Player of the week: Marco van Staden

It was Pote Human who, with a massive smile on his face, summed up the night Marco van Staden had against the Emirates Lions this past weekend.

"A guy like Marco went out there and showed again how good he is. Hello Rassie I am still here."

And that is Van Staden's way. "Eskom" wasn’t just on the field to put the lights out of the Lions Super Rugby campaign, he was on a mission to make sure his side not only booked their Vodacom Super Rugby playoff place, but also that he played a major part in his first home outing since renewing his contract to stay at Loftus for another few years.

But that has always been Van Staden's way. He burst through last season without a Super Rugby contract, barging his way up from the Currie Cup and SuperSport Challenge to earn a Super Rugby spot.

And then he accelerated his way into the Springbok team, earning himself a reputation as a no-nonsense grafter, a burglar of note and a player that made the Springbok selectors sit up and take notice.

On Saturday there was a renewed impetus, a fire in the belly that propelled "Eskom" on to some electrifying moments, and a hunger to make his first playoff that certainly didn't go unnoticed this time around.

Van Staden was a popular man of the match for the Bulls, and will be a key figure when they head to New Zealand to take on the Hurricanes in their quarterfinal this weekend.

In the school of hard knocks, Van Staden has taken more than a few, but there are few in the rugby world that will ever think that he takes a step back.

Van Staden only knows one way forward and in a battle this coming weekend where the Hurricanes are sure to flood the breakdown, his performance will be key.

But as the Lions realised, it isn't always their choice if they try to neutralise him. Sometimes the will is more potent than the counter, and Van Staden in the form he was in on Saturday will make any national coach want to see more.

With an incredible 17 carries making 53 metres upfield, with four defenders beaten and one clean break, Van Staden was exceptional on attack for his team.

On defence he was credited with two turnovers, although anyone who saw the game would have sworn he had more, with six tackles on the night as he hunted the ball down with glee.

The Bulls may be written off by most this weekend, but they know if they have a player like Van Staden firing on all cylinders, they definitely will have a chance.