SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the past weekend's English Premiership, Celtic Pro12 and French Top 14 matches that involved South African players.
ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP
– A determined Saracens, with Brad Barritt (centre), Neil de Kock (scrumhalf), Ernst Joubert (eighthman) and Schalk Brits (hooker) in their ranks, overcame Bok flank Francois Louw's Bath 23-10, consolidating their second place in the standings.
– No 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze played for Northampton, who thrashed Gloucester 39-13 to remain top of the table.
– London Wasps, with ex-Cheetahs and Bok flanker Ashley Johnson in their starting XV, suffered a 21-17 defeat at the hands of the Sale Sharks.
– Former Maties wing Dean Hammond and ex-Tuks flank Mike Williams were on the wrong side of the scoreboard as Harlequins beat the Worcester Warriors 21-20 in a thrilling contest.
– The Exeter Chiefs, with former WP and Stormers flank Don Armand in their match-day squad, not only defeated London Irish, but kept them scoreless while notching 18 points themselves.
CELTIC PRO12
– Munster failed to maintain their winning ways as they succumbed to an onslaught from rivals Scarlets, losing 18-13. Lock Johan Snyman and prop Jacobie Adriaanse played for Scarlets, while the losing side fielded ex-Bulls and Stormers wing Gerhard van den Heever, ex-Bulls flank CJ Stander and former Bok BJ Botha.
– Bok fullback Zane Kirchner and his Leinster team-mates earned a hard-fought 28-25 victory against the Glasgow Warriors. Former Lions captain Josh Strauss (No 8) and former WP scrumhalf Tyrone Holmes played for the Warriors.
– The Cardiff Blues' humiliation was complete when last-placed Zebre completed the season double over them with a 15-10 win in Parma. Lock and captain Andries van Schalkwyk and flank Abraham Steyn were part of the Italians' starting team.
– Scrumhalf Tobias Botes and lock Corniel van Zyl's Treviso team weren't so lucky, going down 39-6 to Irish club Connacht, who had young flyhalf Danie Poolman on their bench throughout the match.
– Ulster started their match against the Dragons with four South Africans in Rob Herring (hooker), Johann Muller (lock and captain), Robbie Diack (flank) and Ruan Pienaar (scrumhalf). Bok Pienaar scored eight of his team's points (try and a penalty) as they thrashed the Dragons 38-8 at Ravenhill.
– Edinburgh went one better than Ulster by including five South Africans, Carl Bezuidenhout (fullback), Andries Strauss (centre), Cornell du Preez (No 8), Izak van der Westhuizen (lock) and Wicus Blaauw (prop) with a sixth, WP Nel (prop) on the bench for their game against the Ospreys, who fielded one Saffa in wing Hanno Dirksen. And it was to be Edinburgh with its strong Republic ties that came out 31-25 victors. Bezuidenhout hugely contributed to that score with two conversions and four penalties.
FRENCH TOP 14
– Montpellier, with ex-Cheetah centre Robert Ebersohn in their run-on XV, defeated Stade Français 19-10 at home. Bok flyhalf Morné Steyn, who kicked a conversion and a penalty, and lock Gerhard Mostert started for the team from Paris. Prop Hendrik van der Merwe and hooker Michael van Vuren joined in the 56th and 72nd minutes respectively.
– Former Bulls scrumhalf Heini Adams and lock Juandré Marais played for Bordeaux in their triumphant game against Clermont, for whom lock Gerhard Vosloo came on in the 47th minute. Bordeaux won 26-16.
– Ex-Sharks scrumhalf Rory Kockott's five penalties for Castres weren't enough as they lost 25-15 to Racing Métro. Flank Antonie Claassen played alongside Kockott, while locks Juandré Kruger and Francois van der Merwe and No 8 Jacques Cronjé started for the winning team.
– Flyhalf Riaan Swanepoel scored a try for Brive in their 31-6 victory over Grenoble. Prop Kevin Buys also started for Brive and lock Hendrik Roodt for Grenoble. Wing Rudi Coetzee took to the field for the losing team in the 64th minute.
– Toulon annihilated Oyonnax 64-10, with former Sharks hooker Craig Burden and scrumhalf Michael Claassens in their run-on team. Ex-Bok loose forward Danie Rossouw came on as a replacement for the European champions in the 69th minute.
– Prop Schalk Ferreira started for Toulouse in their game against Perpignan at the Stade Ernest-Wallon. Toulouse, who played Bok scrumhalf Jano Vermaak from the 63rd minute onwards, won 37-9, outscoring their opponents five tries to nil. Ex-WP and Stormers scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage came on as a substitute for Perpignan from the 52nd minute.
– Biarritz again suffered defeat, this time falling victim to fullback Scott Spedding's last-minute drop kick which gave Bayonne an 11-8 triumph. Prop JC Janse van Rensburg played for the winners from the 59th minute.
Compiled by Mariette Adams
Photo: Diarmid Courreges/AFP/Getty Images
