Cheslin Kolbe played a major role in helping Toulon claim a vital win, but there was less positive news for the Springboks in Japan, where Faf de Klerk suffered an injury.
Top 14
– Toulouse, with Springbok Rynhardt Elstadt at flank, continued their run at the top of the table by holding out for a hard-fought 21-16 win over Bayonne. No 8 Uzair Cassiem scored a first-half try as Bayonne threatened to cause a major upset when they took a 10-8 lead into the break.
– Racing 92’s awful run of form continued in a 38-19 loss to 12th-placed Pau. The Parisians, who were without Springboks Warrick Gelant and Trevor Nyakane, have now won just one of their last five games and dropped down the table into fifth place.
– Lyon leapfrogged La Rochelle into third place on the table with a 68th-minute try earning a 20-16 victory. Raymond Rhule and loose forward Kyle Hatherell were on the bench for La Rochelle, who suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this season.
– Tristan Tedder slotted the winning conversion to give last-placed Perpignan a major boost to their survival hopes with a 24-22 win over Brive in a bottom-of-the-table duel. Tedder, who started at fullback, stepped up in the 76th-minute to nail the decisive kick, which saw Perpignan earn successive wins and draw level on 26 points with Brive. Outside centre Nico Lee and tighthead prop Marcel van der Merwe played for Brive.
– Cheslin Kolbe starred as Toulon drove closer to the playoff places by snatching a 20-18 win away to Montpellier. Playing the full 80 minutes on the right wing, Kolbe assisted one of Toulon’s two tries, ran 108 metres and made eight passes. Bok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach played 74 minutes for Montpellier and also picked up a try assist, while Jan Serfontein was at inside centre for the hosts, who are tied on 39 points in eighth place with Toulon. The two teams are just two points outside the top six.
– Stade Francais went into second place with a gritty 12-6 victory over Bordeaux. Jeremy Ward played at outside centre for Stade, while seventh-placed Bordeaux has Jandre Marais at lock.
Japan League One
– Canon Eagles’ 34-13 win against Tokyo Black Rams was slightly soured by the loss of scrumhalf Faf de Klerk to injury. The Springbok was forced off as early as the 27th minute after helping Canon get off to a flying start, which included a try to fullback SP Marais. Fellow Springbok Jesse Kriel and former Stormers forward Kobus van Dyk both started for the Eagles, who climbed into the top four with the win.
– Malcolm Marx continued his excellent try-scoring form, with his fifth try in six games aiding Frans Ludeke’s unbeaten Kubota Spears in their 44-34 away win against Toyota Verblitz. Rikus Pretorius got his first start of the season for the Spears, while Willie le Roux was on the bench for Verblitz.
– JD Schickerling scored his first try of the season as Kobe Steel snapped their three-game losing streak by beating Mitsubishi Dynaboars 49-30. Schickerling, who was joined by Marcell Coetzee in the starting XV, scored the opening try of the match in the seventh minute. Kobe went ahead of the Dynaboars into sixth place on points difference and are seven points outside the top four.
– The Shizuoka Blue Revs continued their climb up the table, moving into eighth position after a 20-point win at winless Kintetsu Liners. Now unbeaten in three games after a difficult start to the season, the Kwagga Smith-led Blue Revs scored the final three tries of the game to come away with maximum points for the afternoon’s work.
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