Handre Pollard continued his successful streak against Owen Farrell in the Premiership, while Cheslin Kolbe dotted down for his first try of the season in Japan.
Premiership
– Leicester Tigers boosted their Premiership playoff hopes as they overpowered defending champions Saracens 19-10 at Welford Road. Up against England flyhalf Owen Farrell for the first time since the 2023 World Cup semi-finals, Handre Pollard once again got the best of his opposite number. The South African playmaker converted two of Leicester’s three tries, as the Tigers moved to two points behind sixth-placed Saracens. Jasper Wiese started at No 8 for Leicester, while scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl was on the bench for Saracens, who have lost three of their last four games.
– Bristol Bears put aside their early season inconsistency to claim a 22-14 win against Sale Sharks in Manchester and end the hosts’ 12-game home winning streak. Benhard Janse van Rensburg started at outside centre for Bristol, who next host the Vodacom Bulls in the Champions Cup. Flyhalf Robert du Preez kicked two conversions for Sale, who had No 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, flank Ernst van Rhyn, lock Cobus Wiese and tighthead prop Nic Schonert in their lineup. As they prepare to face the Stormers in the Champions Cup, Sale Sharks have won just two games since December.
– Andre Esterhuizen dotted down to help Harlequins move into second place with a bonus-point 24-3 victory over Newcastle Falcons in Newcastle. The Springbok centre was joined by fullback Tyrone Green and lock Irne Herbst in Harlequins’ starting lineup, as the visitors temporarily jumped to the top of the table on Friday night.
– Northampton Saints finished the weekend on top of the Premiership table as a last-minute winner helped win an 11-try 42-36 thriller against Exeter Chiefs. Flank Jacques Vermeulen dotted down twice for Exeter, who were 26 points ahead midway through the first half. Burger Odendaal played 45 minutes at inside centre for the Saints.
– Bath came from a five-point half-time deficit to survive a scare and beat Gloucester 17-10, to stay in touch with the trophy hunters. Springbok prop Thomas du Toit was in action for Johann van Graan‘s Bath, who had No 8 Jaco Coetzee and flank GJ van Velze in their lineup. Former Lions flank Ruan Ackermann started and scored for Gloucester.
Top 14
– La Rochelle’s mid-season revival continued with a 29-20 away win against Pau. Dillyn Leyds started on the wing for La Rochelle, who have won two games on the trot and moved up eighth on the Top 14 table, one point away from the top six playoff places.
– Stade Francais’ sensational run was halted in a 14-14 stalemate with Clermont, which left the Parisians seven points adrift from first place. Former Sharks players JJ van der Mescht (lock) and Jeremy Ward (inside centre) started for Stade.
– Siya Kolisi helped Racing 92 climb to the top of the table with a 34-30 victory over Castres in Paris. The Springbok captain started at openside flank and was joined in action by replacement prop Trevor Nyakane as Racing claimed a third win in five games.
– Defending champions Toulouse demolished Lyon 45-0 to move to fourth on the table. Former Bulls flank Arno Botha captained Lyon, who dropped into the relegation zone.
– Top 14 strugglers Montpellier closed in on an escape from automatic relegation by stunning Toulon 27-17. Lock Paul Willemse and one-cap Springbok flank Nico Janse van Rensburg scored a try each for Montpellier, who had Cobus Reinach at scrumhalf. A second win in three games saw Montpellier close the gap on Lyon to four points.
Japan League One
– Wild Knights scored 35 unanswered second-half points to stun Toyota Verblitz in a 43-27 victory and go top of the table. With Pieter-Steph du Toit at flank and an All Blacks halfback pair of Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith on fire, Verblitz took a 27-8 lead into half-time. However, Damian de Allende‘s Knights swamped the Steve Hansen-coached Verblitz in the second half, continuing an unbeaten start of four straight wins.
– Cheslin Kolbe scored his maiden League One try to help Suntory Sungoliath come from behind to inflict back-to-back defeats on former Wallaby coach Dave Rennie’s Kobelco Steelers, winning 44-36. Suntory’s third win of the season saw them end in the weekend in third place.
– Skipper Kwagga Smith scored two tries in a man-of-the-match performance as Shizuoka Blue Revs waltzed home 62-13 against an out-gunned Honda Heat. The tries took Springbok flank Smith’s career tally in Japan to 19 in 26 appearances. Fellow two-time World Cup winner Franco Mostert started at lock for Honda, winless and bottom of the table.
– Canon Eagles ended the weekend in the top four after last season’s semi-finalists edged Mitsubishi Dynaboars 40-35 in an entertaining contest. Springboks Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel both started for the Eagles.
– Defending champions Kubota Spears were left languishing in ninth place after a 20-24 loss to Toshiba Brave Lupus. Gerhard van den Heever slotted all three of his kicks at goal for Frans Ludeke‘s Spears, who had Rikus Pretorius at inside centre and second-row pair Ruan Botha and JD Schickerling on the bench.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images