Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer

Cape Town – It seems the resurgent Stormers will have to do a bit more yet than thrash the strong Hurricanes to earn mass approval for the Sport 24 Super 14 Dream Team.

VOTE: Pick your Super 14 Dream Team

Instead readers have largely stuck with the tried and trusted – the defending champion Bulls – in their votes for the Dream Team based on Week 5 of the Vodacom Super 14.

The Loftus side seeing off the limited Highlanders 50-35 in a fast and loose affair on Saturday, and maintaining their lead and unbeaten record on the table, was enough to see them secure no fewer than 10 berths in the XV picked from the latest round.

These include six forwards – Gurthro Steenkamp, Gary Botha, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Dewald Potgieter and Pierre Spies – and four backs in the form of Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Gerhard van den Heever.

Five Stormers do crack the nod, including a newcomer to the Dream Team forward mix in tighthead prop Brok Harris, who played his part in the Stormers pack dousing the ‘Canes fire in a fine 37-13 triumph at Newlands.

The others are fullback Joe Pietersen, centre Jaque Fourie, wing Bryan Habana and flank Schalk Burger.

Most emphatic approval ratings went to Fourie, with an incredible 94 percent of the nod at outside centre after his outplaying of All Black Conrad Smith on Saturday, and Morne Steyn, who continues to pile on points and look dangerous in general play – the flyhalf earned 90 percent of voters’ confidence.

Some Stormers fans may be disappointed that players like Tiaan Liebenberg and Andries Bekker haven’t earned recognition for their roles in the Stormers’ charge to second on the log, although they did earn tidy portions of votes at hooker and lock respectively and their time will surely come.

The overall Dream Team for the season thus far contains 11 of the players recognised in Week 5, including, interestingly, the entire backline.

Tigerish No 15 Pietersen is the biggest upward mover from Week 4, shifting from 48 percent approval rating at fullback last week to 52 percent now, thanks presumably to his sharp showing on attack against the Hurricanes.

Although the Cheetahs were not in action in the last round, Juan Smith, WP Nel and Heinrich Brussow keep their places in the overall side – expect the luckless Brussow to fade from favour very soon, however, as the nuggety fetcher has been ruled out of the tournament by a knee injury.

It says much about how South African fans feel about the winless Sharks and Lions that not one of their players cracks either line-up at present.

Super 14 Dream Team for Week 5:
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers, 77%), 14 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls, 64%), 13 Jaque Fourie (Stormers, 94%), 12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls, 77%), 11 Bryan Habana (Stormers, 71%), 10 Morne Steyn (Bulls, 90%), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls, 81%), 8 Pierre Spies (Bulls, 81%), 7 Dewald Potgieter (Bulls, 56%), 6 Schalk Burger (Stormers, 84%), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls, 66%), 4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls, 62%), 3 Brok Harris (Stormers, 54%), 2 Gary Botha (Bulls, 49%), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls, 44%).

Super 14 Overall Dream Team:
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers, 52%), 14 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls, 51%), 13 Jaque Fourie (Stormers, 82%), 12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls, 63%), 11 Bryan Habana (Stormers, 72%), 10 Morne Steyn (Bulls, 74%), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls, 74%), 8 Pierre Spies (Bulls, 49%), 7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs, 65%), 6 Heinrich Brussow (Cheetahs, 42%), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls, 64%), 4 Flip van der Merwe (Bulls, 30%), 3 WP Nel (Cheetahs, 41%), 2 Gary Botha (Bulls, 34%), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls, 26%).