Lood de Jager dotted down to help Wild Knights stay unbeaten in Japan’s League One, while a Springbok flank scored as Montpellier climbed out of the Top 14 relegation zone.
Top 14
– Racing 92’s playoff hopes took another blow after a 21-5 defeat to Bordeaux. Springboks Siya Kolisi and Trevor Nyakane both started for Racing, who suffered a fifth loss in a row to be left in sixth place. Bordeaux are in third place, but still trail league leaders Stade Francais by 10 points.
– Montpellier continued their mid-season turnaround as they climbed out of the relegation zone with a 39-35 win against Oyonnax. Nico Janse van Rensburg scored a try for Montpellier, who had Jan Serfontein at inside centre and Cobus Reinach on the bench.
– Stade Francais claimed a 25-12 win against Pau to keep the pace with defending champions Toulouse at the top of the table. Jeremy Ward started at outside centre, while JJ van der Mescht was on the bench for Stade.
– Uzair Cassiem scored a try as Bayonne closed in on a playoff place by beating Lyon 39-10. A third win in five games lifted Bayonne to two points outside the top six.
– La Rochelle bounced back from a poor run of results in style by thrashing Clermont 42-3. Dillyn Leyds started on the left win for the European champions, who are tied on 40 points with Pau and Racing 92.
Japan League One
– Suntory Sungoliath shrugged off the injury-enforced absence of Bok wing Cheslin Kolbe to thrash Black Rams 62-0.
– Lood de Jager scored a brace of tries as unbeaten Wild Knights beat Blue Revs 45-19. De Jager, who scored a try in each half, was joined by Bok teammate Damian de Allende in the Knights’ starting lineup.
– Rohan Janse van Rensburg made his first start for Canon Eagles in a 50-21 victory over bottom-placed Honda Heat. The former Sharks centre played at inside centre, with former Stormers flank Kobus van Dyk also starting for the Eagles. Bok lock Franco Mostert scored his first try for the Heat.
– Pieter-Steph du Toit‘s Toyota Verblitz was on the end of a barrage of tries in a 57-22 loss to Kobe Steel. All Blacks flank Ardie Savea scored four tries for Kobe, who have climbed into the top four.
– A brace from former Bulls lock Walt Steenkamp pushed Mitsubishi Dynaboars to a 34-28 win against defending champions Kubota Spears. Former Stormers centre Rikus Pretorius and lock JD Schickerling scored a try each for the Spears, while fullback Gerhard van den Heever kicked two penalties and a conversion.
Photo: Koki Nagahama/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
