Siya Kolisi tasted victory on his long-awaited debut for new club Racing 92, lifting them to the summit of France’s Top 14.
Top 14
– Springbok captain Kolisi ran out for Racing 92 for the first time on Sunday night, helping the Parisians claim a bonus-point 32-10 victory over European champions La Rochelle, who were reduced to 14 men in the first half. A month after lifting the World Cup, Kolisi played 54 minutes at openside flank as Racing claimed their sixth win in eight games to go top of the table. Flyhalf Tristan Tedder played from the bench for Racing and kicked a penalty.
𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒊𝒓𝒆 !!! (𝑨𝒗𝒆𝒄 𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔) 🤩#RacingFamily | #R92vSR | @SiyaKolisi pic.twitter.com/FOD6gWr2Px
— Racing 92 (@racing92) November 26, 2023
Merciiiiii 🩵🩵🩵#RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/jN7MuYqrGm
— Racing 92 (@racing92) November 26, 2023
– Lyon halted their three-match losing streak by beating Bayonne 42-29. Former Sharks wing Thaakir Abrahams, who made his debut as a substitute last week, once again played off the bench for Lyon, while Springbok No 8 Uzair Cassiem scored a try from as a replacement for Bayonne.
– Controversial former French rugby federation president Bernard Laporte lost his first game as Montpellier’s director of rugby with a 26-21 defeat by promoted Oyonnax. Springboks Cobus Reinach and Jan Serfontein started for Montpellier, while South African-born France lock Paul Willemse scored a try to help them snatch a losing bonus point. The loss left Montpellier, champions in 2022, at the bottom of the table, with just one win in eight games, their worst run in 12 years.
– Surprise package Pau continued their excellent start to the season by demolishing Stade Francais 30-6 for their sixth win of the season to go second on the table. Former Sharks lock JJ van der Mescht was a substitute for third-placed Stade Francais.
Premiership
– Sale Sharks came from a narrow half-time deficit to beat Johann van Graan‘s Bath 11-9 and climb to the top of the Premiership table. Springbok No 8 Dan du Preez started in a South African-filled pack alongside flank Ernst van Rhyn, lock Cobus Wiese and tighthead prop Nic Schonert, while playmaker Rob du Preez was at centre for Sale. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Bath fielded a heavily changed side, featuring Springbok Thomas du Toit at loosehead prop, Johannes Jonker at tighthead, captain GJ van Velze at lock, flank Chris Cloete and No 8 Jaco Coetzee, while Louis Schreuder was at scrumhalf.
– Northampton Saints went level with fifth-placed Harlequins by handing the Londonders a second successive loss in a 36-33 home win. Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen was joined by fullback Tyrone Green and lock Irne Herbst in Harlequins’ lineup.
– Handre Pollard produced another kicking masterclass to help a resurgent Leicester Tigers claim a 38-20 away win against Gloucester. The Springbok flyhalf kicked four penalties and three conversions for a haul of 18 points as Leicester won their second successive match. Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese and flank Hanro Liebenberg also started for Leicester.
– Saracens scored a try three minutes from fulltime to claim a fifth win in a row with a 39-31 victory over Bristol Bears. Centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg started for the Bears, who are winless in five games.
– Loose forwards Jacques Vermeulen and Aidon Davis started for third-placed Exeter Chiefs in a 20-14 victory against Newcastle Falcons in Newcastle.
Photo: Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Image