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
– Francois Hougaard's polished performance helped the Worcester Warriors to a season-defining 41-24 bonus-point win over Bristol. The two sides are locked a relegation battle at the foot of the standings and this result could be what separates them at the end of the season. Hougaard scored one try and set up another, while former Bulls teammate Wynand Olivier also got in on the action with a try for the winners. Prop Nick Schonert and flank Dewald Potgieter played alongside Hougaard and Olivier. Loose forward Nick Fenton-Wells was on duty for Bristol. Hougaard was named Man of the Match.
– Saracens, featuring Brad Barritt, Michael Rhodes, Schalk Brits and Petrus du Plessis, battled to a 35-27 bonus-point victory against a spirited Newcastle Falcons side. Former Sharks hooker Kyle Cooper was in the Falcons' starting lineup.
– Flyhalf Tim Swiel and his Harlequins teammates overturned a 12-point deficit to beat Gloucester 30-27 at Kingsholm Stadium. Swiel contributed five points via a conversion and a penalty. Quins are now seventh on the log.
– Ashley Johnson and Willie le Roux were part of the Wasps team that defeated Bath 24-3 at the Rec to extend their lead at the top of the table. Replacement hooker Michael van Vuuren was on duty for Bath from the start of the second half. Bath are fourth in the standings.
– The Northampton Saints, with Nic Groom as their starting scrumhalf, picked up maximum log points at the AJ Bell Stadium following their 32-12 win over hosts, the Sale Sharks. Saints now occupy sixth position on the log, while Sale dropped to 10th.
– Captain Don Armand led the Exeter Chiefs to a stunning 34-15 bonus-point triumph over the Leicester Tigers at Welford Road. The hosts, with wing JP Pietersen and prop Pat Cilliers in their ranks, were favourites because they had home-ground advantage. But Exeter were full value for their win, which keeps them second in the standings behind Wasps.
CELTIC PRO12
– Leinster eased past the Scarlets 45-9 at RDS Arena to consolidate their place at the top of the log. Zane Kirchner played outside centre for the winners, while hooker Richardt Strauss retained the captaincy. Wing DTH van der Merwe, lock Rynier Bernardo and tighthead prop Werner Kruger represented the Scarlets, who remain fourth despite the defeat.
– Outside centre Jaco Taute and scrumhalf Abrie Griesel turned out for Munster, who had to grind out a 23-13 victory against the Cardiff Blues. Lock George Earle did service for the Blues. The result was not enough to lift Munster out of third position, while the Blues remain eighth.
– Ligtoring Landman's opening try was not enough for the Newport Gwent Dragons, who lost 47-17 to the Glasgow Warriors. Landman started alongside compatriots Pat Howard, Sarel Pretorius and Brok Harris for the Dragons, who are now lingering in 10th spot.
– Forwards Cornell du Preez and Anton Bresler played for Edinburgh, who suffered a narrow 13-9 defeat against the Ospreys. Prop Brian Mujati started for the second-placed winners.
– Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, No 8 Marcell Coetzee, lock Franco van der Merwe, tighthead prop Wiehahn Herbst and hooker Rob Herring, who doubled up as captain, all started for Ulster in their 19-7 win over the struggling Treviso. Ulster scored three tries, with Pienaar slotting two of the conversions.
– Defending champions Connacht, with lock Quinn Roux in their ranks, smashed Zebre 33-3 in Galway. Wing Lloyd Greeff, flank Gideon Koegelenberg, lock Quinton Geldenhuys and hooker Dario Chistolini started for the Italian side, while Bartholomeus le Roux (prop) and Carlo Engelbrecht (scrumhalf) were named as replacements. Connacht are seventh in the standings and Zebre are 12th.
FRENCH TOP 14
– Castres upset high-rollers Clermont 26-16 at home. Front rowers Dan Kötze and Jody Jenneker along with scrumhalf Rory Kockcott started for the winning team, while Flip van der Merwe was on Clermont's bench. Jenneker scored the opening try of the match for Castres and Kockott contributed eight points to the cause with a conversion and two penalties. Castres and Clermont are third and second in the standings respectively.
– Grenoble, with Gio Aplon at fullback, Charl McLeod at scrumhalf and Hendrik Roodt at No 5 lock, stunned 14-man Racing 19-10. Lock Gerbrant Grobler started for Racing, who had to play with 14 men for 75 minutes after conceding a red card for foul play early on. No 8 Antonie Claassen was on Racing's bench but came on in the 13th minute as an injury-enforced change. Grenoble are now in 13th position and Racing in seventh.
– Wing Bryan Habana scored for Toulon, but it was the only highlight in an otherwise miserable outing for the former champions, who went on to lose 15-5 against Brive. Habana, Juan Smith, Duane Vermeulen and Marcel van der Merwe all started in a star-studded Toulon lineup that failed to deliver. No 8 Paul Hauman and lock Johan Snyman started for Brive, with Jan Uys and Kevin Buys serving as substitutes.
– Montepellier, featuring Bismarck, Jannie, Jacques and Willie du Plessis, Paul Willemse and Pierre Spies, slumped to a 16-3 defeat against Lyon. Bismarck, in his first game back after a lengthy layoff, was yellow carded in the 45th minute, while Willie accounted for the team's points with penalty. Deon Fourie and Albertus Buckle turned were on duty for Lyon. Montpellier dropped from third to fourth.
– Outside centre Paul Jordaan and scrumhalf Ricky Januarie were in the La Rochelle team that beat Toulouse 27-21 away from home. The result takes La Rochelle back to the top of the log ahead of Clermont.
– Stade Français returned to winning ways with 32-9 bonus-point win over Bordeaux. Eighthman Jono Ross and loosehead prop Heinke van der Merwe were selected in Stade's run-on XV and while flyhalf Morné Steyn made a six-minute cameo at the end of the game.
Compiled by Mariette Adams
Photo: Worcester Warriors
