SARugbymag.co.za looks back at the past weekend’s Test and Premiership Rugby Cup matches involving South African players.
TEST MATCHES
– Scotland turned on the heat in the second half to beat Fiji 54-17 in Edinburgh. Allan Dell,starting in a front row with WP Nel, scored one of Scotland’s three tries in the first half to take them to a 21-17 lead at the break. Josh Strauss made an impact off the bench for Scotland.
– Braam Steyn started at No 8 for Italy as they beat Georgia 28-17 in Florence. Replacement loose forward Johan Meyer came on in the final quarter of the match.
– Ireland beat Argentina 28-17 for their fourth consecutive win at home. CJ Stander started at No 8 for Ireland.
– The USA beat Samoa for the first time in their history with a last-minute penalty giving them a 30-29 victory. Flank Hanco Germishuys and scrumhalf Ruben de Haas were both heavily involved in the win, with Germishuys collecting a box kick from De Haas to score one of the Eagles’ four tries.
– Germany stunned hosts Hong Kong with a 26-9 win in the 2019 World Cup repechage. Hooker Kurt Haupt,who recently played for the Worcester Warriors, scored a second-half try for Germany, who also had an all-Saffa loose trio of Sebastian Ferreira, Jacobus Otto and Jarrid Els as well as lock and captain Michael Poppmeier, flyhalf Raynor Parkinson and wing Marcel Coetzee in their starting XV. Parkinson kicked three penalties and two conversions for Germany.
– Wing DTH van der Merwe scored a hat-trick for Canada as they put Kenya’s repechage challenge away in an emphatic 65-19 victory.
PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CUP
– Flank Gerbrandt Grobler scored the match-winning try in stoppage time as Gloucester edged the Northampton Saints 14-12 at the death. Ruan Ackermann and Grobler, who replaced Jaco Kriel, came on as substitutes in the second half. Lock David Ribbans and scrumhalf Cobus Reinach started for Northampton, with Reinach going over for a try in the 41st minute.
AAAAAND Gloucester Rugby WIN! pic.twitter.com/OeohNA5vjO
— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) November 9, 2018
– Rob du Preez made a winning start to his stint at the Sale Sharks, who beat the Leicester Tigers 18-16 at Welford Road. Captain Jono Ross started alongside Du Preez for Sale.
– The Newcastle Falcons, with hooker Kyle Cooper in their ranks, outscored Bath three tries to one for a 22-7 win. Hooker Michael van Vuuren was in Bath’s run-on XV.
– Lock Wilhelm van der Sluys was in the Exeter Chiefs team that eased to a 29-13 bonus-point victory against Harlequins.
– Veteran flank Schalk Burger scored the opening try of the game for Saracens in their 34-22 win against the Worcester Warriors. Burger and his ex-Stormers teammate Michael Rhodes turned out for Sarries. Wing Dean Hammond, centre Wynand Olivier and flyhalf Scott van Breda all started and scored for the Warriors. Van Breda also kicked one conversion.
– The Bristol Bears stunned Wasps 30-19 at Ricoh Arena. Nick Fenton-Wells was brought on in the unfamiliar position of hooker by the Bears in the 62nd minute.
Photo: @gloucesterrugby/Twitter
