Young stars like Haashim Pead and Zekhethelo Siyaya stole the show in the fourth round of the United Rugby Championship at the weekend, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

The new wave of South African talent turned up in style as the Sharks, Bulls and Stormers seized wins, while the Lions suffered defeat.

Pead, Siyaya, Jurenzo Julius, Yaqeen Ahmed, Batho Hlekani, Matt Romao and Zachary Porthen all earned places in our South African Team of the Week after their impressive performances.

The Sharks and Lions experienced mixed fortunes abroad on Friday night, with the Durbanites digging deep for a 36-21 victory over Cardiff in the Welsh capital, while the Pride went down 31-10 to log leaders Edinburgh in the Scottish capital. 

The Bulls and Stormers were made to work hard for their home wins on Saturday, with the Herd prevailing 34-26 over Ulster at Loftus Versfeld and the Stormers running out 52-40 winners over the Scarlets at Cape Town Stadium.

15: Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks) – Player of the Week

A three-dimensional chess player on the 4G Arms Park pitch, Siyaya was one step ahead of the competition all evening. He carved up Cardiff with sensational footwork, including dancing past three defenders to score what turned out to be a disallowed try because of a knock-on in the build-up. An electrifying Man of the Match performance by the 19-year-old that hints at a bright future.

14: Sebastian de Klerk (Bulls)

While he would be disappointed with his ball protection, De Klerk caused Ulster all sorts of problems. He made a couple of cracking line breaks in the 15th and 60th minutes respectively, and forced three turnovers with his tenacious defence.

13: Jurenzo Julius (Sharks)

With the Sharks losing Andre Esterhuizen to injury in the opening minute, Julius stepped up as their standout running back, sitting defenders down and rushing over the gain line at will. His offloading game was outstanding as well, one of which was an assist for Ethan Hooker and another should’ve been a second assist but Gianni Lombard shockingly knocked it on.

12: Harold Vorster (Bulls)

Up against one of the toughest 12s in the world in Stuart McCloskey, Vorster showed his underappreciated class by winning the gain line battle convincingly.

11: Paul de Wet (Bulls)

De Wet was in his sniper bag, darting from a scrum early on and around the rucks with good effect. He also pushed the pace with a quick tap and delayed passes well to put runners into space. A solid offence-oriented outing, which he finished on the wing and earned him Man of the Match honours.

10: Yaqeen Ahmed (Stormers)

It might be harsh on Springbok legend Handre Pollard, who was pure class in Pretoria, but Junior Bok Ahmed saved the day for the Stormers. With the scores tied at 40-all, the young super-sub relieved pressure with a booming exit and won the game with two clutch tries.

9: Haashim Pead (Stormers)

A natural fit down in the Cape, the former Lion strutted his stuff in his first start for the Stormers to clinch the Man of the Match award. He scored his first try for his new team after a stylish one-two with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and put Seabelo Senatla over with a beautiful long ball.

8: Marcell Coetzee (Bulls)

Even with the yellow card he conceded, Coetzee more than earned his place in our team. The Bulls captain was in a rampaging mood, scoring two tries and popping up everywhere.

7: Batho Hlekani (Lions)

With the Lions being listless as a whole, Hlekani looked like a one-man army. The Junior Bok bruiser was absolutely relentless, making a team-high 16 carries and scoring the Pride’s only try. He also threw in eight tackles.

6: Matt Romao (Sharks)

A strong Man of the Match contender, Romao had a remarkable all-court performance. He bagged a brace of tries – running a good line for the first and striking from a turnover at the death – made a team-high 13 tackles and sparked a try-scoring opportunity with a textbook jackal.

5: Emile van Heerden (Sharks)

Van Heerden had an extra spring in his step as he celebrated his 50th game for the Sharks. He dominated the lineout, including producing a steal that resulted in the opening try, was strong in the mauls, made big hits and was all over Johan Mulder.

4: Jason Jenkins (Sharks)

His Bok days may be behind him, but Jenkins showed the quality and physicality he still possesses. He produced two lineout steals and crossed the whitewash just before halftime.

3: Zachary Porthen (Stormers)

The former Junior Bok captain scored his first URC try from a lineout move to draw first blood for the Stormers, won a scrum penalty in the 25th minute and took names in defence.

2: Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls)

After a clinical first 40, “Grobbies” activated beast mode after the break, snatching two vital turnovers and driving over for a try that temporarily cooled off Ulster’s comeback effort. He also made a joint-team-high 14 tackles and was our best Bulls player.

1: Ntuthuko Mchunu (Stormers)

Mchunu looked every bit like the freak athlete he is, feasting at scrum time and rumbling in general play. He earned the Stormers three scrum penalties and scored a barnstorming try.