Saffas Abroad: Polly soars again, Marx off the mark
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Catch up on the weekend's action involving South African players in the English Premiership, French Top 14 and Japan League One.
English Premiership
– Former DHL Stormers bruiser Juarno Augustus featured for reigning champions Northampton Saints in a nine-try thriller against Johann van Graan's Premiership leaders Bath on Sunday. The visitors went down 35-34, their fifth consecutive loss at Franklin's Gardens.
– Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard delivered another standout performance on Saturday as the Leicester Tigers climbed to fourth place in the standings following a 28-15 win against the Exeter Chiefs at Welford Road. Pollard, who was joined in the starting XV by loose forward Hanro Liebenberg, kicked eight points.
– Four South Africans featured for the Sale Sharks in their 36-20 defeat against Gloucester at Kingsholm Stadium. Flyhalf Rob du Preez scored five points from the tee, while lock Ernst van Rhyn was joined by Jean-Luc and Dan du Preez in the back row. Former Lions powerhouse Ruan Ackermann started for Gloucester. Meanwhile, ex-Vodacom Bulls scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl celebrated a hard-fought 35-26 win for Saracens over the Bristol Bears in London.
– Lock Irne Herbst saw yellow coming off the bench in a resounding 38-14 win for Harlequins against the Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on Friday. Forwards Sebastian de Chaves and Philip van der Walt featured for the hosts.
Japan League One
– Malcolm Marx rumbled over from a lineout drive for his opening try of the season – and his 26 from 32 appearances in Japan – to help the Kubota Spears beat Honda Heat 32-27 on Sunday. Former Stormers centre Rikus Pretorius also dotted down for the Spears. Two-time World Cup-winning lock Franco Mostert started for the Heat.
– A Kwagga Smith-skippered Blue Revs came up trumps in a 40-34 win against the Mitsubishi Dynaboars on Saturday. Springbok winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, though, scored his second try from three appearances for the Dynaboars. Lock Walt Steenkamp, flanker Simon Miller and centre Sylvian Mahuza also featured in the match-day 23s.
– Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel started for the Canon Eagles as they got off the mark with a comprehensive 40-12 win over a Jasper Wiese-led Urayasu D-Rocks at Fukushima.
– Winger Cheslin Kolbe spent time in the sin bin as Tokyo Sungoliath and Toyota Verblitz were unable to record their first wins of the campaign, slugging it out in an entertaining 30-30 draw at Ajinomoto Stadium. Meanwhile, Damian de Allende ran out at No 12 as the unbeaten Panasonic Wild Knights moved to within two of 50 wins for the regular season since League One began after beating Ricoh Black Rams 39-16.
French Top 14
– Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach crossed the whitewash in Montpellier's 42-10 win against Bayonne at Stade de la Mosson on Saturday. The two-time World Cup winner started alongside fellow veteran Bok Jan Serfontein, and against former Cheetahs forward Uzair Cassiem, who packed down at the back of the scrum for the visitors.
– Former Bulls back-row heavyweight Arno Botha was among the replacements for Lyon in a narrow 17-12 win against Perpignan, and hooker Dan Jooste suffered a 24-19 loss with Pau at Castres. Elsewhere, Stade Francais centre Jeremy Ward scored a try in a one-sided defeat to league leaders Bordeaux Begles in Paris, while Dillyn Leyds started for La Rochelle as they edged Toulouse 22-19 at the Stade Marcel Deflandre.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Saffas Abroad: Polly soars again, Marx off the mark appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
