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
– Gloucester eased to a 32-14 bonus-point win against Bristol at Ashton Gate. Flank Nick Fenton-Wells played off the bench for Bristol, who look set to be relegated at the end of the season. The result takes Gloucester up to eighth on the log.
– Captain Don Armand inspired the Exeter Chiefs to a 30-25 come-from-behind bonus-point win over the Sale Sharks. Trailing by 19-points early on, the Chiefs scored four unanswered tries, including one from Armand, to overturn the deficit and secure the victory. The result ensured Exeter remain second in the standings.
– JP Pietersen and Pat Cilliers were part of the Leicester Tigers team that edged the Northampton Saints 36-31 in their East Midlands derby. Scrumhalf Nick Groom started for the Saints. The Tigers are now fourth on the log and Northampton seventh.
– Harlequins, featuring Tim Swiel, thrashed the Newcastle Falcons 53-17 at the Stoop. Quins outscored their visitors seven tries to two, with Swiel crossing for the last try of the match.
– Willie le Roux and Ashley Johnson started for Wasps in their 40-33 bonus-point triumph over the Worcester Warriors. Le Roux didn't score any tries, but he was taken out in the air in the 45th minute, prompting the referee to reduce Worcester to 14 men for the rest of the contest, which helped Wasps' cause. Centre Wynand Olivier, scrumhalf Francois Hougaard, flank Dewald Potgieter, prop Nick Schonert and wing Dean Hammond represented Worcester. The win takes Wasps five points clear at the top of the standings.
– Saracens, with Brad Barritt, Michael Rhodes, Schalk Brits and Vincent Koch in their ranks, whacked Bath 53-10 at Allianz Park. Barritt and Brits scored a try apiece for Sarries. Francois Louw started for and co-captained Bath.
WRAP: Armand leads the way in comeback
CELTIC PRO12
– Prop Werner Kruger and wing DTH van der Merwe were second-half replacements for the Scarlets in their 26-10 win against Edinburgh. No 8 Cornell du Preez, lock Anton Bresler and prop Allan Dell were named in Edinburgh's starting lineup.
– Ruan Pienaar, Wiehahn Herbst and Rob Herring earned starting berths for Ulster, who beat the Newport Gwent Dragons 27-17. Fullback Carl Meyer, lock Ligtoring Landman and prop Brok Harris were on duty for the Dragons, with Landman grabbing his team's opening try. Pienaar kicked two conversions and a penalty for the winners. Robbie Diack was on Ulster's bench and Sarel Pretorius on the Dragons'. Pienaar is playing in his final season for Ulster.
– Lock George Earle and his Cardiff Blues teammates suffered an agonising 22-21 defeat at the hands of Leinster at RDS Arena. The result keeps the Blues out of the top six.
– Munster hammered Zebre 50-14 to stay second in the standings, two log points behind Leinster. Jaco Taute started at outside centre for the winning team. Wings Kayle van Zyl and Lloyd Greeff, scrumhalf Carlo Engelbrecht, loose forwards Derick Minnie and Johan Meyer, lock Gideon Koegelenberg and front rowers Sydney Tobias and Bart le Roux turned out for Zebre.
– Treviso, with Braam Steyn in their ranks, caused the upset of the weekend when they stunned the Ospreys 13-5 at home. Prop Brian Mujati started for the Ospreys, who are now third on the log.
– Defending champions Connacht's title defence hit another bump in the road when they lost 35-24 to the Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium. Lock Quinn Roux started for Connacht.
WATCH: Bismarck scores try against Brive
FRENCH TOP 14
– Racing kept alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the playoffs with a 27-24 win over Clermont in Paris. Loose forwards Antonie Claassen and Bernard le Roux, and lock Gerbrandt Grobler did service for Racing. Fullback Scott Spedding and lock Flip van der Merwe played for Clermont.
– A last-gasp drop goal saw Grenoble record a crucial 21-20 win against Castres. Charl McLeod and lock Hendrik Roodt started for Grenoble, while Robert Ebersohn, Rory Kockott, Daniel Kötze and Jody Jenneker formed part of Castres' team. Grenoble are in a relegation battle with Bayonne, but this win takes them seven points clear off the bottom of the log.
– Albertus Buckle and BJ Botha turned out for Lyon, who crushed Bayonne 52-7 at the Matmut Stadium. The bonus-point victory takes Lyon up to 11th.
– Paul Jordaan and Ricky Januarie were in superb form as they helped table-toppers La Rochelle to a 23-13 win over Pau. The win sees La Rochelle open up an 11-point lead at the summit of the log, with four rounds remaining in the regular season.
– Bordeaux defeated a star-studded Toulouse outfit 20-11 to improve their chances of reaching the playoffs. Lock Jandré Marais and prop Steven Kitshoff represented the winners, while former Bok prop Gurthrö Steenkamp played for Toulouse.
– Brive scored a try in the dying seconds of the match to stun Montpellier 28-25. Frans Steyn, Pierre Spies, Paul Willemse, Jacques du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis started for Montpellier, with Steyn replaced by countryman Willie du Plessis in the second half. Locks Johan Snyman and Jan Uys featured for Brive. Bismarck du Plessis scored a try, Steyn slotted two penalties and a conversion, and Willie du Plessis kicked a conversion. Despite the loss, Montpellier remain third on the log with a game in hand.
– Stade Français ended a chaotic fortnight with a 17-11 win against Toulon in Paris. It was an ill-disciplined affair that produced six yellow cards, including one each for Springboks Heinke van der Merwe and Bryan Habana. Van der Merwe and Morné Steyn were on duty for Stade. Toulon had Habana, Duane Vermeulen, Juan Smith, Juandré Kruger and Marcel van der Merwe in their team, but still couldn't take advantage of Montpellier's earlier loss. If Toulon had won, they'd have replaced Montpellier in third position.
Compiled by Mariette Adams
Photo: Oliver McVeigh/Getty Images
