South Africans overseas: Sale Sharks' fab five star in big Premiership win

English Premiership

Flanker Ernst van Rhyn captained the side and scored a try while putting in a big shift at the gainline with nine bruising carries.

Centre Rob du Preez was the playmaker extraordinaire with 22 passes and 36 metres gained from nine carries. He also crossed the whitewash for a try in a superb attacking performance.

Marius Louw partnered Du Preez in midfield and Hyron Andrews started at lock, with Boeta Chamberlain rounding out the five.

Fullback Tyrone Green scored a crucial try just after half-time in Harlequins' 20-14 win over Saracens in London, with Ivan van Zyl captaining the visiting team from the scrumhalf position.

Barend Janse van Rensburg put in a huge shift on defence in the Bristol Bears' narrow 18-14 win over Exeter with 12 tackles playing at centre.

JJ van Der Mescht played 51 minutes at lock in the Northampton Saints' entertaining 32-26 win over a Leicester Tigers outfit featuring Hanro Leibenberg at flank.

James Venter started for Gloucester and made 12 tackles in his 55 minutes on the pitch but it wasn't enough to help them avoid a 17-38 defeat to Bath, who had Franz van Wyk and Neil le Roux making appearances off the bench.

French Top 14

Jeremy Ward set up an important try for Stade Francais in their 26-25 win over La Rochelle in Paris.

Around 15 minutes after half-time, the South African centre gathered a dropped pass by La Rochelle and quickly offloaded to the speedy Peniasi Dakuwaqa on his inside, who tore away through the open space to score.

Former Bulls No. 8 Arno Botha played 49 minutes of Lyon's 44-19 thumping of Perpignan but made a big impact in the tight areas with 10 bruising carries in that time.

Jaco van Tonder and Tristan Tedder made appearances for Perpignan, while Jaco van Tonder played a cameo off the bench for Lyon.

Ruhann Greyling started at hooker in Montauban's narrow 28-32 defeat to Castres, while JT Jackson made an appearance off the bench.

Prop Carlu Sadie was a beast in the scrums for Bordeaux and Tiaan Jacobs came off the bench to replace Cyril Cazeaux at lock but the pair were helpless to stop them falling to a heavy 13-56 defeat at the hands of Toulouse.

United Rugby Championship

Rhyno Christo Smith was one of the stars of the show in Benetton's big 41-15 win over the Lions at Stadio Comunale di Monigo.

He ran for nearly 100 metres in nine carries and contributed seven points with a try and a conversion.

Smith scored the opening try of the game just eight minutes into the match, converting a lovely backline move by the Italians.