SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the South African players who featured for their respective clubs in the sixth round of the English Premiership.
– Wasps came from behind to record a 52-44 away win at Bath in an 11-try thriller on Friday evening. Juan de Jongh started at outside centre for Wasps and played 68 minutes, making four carries and beating one defender. Former Sharks prop Juan Schoeman was an unused substitute for Bath.
– Tries from Faf de Klerk and captain Jono Ross helped the Sale Sharks get a 20-13 win against the Worcester Warriors and secure back-to-back Premiership wins for the first time this season. De Klerk scored the first try of the match when he sniped over the tryline from close range, while Ross was driven over the line in the second half to give the Sharks a 14-point buffer. Also in action for the Sharks was Robert du Preez, who continues to start at outside centre, hooker Akker van der Merwe, tighthead Coenie Oosthuizen and second-row pair JP du Preez and Cobus Wiese. Aside from his try, Ross made a joint-high 13 tackles and 11 carries, the most of any Sale player in the match. Worcester had Vodacom Bulls-linked Francois Hougaard at scrumhalf, Nic Schonert at tighthead prop and Anton Bresler at lock, with Richard Palframan and loose forward Cornell du Preez utilised off the bench.
– The Newcastle Falcons continued their fine start to the season with a battling 22-10 victory over Gloucester earning their fifth win in the opening six games and keeping them in second place. The Falcons had two South Africans on the bench in former Sharks and Cheetahs loose forward Philip van der Walt and former Sharks scrumhalf Louis Schreuder, who both came on just after the 60-minute mark. Ruan Ackermann played 69 minutes at No 8 for Gloucester and made 32 metres from nine carries as well as seven tackles.
– The Bristol Bears climbed above the Exeter Chiefs into first place after handing the defending champions their second straight loss in a 20-7 win at Sandy Park. Don Armand started at blindside flank for the Chiefs, who are still without South African forward pair Jannes Kirsten and Jacques Vermeulen.
– Harlequins and London Irish played to an enthralling 27-27 draw in a free-flowing London derby that was both teams’ first games of 2021 after their fixtures were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Wilco Louw started at tighthead prop for Harlequins and made six tackles before being replaced by countryman Simon Kerrod. Also on the bench for Harlequins was young loosehead prop Jordan Els, who played 11 minutes after replacing England’s Joe Marler in the 69th minute.
Photo: Getty Images
