Malcolm Marx was one of three Springboks to cross the chalk when he dotted down for his seventh try of the season in Japan’s League One over the weekend, while Jasper Wiese enjoyed another dominant performance in England.
Japan League One
– South African trio Malcolm Marx, Rikus Pretorius and Gerhard van den Heever all got on the scoresheet as the unbeaten Kubota Spears beat Tokyo Brave Lupus 46-27. The second-placed Spears finished with seven tries, becoming the first to exceed 50 tries for the season in the process.
– Suntory Sungoliath held onto third place by battling to a 25-17 win over Shizuoka Blue Revs. Captain Kwagga Smith scored his fourth try of the season in the 12th minute, but the Blue Revs could not hold their early lead.
– The dismissal of New Zealand second row Michael Allardice for an illegal breakdown cleanout that connected with Faf de Klerk’s head completely changed the dynamic in Aichi as the Yokohama Canon Eagles strolled to a 32-point victory against Toyota Verblitz. Jesse Kriel also scored his fourth try of the campaign as the Eagles took control of the match after leading just 5-0 before Verblitz were reduced to 14 men. Pieter-Steph du Toit captained Verblitz, while Willie le Roux once again started at flyhalf.
– After playing off the bench last weekend, Damian de Allende returned to starting action as league leaders Wild Knights thrashed Kobe Steel 48-10. JD Shickerling and Marcell Coetzee started for Kobe.
Premiership
– Jasper Wiese capped off a dominant performance with a try as Leicester Tigers came from behind to beat London Irish 25-22. Wiese dotted down in the first half and made a massive total of 21 carries, gaining 64 metres, the most of any forward in the match. Handre Pollard had another sturdy game off the kicking tee, slotting two out of three conversions and two penalties. Leicester captain Hanro Liebenberg led the tackle count for his side with 21 out of 24 attempts. London Irish had outside centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and hooker Mike Willemse in their lineup. Van Rensburg assisted one of their tries and beat two defenders.
Jasper Wiese was at his barnstorming best in London last night.#LIRvLEI ? #COYT ?
Watch the Match Highlights on LTTV ⬇️
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) February 26, 2023
– Jacques Vermeulen made a welcome return from injury to help Exeter Chiefs stun second-placed Sale Sharks in a 24-22 victory. Having been sidelined for three months with a calf injury, Vermeulen impressed at openside flank, making the most carries in Exeter’s pack (17), beating one defender and making a linebreak along the way. Fellow South African forwards Jannes Kirsten and Aidon Davis also played for Exeter. Meanwhile, Jean-Luc du Preez enjoyed a brilliant game for Sale Sharks. Starting at No 8, Du Preez made 21 tackles and beat six defenders. His efforts on defence were bettered by tighthead prop Coenie Oosthuizen, who completed 23 tackles in 63 minutes. Robert du Preez played at outside centre for Sale due to George Ford’s return from injury.
– Northampton Saints continued their excellent recent form with a 41-34 bonus point win over fellow semi-final chasing Gloucester. Ruan Ackermann started at blindside flank for Gloucester and made 12 carries, beat four defenders and made 12 tackles. Courtnall Skosan came off the bench for Northampton.
– Ivan van Zyl scored a try as Saracens returned to winning ways with a bonus point 29-23 win over 14-man Newcastle Falcons. Former Sharks flank Philip van der Walt scored for Newcastle.
Top 14
– Jeremy Ward played an integral role in helping Stade Francais get their title challenge back on track by beating struggling Montpellier 27-17. The former Sharks centre scored a second half try as Stade came from a 14-10 half-time deficit to win. Cobus Reinach, one of three Springboks involved in the match, scored a first-half try for defending champions Montpellier, who have dropped down to 10th place after four successive losses. Nico Janse van Rensburg was at flank for Montpellier, while Vincent Koch started for Stade.
– Lyon kept up the pace with the top two by hammering Racing 92 for a bonus-point 45-11 victory. Arno Botha was at No 8 for third-placed Lyon, who trail Stade by just two points after winning their last five games. Springbok Trevor Nyakane was on the bench for Racing.
– Dillyn Leyds and Raymond Rhule were on wing duty as La Rochelle climbed into fourth place with a bonus point 32-16 win over Brive. Centre Nico Lee and tighthead prop Marcel van der Merwe played for Brive.
– Springbok No 8 Uzair Cassiem had an outstanding match as Bayonne continued their incredible rise by thrashing Castres 45-10 to go fifth on the table. Cassiem scored one of Bayonne’s five tries as the side that was only promoted last season continued their drive towards a playoff place.
– Clermont closed the gap on eighth-placed Toulon with a 36-21 win on Sunday. Cheslin Kolbe started on the right wing for Toulon, who saw their three-match winning streak end.
Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images