SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the past weekend’s Anglo-Welsh Cup and French Top 14 matches, involving South African players.
ANGLO-WELSH CUP
– Wasps scored 10 tries to smash the Worcester Warriors. Lock Wilhelm van der Sluys started for the struggling Warriors, while hooker Ashley Johnson came on as a replacement for Wasps.
– Prop Pat Cilliers and his Leicester Tigers teammates bashed fullback Carl Meyer's Newport Gwent Dragons 42-3 at Welford Road.
– Saracens, with prop Petrus du Plessis and veteran scrumhalf Neil de Kock in their ranks, beat the Newcastle Falcons 29-18 to record their first win of the competition. Flank Tyrone Holmes was in the Falcons' run-on XV.
– Flanks Nick Fenton-Wells and Nick Koster were in the Bristol team that upset the Sale Sharks 26-11. It was Bristol's first victory of the season.
– Flyhalf Tim Swiel came off the bench to kick a match-winning penalty and conversion as Harlequins edged Ospreys 15-12. Quins trailed 12-5 late in the game, but after scoring a try, Swiel landed the conversion to draw the teams level, before he slotted the penalty to turn the result in their favour.
– Scarlets defeated Bath 44-21, despite trailing 21-9 at the break. Lock Rynier Bernardo started for Scarlets and hooker Michael van Vuuren played for Bath.
FRENCH TOP 14
– No 8 Antonie Claassen and lock Gerbrandt Grobler were part of the Racing team that slumped to a 26-17 defeat at the hands of Pau.
– Inside centre Robert Ebersohn, prop Dan Kotzé and hooker Jody Jenneker earned starting berths for Castres, who beat Brive 32-13 at home. Jenneker burrowed over for one of Castres' two tries. Flank Petrus Hauman, prop Kevin Buys and locks Jan Uys and Wilhelm Steenkamp were all on duty for Brive.
– Centre Frans Steyn, flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, No 8 Pierre Spies, flank Wiaan Liebenberg, locks Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Jacques du Plessis and veteran prop Jannie du Plessis started for Montpellier in their narrow 25-20 win against Lyon. Flank Deon Fourie, who received a yellow card late in the first half, and prop Albertus Buckle and BJ Botha did service for Lyon.
– Grenoble suffered yet another loss, this time 24-22 against Bordeaux. Gio Aplon, who scored a try, lock Hendrik Roodt and prop Rossouw de Klerk represented Grenoble, who looked set to win but conceded a late penalty.
– Clermont, featuring Willie du Plessis at flyhalf, caused a big upset when they downed competition favourites Clermont 22-14.
– Toulouse, with props Maks van Dyk and Gurthrö Steenkamp in their ranks, lost 25-19 against La Rochelle. Former Bok scrumhalf Ricky Januarie was on duty for the winners.
– Toulon moved up to third in the standings after claiming a 31-12 bonus-point win over Stade Français. Toulon captain Duane Vermeulen played alongside flank Juandré Kruger, lock Andries Ferreira and prop Marcel van der Merwe. Ex-Bulls loose forward Jono Ross started at the back of the scrum for Stade.
Photo: Harlequins
