Springbok lock RG Snyman scored two tries as Leinster beat Bath in the Champions Cup while Damian de Allende headlined the Bok stars in the Japan League One.
Champions Cup
RG Snyman excelled for Leinster in a dazzling second-half cameo, scoring two tries in a convincing 47-21 win over Bath. Four Saffas came off the bench for Bath, including props Thomas Du Toit and Francois van Wyk, loose forward Jaco Coetzee and scrumhalf Louis Schreuder. Leinster defence coach Jacques Nienaber came out on top in a battle of wits against Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan.
Werner Kok started on the wing as Ulster qualified for the Champions Cup last 16 with a 52-24 win over Exeter Chiefs in Belfast, but he went off early in the game after a blow to the head. Former Stormers prop Kwenzo Blose featured for the Chiefs off the bench.
Glenwood old boy Joe Jonas returned to South Africa with Stade Francais who suffered a heavy 48-7 defeat to the Bulls at Loftus, which knocked them out of the competition.
Juarno Augustus played an hour for Northampton Saints in a classic against Munster at Franklin’s Gardens. Saints won 34-32 in a top of the pool clash. Sharks prop Dian Bleuler, who is on loan at Munster, started for the Irish province.
Former Cheetahs centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg played at inside centre for Bristol in their 33-26 away to Clermont at the Stade Marcel Michelin.
Former Sharks and Cheetahs utility back Rhyno Smith kicked 14 points for Benetton in a famous 32-25 win over two-time champions La Rochelle in Italy. Playmaker Dillyn Leyds started on the left wing for La Rochelle as both sides secured their passage to the playoffs.
A trio of South Africans helped Quins to a dominant 24-7 win over Glasgow at the Stoop, stymying the Warriors’ chances of topping Pool 4. Stephan Lewies and Tyrone Green started for Quins, while tighthead prop Simon Kerrod came off the wood for the Premiership side and ex-Sharks loose forward Henco Venter was a replacement for Glasgow.
Hacjivah Dayimani and Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, came back to haunt their former team at the La Defense Arena in Paris as Racing 92 beat the Stormers 31-22.
In another reunion, former Sharks players Carlu Sadie and Rohan Janse van Rensburg enjoyed a memorable day in the southwest of France as Top 14 frontrunners Bordeaux came from 12-0 down to score 66 unanswered points in a magnificent display of running rugby, relegating the Sharks to the Challenge Cup playoffs.
On a poor weekend for several English sides, scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl started in Saracens’ surprising 32-24 home defeat to Castres.
Double-world champion flyhalf Handre Pollard played the first half for Leicester Tigers in their record 80-12 defeat away to Toulouse. Pollard left the field at half time with his side 42-0 down.
Sale’s strong SA contingent featured in the comprehensive 33-7 win over Toulon. Twins Jean-Luc and Dan du Preez were in harness in the pack alongside Hyron Andrews. Ernst van Rhyn came off the bench and centre Rob du Preez kicked a late conversion to help seal Sale’s spot in the playoffs.
Challenge Cup
Former Griquas scrumhalf Johan Mulder played 15 minutes off the bench for Cardiff in the 28-19 defeat at home to fellow URC challengers Connacht.
Jan Serfontein scored a try in Montpellier’s 26-7 win against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park to top Pool 2. Newcastle were captained by former Cheetahs loose forward Philip van der Walt who deputised at lock for Falcons.
Three South Africans were on deck for Ospreys in the 31-28 win over Pau in France. Former Cheetahs centre Evardi Boshoff scored a try, and he was joined in the starting lineup by prop Tom Botha and wing Dan Kasende, while hooker Dan Jooste played off the Pau bench.
Former Cheetahs hooker Marnus van der Merwe continued his excellent try-scoring form for Scarlets as he crossed the whitewash in the 38-28 win over Vannes.
Arno Botha came off the bench for Lyon in their emphatic 68-21 over the Cheetahs at the Matmut Stadium.
Former Cheetahs loosehead prop Boan Venter played off the bench in Edinburgh’s 36-15 home win over Black Lion from Georgia. The bonus-point win secured top spot in Pool 3 for the Scots.
Tighthead Pieter Scholtz and Uzair Cassiem were in Bayonne’s starting lineup for their eight-try 55-17 win over Gloucester on Sunday.
Marvin Orie started for Perpignan in their 39-21 win in Italy over Zebre Parma to ensure they qualified for the playoffs.
Japan League One
Damien de Allende was the standout Bok in Japan over the weekend, scoring two tries for Wild Knights as they maintained a perfect record with a 38-22 win at Toyota Verblitz in Fukuoka. Bok lock Lood de Jager made his first appearance of the campaign for Wild Knights, coming off the bench for the final quarter.
Five Saffas featured for Kubota Spears as they saw off Black Rams 26-18. Former Stormers centre Rikus Pretorius scored for Spears, and he was joined in the starting lineup by David Bulbring and Merwe Olivier. Olivier was replaced in the second half by ex-Sharks loose forward Tyler Paul. Hooker Schalk Erasmus also came off the bench for Spears.
Kwagga Smith captained Shizuoka Blue Revs to a 34-28 victory over Toshiba Brave Lupus. Former SA U20 centre Damian Markus came on in the second half for Blue Revs.
Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel helped Canon Eagles to a 47-21 win at home to Kurt-Lee Arendse’s Mitsubishi Dynaboars. Kriel scored a try at the death, while Dynaboars’ Bulls import Walt Steenkamp was shown a yellow card.
Jasper Wiese scored a try in a losing cause for the Urayusu D-Rocks who went down 50-22 to Kobe Steel. Wiese’s team remain rooted to the bottom of the log, without a win in the first five rounds. Former Blue Bulls loose forward Willie Potgieter was a substitute for Kobe.
Cheslin Kolbe scored for Suntory Sungoliath to help them register their first win of the campaign, a 27-19 defeat of Honda Heat. Janko Swanepoel, the former Bulls lock, played the full 80 minutes for Honda.
Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
