Shaun Goosen looks back at this past weekend’s rugby action from around South Africa and Europe.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
WP breeze past Griquas, Cheetahs humble Sharks
Western Province scored five tries in their 34-17 victory over the Griquas at Newlands on Friday. Province’s rolling maul was particularly impressive on the day, with Bongi Mbonambi bagging two scores from close quarters. The win sees WP power into second on the standings with just games against the Cheetahs and Sharks to come. They will be confident of hanging onto that berth to potentially give themselves a shot at hosting a semi-final.
Elsewhere, the Cheetahs totally dismantled the Sharks in a 37-10 win in Bloemfontein. The hosts were helped in large part by Frans Steyn’s personal tally of 17 points (four conversions and three penalties) which went a long way to sealing the fate of his old team. Sean Everitt’s men now find themselves in fourth, just two points ahead of the Cheetahs. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the Sharks fall out of the playoff places from here with the end of season schedule heavily favouring the Cheetahs.
Chiefs continue winning run, Wasps pip Sale at AJ Bell
Exeter bagged their fourth bonus-point win in succession when they dispatched of Gloucester 28-20 at Sandy Park. The result means they maintain their place at the summit of the standings, five points clear of Bristol. The Bears enjoyed a 27-19 victory over the Harlequins while Northampton breezed past Worcester 29-10 to record their first win of the season.
Meanwhile, Wasps beat Sale 26-23 at the AJ Bell Stadium to inflict the hosts with a third successive defeat since the departure of director of rugby Steve Diamond. The Sharks will need to display some enormous character if they are to make the most of the rest of their season, with plenty of fixtures still to come.
Pro14 derby wins for Cardiff, Scarlets and Ulster; Toulon claim Clermont Top 14 scalp
In a weekend of Pro14 derbies, Cardiff beat Dragons 13-12 at Rodney Parade while Scarlets overcame Ospreys 16-14 at the Parc y Scarlets. Ulster, who tackled Connacht in Galway, triumphed 32-19 in a weekend that also saw the postponement of the much-anticipated Munster-Leinster clash at Thomond Park. The results mean unbeaten Ulster continue to lead the way in Conference A, while just two points separate second-placed Connacht and Scarlets (both 20) from Cardiff (18) in Conference B.
In the Top 14, Toulon bested Clermont 27-9 at the Stade Mayol. The hosts now sit fourth, while Clermont are seventh with just five points fifth from eighth. In other results, there were also wins for table-toppers La Rochelle, Brive, Racing 92, Toulouse and Pau.
Written by Shaun Goosen.
