Damian de Allende produced a performance showcasing his world-class status as South Africans enjoyed varied success in the European Champions Cup round-of-16 second legs over the weekend.A 14-man Sale Sharks side battled to a 35-29 victory at Bristol Bears on Friday night as they overturned a first-leg deficit to book their place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
Lock Lood de Jager, hooker Akker van der Merwe and flank Jono Ross all scored for Sale, while flyhalf Robert du Preez kicked three conversions and three penalties. Faf de Klerk, Cobus Wiese, Daniel and Jean-Luc du Preez, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Coenie Oosthuizen and JP du Preez were also all in action for Sale.
De Klerk was yellow-carded in the first half for an early tackle.
Toulouse set up a Champions Cup quarter-final at Munster as a late try from Antoine Dupont had them beating Ulster Rugby by a solitary point on aggregate following a 30-23 win at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.
Rynhardt Elstadt started for Toulouse and made a massive 29 tackle attempts. Ulster had Duane Vermeulen and hooker Rob Herring in the starting lineup.
Leicester Tigers powered to a comprehensive 27-17 victory over Clermont on Saturday to set up a home Champions Cup quarter-final against Irish side Leinster.
Former Vodacom Bulls grinder Hanro Liebenberg scored a try for Leicester and completed all 10 of his tackles, before he was replaced in the second half by Springbok Jasper Wiese.
Damian de Allende stole the show as his world-class performance at inside centre helped Munster beat Exeter Chiefs 26-10 at Thomond Park on Saturday to book their place in the quarter-finals.
De Allende sealed the result when he was on hand to produce an excellent finish for a try in the corner from Simon Zebo’s brilliant offload. The Springbok also made one linebreak and 24 metres from five carries, and won a breakdown turnover and made 17 tackles.
Jacques Vermeulen and Jannes Kirsten both started for Exeter. Vermeulen scored one of Exeter’s two first-half tries.
Montpellier lost 33-20 to Harlequins during their round-of-16 second leg at Twickenham Stoop, but a 40-26 first-leg win meant Montpellier won 60-59 on aggregate.
Bok flyhalf Handre Pollard – playing at 12 for Montpellier – kicked a crucial second-half penalty and turned in a solid-enough performance in his first start since returning from injury. Pollard’s opposite number was fellow Bok Andre Esterhuizen, who made nine carries, seven tackles and won two turnovers for Harlequins.
La Rochelle will face Montpellier in the quarter-finals after beating Bordeaux 31-23 to go through on a 62-36 aggregate.
Raymond Rhule started on the left wing for La Rochelle.
Japan League One
Kobus van Dyk and SP Marais both got on the scoresheet as Canon Eagles climbed into the top four with a 35-5 win over Shining Arcs, who were captained by Shane Gates. Van Dyk scored a try, while Marais slotted all five of his conversions. Springbok centre Jesse Kriel also started for Eagles.
Lukhanyo Am started for Kobe Steel but his side went down 37-31 in a shootout against third-placed Wild Knights. The defeat left Kobe in seventh place, 14 points outside the top four.
Lionel Cronje kicked four conversions to help steer Toyota Verblitz to a hard-fought 38-25 win over Johan Ackermann’s Red Hurricanes. Verblitz, who led 13-12 at half time, had Willie le Roux on the bench and were without Pieter-Steph du Toit. Hurricanes, who are second from bottom, had lock Ruan Vermaak, No 8 Tyler Paul and scrumhalf Tian Meyer in their starting lineup, while hooker Franco Marais and lock Wimpie van der Walt were on the bench.
Gerhard van den Heever scored 19 points as second-placed Kubota Spears beat bottom-of-the-table Green Rockets 71-41 in a 112-point thriller. The former Bulls and Stormers finisher scored seven conversions and a try for Kubota, who also had lock pair Ruan Botha and David Bulbring starting.
Suntory Sungoliath held on to first place after beating Blue Revs 56-27. Springbok flank Kwagga Smith, who scored a hat-trick last week, continued his excellent form for the Revs by dotting down twice.
Photo: Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA Images via Getty Images
