Investec Champions Cup team of the week | Round two

Round two of the Investec Champions Cup delivered another thrilling round of action, with standout performances across Europe and South Africa. Picking this week’s RugbyDump’s Team of the Week was a challenge but having watched all of the action we gave it a bash as always!

In the front row Leinster’s Andrew Porter added to his outrageous highlight reel with a tireless 50-meter sprint to deny a Clermont try, showcasing why he remains a cornerstone for club and country. Meanwhile, La Rochelle’s Tolu Latu combined precision and power, excelling in set pieces and adding a crucial try. At scrum time, Will Collier’s dominance powered Castres to an upset over Munster.

It was not just the veterans who were on fire; youthful energy shone too, with Glasgow’s Olujare Oguntibeju and Ulster’s Cormac Izuchukwu both proving their immense potential. Northampton’s Alex Mitchell and Leicester’s Handré Pollard orchestrated tactical masterclasses from the halfback slots, while Harlequins’ Tyrone Green capped a dynamic weekend with electric runs against his compatriots.

Without further ado here is RugbyDump’s team of the week for round two of the 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup.

1. Andrew Porter – Leinster
Picture this: You are a 125kg prop who plays just about every minute for your province and nation. It’s 62 minutes into a fierce clash with a powerful Clermont pack, and they make a break from inside their own 22. Nobody would be annoyed if you allowed the pacey wingers to do their job and chase back. Instead, you are the first man back after a 50-meter sprint, and you stop a certain try. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is what separates Porter from the rest, and he has rightly been rewarded with a brand-spanking new two-year IRFU deal. Runner-up: Fin Baxter – Harlequins

2. Tolu Latu – La Rochelle
Labelled the Top 14’s ‘bad boy’, the 31-year-old former Wallaby was at his combative best against the Bristol Bears. Carrying the ball 10 times, scoring a crucial try, and, oh yeah, securing a 100% win rate at line-out and scrum time. Runner-up: Curtis Langdon – Northampton Saints

3. Will Collier – Castres Olympique
English Rugby’s loss is Castres’ gain as the 33-year-old continues to put in top-class scrummaging performances. In fact, his efforts were key to the Top 14 side’s rare win over Munster as he bulldozed his way through a rather unfortunate Dave Kilcoyne, who was making his first appearance following a long injury lay-off. Runner-up: Uini Antonio – La Rochelle

4. Olujare Oguntibeju – Glasgow Warriors
One of Scottish Rugby’s most intriguing prospects, Oguntibeju’s back story is unlike any in professional rugby. Coming to the sport late, the 6’8″ South African-born lock who is of Nigerian heritage qualifies for Scotland, having spent the bulk of his childhood in Edinburgh. Still just 22-years-old and in the infancy of his rugby journey having taken the sport up late, the sky is the limit for a man who took the fight to a highly experienced Toulon pack in round two. Runner-up: Niccolò Cannone

5. George Martin – Leicester Tigers
Leicester and England’s enforcer had a field day against a heavily rotated Sharks side with a whopping 16 carries and 10 tackles in a strong eighty-minute showing for Michael Cheika’s side. Somehow, still only 23-years-old, Martin has the feel of an all-time Leicester and England great. Runner-up: James Ryan – Leinster 

6. Cormac Izuchukwu – Ulster
Out manned and out gunned but far from beaten, the Ulster backrow continues to grow into a truly special talent. Leading the charge for an unexpected Ulster half-time lead, Izuchukwu scored a superb try and dare we say; it shocked Bordeaux with just how good he is. Closing his account with 12 carries, a line break, an offload, and 6 tackles (1 dominant) in a 55-minute performance, his departure correlated with Ulster’s capitulation from the 60th minute onward. Runner-up: Jean-Luc Du Preez – Sale Sharks

7. Henry Pollock – Northampton Saints
All aboard the hype train because it ain’t slowing down any time soon! The Former England U20 star has taken like a duck to water or more like a raging honeybadger wrestling a cobra. Pollock mixed it up with the Bulls’ big boys and came out on top in what felt like his first true senior rugby test. Mark our words, Pollock is an England captain in waiting. Runner-up: John Hodnett -Munster 

‘I think we kind of really all bought into that’ – Henry Pollock discusses U20 Six Nations triumph

8. Cameron Hanekom – Vodacom Bulls
We say this with all due respect: Hanekom was one of only two Bulls to leave Saturday’s match, and his reputation was intact (Elrigh Louw being the other). In fact, he enhanced it, and if the likes of Toulouse, La Rochelle and Bordeaux have their way, he will be the target of big money moves in the coming years. In the here and now, his two near-identical tries on Saturday were what kept the Bulls in the fight. Breaking off the back of a scrum on both occasions, his pace over forty minutes is truly elite and was too much for the Saints to contain. Completing his day with a mind-boggling stat line of 19 carries, 2 line breaks, 8 defenders beaten, 3 offloads and 110 meters made, Hanekom had a performance for the ages. Runner-up: Alex Dombrandt Harlequins 

9. Alex Mitchell – Northampton Saints
Central to everything the Saints accomplished in Pretoria, Mitchell reminded England fans of what they were missing in November. Setting up a perfect try on the brink of half-time to put the Saints in front felt like the turning point in the fixture. In short, he had a hand in every Saints score and was their top carrier on the day. Runner-up: Antoine Dupont – Toulouse

10. Handre Pollard – Leicester Tigers
Enjoying a dominant showing against a fellow Springbok flyhalf in Jordan Hendrikse, the veteran scored a try and nailed his shots at goal for a near-perfect performance. Looking ever more comfortable in the Tiger’s attacking structures, this fixture was a reminder that he is more than capable of playing an uptempo attacking structure. In short, don’t count him out as the Boks’ main man in the Tony Brown attacking structures. Runner-up: Fin Smith – Northampton Saints

11. Cadan Murley – Harlequins 
Arguably the most underrated player in English Rugby at the present moment. Week-on-week, he puts in top-quality performances, and round two was no exception as he dotted down for three tries. Playing for 70 minutes minutes,he had 7 carries, 3 line breaks, 6 defenders beaten and 89 meters made. Runner-up: Matthis Lebel – Toulouse

12. Sione Tuipulotu – Glasgow Warriors
Leading from the front as he has always done, Tuipulotu went into the heart of the beast as he went blow-for-blow with a powerful Toulon outfit. Carrying the ball 12 times for 54 meters to go with his 2 offloads, 2 defenders beaten and a turnover. Away from the stat line, the Scotland captain is quite possibly the best distributing 12 in the world at the moment and attracts so much attention from defenders that there is always space for those around him. Runner-up: Malakai Fekitoa – Benetton 

13. Pierre-Louis Barassi – Toulouse
Just a reminder that French Rugby is about 5 players deep in every position, which, let’s be real, only maybe South Africa could match. The 26-year-old Toulouse centre is one of those players on the periphery, but with performances like the weekend, he could force his way back in. Scoring two tries from 9 carries with 3 line-breaks, 5 defenders beaten for 87 meters made. Runner-up: Tommaso Menoncello – Benetton 

14. Tommy Freeman – Northampton Saints
Two tries, the second of which was the nail in the Bulls’ coffin, and crucially secured a bonus point win that had all but locked them into the last 16. The powerhouse, 23-year-old was uncontainable for the Bulls despite only having 3 carries for 31 meters. Clearly, a focal point of the Bull’s defensive plan was limiting his impact, which, in short, they did not manage to do. Runner-up: Damian Penaud – Bordeaux-Begles

15. Tyrone Green – Harlequins
England or South Africa? That is the question now facing the Harlequins’ star, who put in another top-class performance. Making it even sweeter was that it came against his countrymen. Topping the carry charts with 15 for 91 meters with 2 line-breaks and 2 defenders beaten, Green had a field day on Saturday evening. Runner-up: Rhyno Smith – Benetton