SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the past weekend’s English Premiership, Celtic Pro12 and French Top 14 matches, involving South African players.
ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP
– The Leicester Tigers, with JP Pietersen and Pat Cilliers in their ranks, overturned a 10-point deficit to beat Harlequins 27-20 in London. The Tigers are now fifth on the log and Quins seventh.
– Brad Barritt, Michael Rhodes, Schalk Brits and Petrus du Plessis all featured for Saracens in their 29-18 win over the Sale Sharks at Allianz Park. Despite the result, Sarries dropped from second to third on log. Sale are 10th.
– Flank Don Armand and the Exeter Chiefs sealed a 36-14 bonus-point win against the Newcastle Falcons to climb up to second in the standings. Newcastle have only won seven matches so far this season and are ranked eighth.
– Wynand Olivier (centre), Francois Hougaard (scrumhalf), Dewald Potgieter (No 8) and Nick Schonert (prop) were part of the Worcester Warriors side that slumped to a 24-14 defeat at the hands of the Northampton Saints. No 9 Nic Groom started for the winners, and won his duel with Hougaard.
– Log leaders Wasps returned to winning ways with a 35-22 bonus-point victory over Gloucester at the Ricoh Arena. Willie le Roux earned his first start for Wasps under the captaincy of flank Ashley Johnson and the Bok utility back scored a try in the second half. Wasps are six points clear at the top of the table.
– Nick Fenton-Wells and his Bristol teammates secured only their third win of the season when they beat bitter rivals Bath 12-11. Hooker Michael van Vuuren played off the bench for Bath, who are now fourth on the log. Bristol are still rooted at the foot of the standings, but they moved within two log points of the Worcester Warriors.
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CELTIC PRO12
– Ulster saw off Zebre with a 40-17 victory over their hosts in Parma. Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar delivered another supreme performance for the winners, scoring a try and kicking five penalties for a 15-point haul. He played alongside Marcel Coetzee, Wiehahn Herbst, Rob Herring and Robbie Diack, who also crossed for a try. Wing Lloyd Greeff flank Johan Meyer, locks Gideon Koegelenberg and Bartholomeus le Roux, hooker Sidney Tobias and scrumhalf Carlo Engelbrecht were on duty for Zebre.
– Wing Danie Poolman and lock Quinn Roux played for Connacht, who proved too good for Treviso and claimed a 34-19 bonus-point win. The result moved Connacht up to eighth in the standings.
– The Ospreys rose to second on the log with a hard-fought 26-5 bonus-point triumph over the Glasgow Warriors. Left wing Hanno Dirksen and prop Brian Mujati were named in the Ospreys' starting lineup.
– The Scarlets caused the upset of the round when they defeated Munster 30-21 at Thomond Park. Jaco Taute was at fullback for Munster and opened the scoring with an early try, but the Scarlets came back strongly. DTH van der Merwe, Werner Kruger and Rynier Bernardo represented the Scarlets, with Van der Merwe scoring a crucial five-pointer. Scrumhalf Abrie Griesel featured alongside Taute for Munster, who are now third on the log.
– Leinster had Zane Kirchner and Richardt Strauss in their team when they thrashed the Newport Gwent Dragons 54-22 at Rodney Parade. Captain Strauss scored one of his team's eight tries. Fullback Carl Meyer, wing Pat Howard, lock Ligtoring Landman and prop Brok Harris turned out for the Dragons, but it was replacement scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius who cantered over for a try in the second half.
– Eighthman Cornell du Preez's Edinburgh suffered a 18-17 loss against lock George Earle's Cardiff Blues. Edinburgh opened up an 11-point lead, but the Blues fought back to secure an important away win.
Photo: Andrew Surma/Getty Images
