Take a look back at the Champions and Challenge Cup quarter-final action involving overseas-based South Africans, while a handful of Springboks were in the thick of things in the race for Japan’s League One playoffs.
Champions Cup
– Leinster emphatically underlined their Champions Cup credentials with an impressive 55-24 thrashing of Leicester Tigers in the quarter-finals on Friday night. Handre Pollard, Hanro Libenberg and Jasper Wiese all started for Leicester Tigers. Wiese made 12 carries and 14 tackles, but was limited to no clean breaks, while Pollard made 27 metres with ball-in-hand and kicked two conversions and a penalty. Jason Jenkins played the last 20 minutes as a substitute for Leinster.
– Saracens couldn’t match a masterful La Rochelle performance in the as they went down 24-10 at the Stade Marcel Deflandre on Sunday. Ivan van Zyl played an excellent 76 minutes for Saracens, making 43 metres and one clean break. Raymond Rhuls started on the left wing for the defending champions and made 10 metres from five carries and completed five tackles.
Challenge Cup
– A 77th-minute Sam Costelow conversion proved the difference as Scarlets reached the Challenge Cup semi-finals for the first time with a dramatic 32-30 win over Clermont. Loose forward Jaco van Tonder played off the bench for Clermont.
– Toulon powered into the semi-finals with an emphatic 48-23 win over reigning champions Lyon. Scotland-capped flank Cornell du Preez started for Toulon and made an outstanding 21 tackles, the most of any player in the match. Toulon are still without Cheslin Kolbe due to injury. Lyon had Arno Botha at No 8 and the former Vodacom Bulls player made nine carries and four tackles.
– Rhyno Smith scored a try as Benetton ended Cardiff’s hopes of a third Challenge Cup title with a 27-23 victory on Saturday afternoon. The former Sharks and Cheetahs outside back made 58 metres from eight carries, the most of any player in the match. Smith also picked up a try assist. Benetton had veteran Dewaldt Duvenage at scrumhalf.
Japan League One
– Second-placed Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay confirmed their place after outclassing bottom-of-the-table Hanazono Kintetsu Liners. Inside centre Rikus Pretorius started for Kubota Spears and picked up a try assist, while lock David Bulbring scored a try. Hooker Schalk Erasmus and lock Ruan Botha were on the bench.
– Springbok fullback Willie le Roux celebrated his 50th appearance for Toyota Verblitz with a classy performance at flyhalf in a 53-5 victory over Mitsubishi Dynaboars. Fellow Springbok Pieter-Steph du Toit started at No 8 for Verblitz, while the Dynaboars had lock Walt Steenkamp in their starting lineup.
– Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights beat the Tokyo Black Rams 25-12 to secure their 14th win for the season, moving to within two games of completing the regular season unbeaten. Springboks Lood de Jager and Damian de Allende started for the Wild Knights.
– Two tries in the final five minutes claimed a vital try-scoring bonus point for Yokohama Canon Eagles, who were made to work hard before subduing a feisty second-from-bottom NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu. Bok centre Jesse Kriel, joined in the starting lineup by flank Kobus van Dyk and fullback SP Marais, scored a well-taken intercept try for the Eagles, who brought Faf de Klerk off the bench in the second half. Kriel’s try took his tally for the season to six.
Photo: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images