SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the past weekend's Anglo-Welsh Cup and Top 14 matches that involved SA players.
ANGLO-WELSH CUP
– The Scarlets, featuring lock Johan Snyman and prop Jacobie Adriaanse, kept their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive with a narrow 13-7 victory over Gloucester.
– The Sale Sharks defeated their English rivals Worcester 20-6, with wing Dean Hammond starting for the battling Warriors.
– No 8 Gerrit Janse van Velze scored one of the Northampton Saints' five tries as they crushed the Dragons 34-16, extinguishing any hope they might have had of reaching the knockout stages.
– The Exeter Chiefs edged out the Ospreys 36-22 in an exciting match, with former Western Province and Stormers flank Don Armand getting on the scoreboard for the Chiefs.
– Former Maties flank Nick de Jager started for Saracens, who thumped the Newcastle Falcons 41-8, outscoring them five tries to one. Sarries are now assured a place in the knockout stages.
FRENCH TOP 14
– Bok flyhalf Morné Steyn kicked 17 points, a conversion and five penalties, as Stade Français outclassed Castres 32-6 to claim top spot on the Top 14 log. Rory Kockott kicked two penalties for the losing side. Former Sharks centre Meyer Bosman, locks Gerhard Mostert and Anton van Zyl and prop Heinke van der Merwe all started alongside Steyn for the Parisian outfit, with hooker Michael van Vuuren joining them in the 65th minute and lock Carl Wegner replacing Mostert in the 77th.
– Racing Métro beat Toulouse 25-5, with No 8 Jacques Cronjé and locks Francois van Merwe and Juandré Kruger in their run-on XV. Prop Brian Mujati came off the bench in the 70th minute. Scrumhalf Jano Vermaak and prop Gurthrö Steenkamp started for Toulouse with Schalk Ferreira replacing Steenkamp in the 48th minute and receiving a yellow card in the 60th.
– The game between Bayonne and Clermont was decided with penalties, six and three respectively, for a 18-9 scoreline. Fullback Scott Spedding played from start to finish for the victors and props Gert Muller and JC Janse van Rensburg came on as substitutes in the 60th minute.
– Lock Hendrik Roodt starred in Grenoble's 25-19 win over Perpignan. Prop Albertus Buckle joined his winning team-mates on the field in the 56th minute.
– Brive secured a shock 23-10 victory over a star-studded Toulon, whose poor away form continued. Riaan Swanepoel played in the No 10 postion for the winners with prop Kevin Buys joining him in the 51 minute. Boks Juan Smith (flank) and Bakkies Botha (lock) and ex-Sharks hooker Craig Burden all started for the European champions, but Botha was forced to leave the field in the 11th minute after suffering a broken arm. Former Bok loose forward Joe van Niekerk came off the bench for Toulon in the 61st minute.
– Ex-Cheetahs centre Robert Ebersohn started for Montpellier in their match against Bordeaux, recording a 28-23 win.
Photo: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images
