Super Rugby Players Of Round 15

Vaiolini Ekuasi – 1 Point

The Force failed to pick up the bonus point in their win over the Fijian Drua on Saturday, meaning their finals hopes are officially over, but Vaiolini Ekuasi can again hold his head high after his shift. One of the Force’s top players this season, Ekuasi gave another tireless 65-minute performance, and while he’s usally a standout on the attacking side of the ball, it was defensively where the former Blues and Rebels No.8 shone. Ekuasi completed a whopping 26 tackles, with the Drua enjoying 54% possession, and he was a big part of the hosts’ ability to hold the Fijians to just 15 points. Crucially, Ekuasi also scored the first try of the second half, barging over the line off the back of the scrum to put the Force back in front and set up the victory.

Ryan Lonergan – 2 Points

Ryan Lonergan has been one of the Brumbies’ most consistant players this season and he was influential again as ACT recorded an important 21-14 win over the Waratahs on Friday. That victory sealed a top six finish for the Brumbies and again saw Lonergan provide plenty of influential touches. The Wallaby halfback expertly led his team around the field, with his accurate and contestable box kicks creating attacking opportunities, while also executing some important clearances from deep inside the Brumbies’ own territory. He provided Billy Pollard with a nice ball to score ACT’s first try of the night and was again pivotal in their second, breaking the Waratahs’ defensive line, winning a penalty and then going for a dart off the ensuing scrum, getting tackled just shy of the line, before the Brumbies quickly recycled for a couple of pick and gos, seeing Cadeyrn Neville power over. There weren’t as many highlight plays from Lonergan in the second half, but his kicking game helped the visitors hold on for an important win in Sydney.

Leicester Fainga’anuku – 3 Points

Leicester Fainga’anuku again looked at home at openside flanker on Friday night, playing a large role in the Crusaders’ 36-32 win over the Chiefs. He’s been a revelation since moving to the #7 jersey in Round 11, with his hard running, aggressive ruck work and bottomless motor combining to make a powerhouse loose forward, and the Chiefs felt the brunt of his excellence on Friday night. Fainga’anuku showcased his strength to open the scoring for the Crusaders, spinning out of Luke Jacobson’s tackle attempt on the goal line to dot down, and he continued to impress for the rest of the 80 minutes. This all added up to a team-high 18 carries, five defenders beaten, four offloads, one try, one try assist and 17 tackles in another mammoth effort.

Jock Campbell – 4 Points

It was a dicey showing from the Reds on the North Shore on Saturday, only just scraping past Moana Pasifika 33-31, but there was nothing shaky about the performance of Jock Campbell. The former Wallaby fullback had his best game of the season, opening up attacks with his constant runs from the back, and he showed his class early on, sparking a counter-attack and then providing support to set up Tim Ryan for a try. Then shortly after the break, Campbell fired a bullet of a long ball to send Treyvon Pritchard in in the corner, but he saved his best touch for when his team needed him most. Trailing 26-31 with just three minutes to play, Queensland were staring down the barrel of what would have been a season-altering defeat, but Campbell again popped up at the right time, running a lovely inside line off a scrum to collect a Josh Flook offload and then cut infield to evade the last defender to win the game for the Reds. Campbell finished his night with 14 carries for 144 metres and five defenders beaten in an excellent display.

Ruben Love – 5 Points

There has been plenty on the line for Ruben Love in the back end of the season and he has certainly rose to the occasion. Love’s task of keeping the Hurricanes atop the Super Rugby Pacific standings has simultaneously been somewhat of an All Blacks trial, with the #10 jersey seemingly up for grabs heading into the July internationals, and he did himself plenty of favours on Saturday night. His standout moment came just before the 30-minute mark, showing off his speed and agility to step through the Landers’ defensive line and cover defence to score an excellent individual try, but his impact on the game reached much deeper than that. His ability to pick out the right runners and dictate the Hurricanes’ attack kept the hosts firing on all cylinders, as they ran in seven tries in their 45-28 victory, and 2026 may well be a big year for Love.

Leaderboard After Week 15

1st Fehi Fineanganofo 15
2nd Leicester Fainga’anuku 14
3rd Cam Roigard 10
T-4th Callum Harkin 8
T-4th Fraser McReight 8
T-6th Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens 7
T-6th Max Jorgensen 7
T-8th Caleb Clarke 6
T-8th Ruben Love 6
T-8th Ryan Lonergan 6