MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Sport / Kitshoff – The Cream Always Rises to the Top

Kitshoff – The Cream Always Rises to the Top

Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff has risen to the No 1 spot in the latest update to the URC Top 100 with forward players dominating the upper end of the ‘pound-for-pound’ rankings.

Based upon the Statmaster algorithm that defines a player’s contribution (xP) to his team’s total points per game, Ulster-bound Kitshoff has an overall rating of 95.2 to edge in front of the Vodacom URC Players’ Player of the Season – Dan Sheehan (94.8), the previously highest ranked player.

The top five positions are all held by forwards, with current World Player of the Year Josh van der Flier of Leinster and Connacht’s Finlay Bealham making it three Irishmen in the group while flanker Manuel Zuiliani of Benetton flies the Italy flag at No 4.

The performances of 31-year-old Kitshoff and the value he has provided to both the DHL Stormers and South Africa have propelled him from 45 to first.

The only back-line players to make it into the Top 10 are Ospreys centre Kieran Williams and Leinster winger James Lowe. Glasgow Warriors back row Rory Darge is the only Scottish player to make the top 10 as Munster’s Gavin Coombes makes it five for Ireland while Thomas du Toit, who will depart the Hollywood Bets Sharks after the World Cup makes it two for South Africa.

Elsewhere in the top 25, Zebre Parma winger Simone Gesi has shot up from 64 to 14th, Wales and Ospreys prop Nicky Smith is up from 48 to 19th while Argentina and Benetton centre Joaquin Riera has moved from 61 to 22nd.

Top 100 Breakdown by Country

  • Argentina 2
  • Australia 2
  • England 1
  • Fiji 1
  • Ireland 21
  • Italy 7
  • New Zealand 4
  • Samoa 1
  • Scotland 14
  • South Africa 25
  • Tonga 1
  • Wales 21

Top 100 Breakdown by Club

  • Benetton 8
  • Vodacom Bulls 7
  • Cardiff 10
  • Connacht 4
  • Dragons 2
  • Edinburgh 4
  • Glasgow Warriors 12
  • Leinster 15
  • Emirates Lions 4
  • Munster 3
  • Ospreys 9
  • Scarlets 4
  • Hollywood Bets Sharks 7
  • DHL Stormers 5
  • Ulster 4
  • Zebre Parma 2

1

 Steven Kitshoff South Africa DHL Stormers

2

 Dan Sheehan Ireland Leinster

3

 Finlay Bealham Ireland Connacht

4

 Manuel Zuliani Italy Benetton

5

 Josh van der Flier Ireland Leinster

6

 Kieran Williams Wales Ospreys

7

 Thomas du Toit South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

8

 Rory Darge Scotland Glasgow Warriors

9

 James Lowe Ireland Leinster

10

 Gavin Coombes Ireland Munster

11

 Johan Grobbelaar South Africa Vodacom Bulls

12

 Tom Stewart Ireland Ulster

13

 Josh Adams Wales Cardiff

14

 Simone Gesi Italy Zebre

15

 Garry Ringrose Ireland Leinster

16

 Darcy Graham Scotland Edinburgh

17

 Tomas Albornoz Argentina Benetton

18

 Luke McGrath Ireland Leinster

19

 Nicky Smith Wales Ospreys

20

 Francke Horn South Africa Emirates Lions

21

 Jordan Hendrikse South Africa Emirates Lions

22

 Joaquin Riera Argentina Benetton

23

 Vaea Fifita New Zealand Scarlets

24

 Ross Byrne Ireland Leinster

25

 Caelan Doris Ireland Leinster

26

 Luke Crosbie Scotland Edinburgh

27

 Zander Fagerson Scotland Glasgow Warriors

28

 Calvin Nash Ireland Munster

29

 James Ryan Ireland Leinster

30

 Johnny Matthews England Glasgow Warriors

31

 Duane Vermeulen South Africa Ulster

32

 Rhys Priestland Wales Cardiff

33

 Jack Dempsey Australia Glasgow Warriors

34

 Eben Etzebeth South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

35

 Stafford McDowall Scotland Glasgow Warriors

36

 Max Llewellyn Wales Cardiff

37

 Edwill van der Merwe South Africa Emirates Lions

38

 Simon Berghan Scotland Glasgow Warriors

39

 Jac Morgan Wales Ospreys

40

 Niall Murray Ireland Connacht

41

 Ox Nche South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

42

 Kurt-Lee Arendse South Africa Vodacom Bulls

43

 Ivan Nemer Italy Benetton

44

 Sam Lousi Tonga Scarlets

45

 Ben-Jason Dixon South Africa DHL Stormers

46

 Canan Moodie South Africa Vodacom Bulls

47

 Huw Jones Scotland Glasgow Warriors

48

 Giacomo Nicotera Italy Benetton

49

 Hugo Keenan Ireland Leinster

50

 John Hodnett Ireland Munster

51

 Janko Swanepoel South Africa Vodacom Bulls

52

 Sam Costelow Wales Scarlets

53

 Owen Lane Wales Cardiff

54

 Morgan Morris Wales Ospreys

55

 Enrico Lucchin Italy Zebre

56

 Deon Fourie South Africa DHL Stormers

57

 Owen Williams Wales Ospreys

58

 Kyle Steyn Scotland Glasgow Warriors

59

 Jimmy O’Brien Ireland Leinster

60

 Siya Kolisi South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

61

 Ethan Roots New Zealand Ospreys

62

 Rhys Carre Wales Cardiff

63

 Bradley Roberts Wales Dragons

64

 Sam Parry Wales Ospreys

65

 Angus O’Brien Wales Dragons

66

 Michael Milne Ireland Leinster

67

 Jason Jenkins South Africa Leinster

68

 Jack Conan Ireland Leinster

69

 Bismarck du Plessis South Africa Vodacom Bulls

70

 Frans Malherbe South Africa DHL Stormers

71

 Charlie Ngatai New Zealand Leinster

72

 Justin Tipuric Wales Ospreys

73

 Sam Carter Australia Ulster

74

 Thomas Young Wales Cardiff

75

 Sam Skinner Scotland Edinburgh

76

 Gerbrandt Grobler South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

77

 Embrose Papier South Africa Vodacom Bulls

78

 Gianmarco Lucchesi Italy Benetton

79

 David Cherry Scotland Edinburgh

80

 Jaden Hendrikse South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

81

 Scott Penny Ireland Leinster

82

 Onisi Ratave Fiji Benetton

83

 Sam Johnson Scotland Glasgow Warriors

84

 Marcell Coetzee South Africa Vodacom Bulls

85

 Jack Aungier Ireland Connacht

86

 Jamie Dobie Scotland Glasgow Warriors

87

 Ruben van Heerden South Africa DHL Stormers

88

 Ollie Smith Scotland Glasgow Warriors

89

 Sione Tuipulotu Scotland Glasgow Warriors

90

 Iain Henderson Ireland Ulster

91

 Keiron Assiratti Wales Cardiff

92

 Dan Davis Wales Scarlets

93

 Dillon Lewis Wales Cardiff

94

 Gareth Anscombe Wales Ospreys

95

 Shamus Hurley-Langton New Zealand Connacht

96

 Tommaso Menoncello Italy Benetton

97

 Rey Lee-Lo Samoa Cardiff

98

 Ruben Schoeman South Africa Emirates Lions

99

 James Ratti Wales Cardiff

100

 Makazole Mapimpi South Africa Hollywood Bets Sharks

 

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Fun South African fact

    Dear Editor Fun South African fact: towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are home to world-class wine farms set in stunning, scenic surroundings. Regards Aressa Smith In Response to/From: Luxury Properties Seized in New Lottery Crackdown

  • Condolences on the Passing of Lusanda Dumke

    Statement by Leander Kruger MPL – DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader: The Democratic Alliance in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality mourns the passing of Springbok Women’s rugby player and Mdantsane trailblazer, Lusanda Dumke, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 28. South Africa has lost an exceptional athlete, a leader, and a source…

  • Rape Kits Delivered, But…

    Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice: The DA can confirm that 2 840 rape kits arrived in Cape Town on Monday, following sustained DA oversight and pressure after multiple police stations across the Western Cape were found to be without this critical forensic evidence tool. While this delivery…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sunil Gavaskar was out off the first ball of a Test match thrice in his career – Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs and he ended his career scoring 34 Test centuries. But did you know he was out three times off the first ball of a Test? The bowlers to dismiss him were: Geoff Arnold (Edgbaston, 1974), Malcolm Marshall (Kolkata, 1984) and Imran Khan (Jaipur, 1987).

  2. Sport Trivia: Which South African athelete won the 100 metres at the Olympic Games in London in 1908? Answer: Reggie Walker won the 100 metres at the Olympic Games in London in 1908, the first South African, and the first African, to win the Olympic 100 metres title.