Bath Rugby)
Devoto showed his power to score the opening try at the Rec in a 32-26 victory, and although he is heading to Exeter at the end of the season, Bath head coach Mike Ford was happy to praise the young playmaker for his stunning display.

Centre: JAMIE ROBERTS (Harlequins)
Roberts picked a superb line to cross for his 11th-minute try which put the Quins on the way to a 30-6 victory over Grenoble at The Stoop, with the 79-cap centre being named Man of the Match.

Wing: HALLAM AMOS (Newport Gwent Dragons) 

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Fly-half: Dan Carter (Racing 92)
Carter moved one step closer to completing the clean sweep of world rugby’s premier trophies, booting Racing 92 into the European Champions Cup final. The All Blacks World Cup winner landed 11 points as the Paris side ground out a 19-16 semi-final victory against a mistake-ridden Leicester.

Scrum-half: MAXIME MACHENAUD (Racing 92)
France scrum-half Machenaud claimed Racing’s sole try while combining superbly with Dan Carter. They are possibly the best half-back partnership in the world today! 

Prop: MAKO VUNIPOLA (Saracens) 
Mako Vunipola was truly sensational making a game-high 19 tackles as well as carrying 13 times. He also popped up with a few crucial turnovers.

Hooker: BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (Montpellier) 

Prop: JANNIE DU PLESSIS (Montpellier

Lock: MARO ITOJE (Saracens)
As a hooker in the current game there can be few more intimidating sights than preparing for a lineout throw with Itoje lurking in front of you.  Itoje was responsible for pinching two balls quite brilliantly but just his general presence had an unnerving effect on the Italian allowing others such as Michael Rhodes to profit. Deserved his Man of the Match.

Lock: GEORGE KRUIS (Saracens)
There is no doubt that Kruis and Maro Itoje are the outstanding second-row pairing in northern hemisphere rugby both because of their collective work at the line-out and away from the set-piece they are so involved in all facets of the game.

Flanker: MICHAEL RHODES (Saracens)
As Gopperth cleared on the edge of 22 he got blocked by Rhodes, who was able to gather and score. Lovely reaction and hands for the score but his all-around display is what landed his place in team of the week. 

Flanker: FABIEN ALEXANDRE (FC Grenoble) 

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Number 8: BILLY VUNIPOLA (Saracens)