Bok pair sizzle for Sarries
31 Mar 2008
Springboks Neil de Kock and Brent Russell were among the stars as Saracens whipped Leeds.
De Kock, who has been the best scrumhalf in the English Premiership, captained Saracens to a 66-7 win against the hapless Leeds, who remain rooted to the bottom of the league and seem certain for the drop.
Russell got in on the try-scoring act to continue his consistent form in his first year at the club.
Former Bok fullback Thinus Delport was the hero for Worcester as his last minute try beat Gloucester 17-14 and meant Worcester are safe in the Premiership.
The news was not so good for another former Bok in Harlequins centre De Wet Barry, who was sent off in his team’s 15-9 win against Newcastle. Barry was shown a red card for a shoulder charge on England centre Matthew Tait.
In French Top 14 action Percy Montgomery came on in the last 20 minutes as flyhalf for Perpignan as they snuck a 10-9 away win against Bourgoin. Montgomery, along with several other frontline players, had been rested in preparation for Perpignan’s European Cup quarter-final challenge.
The win takes Perpignan into the top four.
John Smit’s Clermont were big winners against Albi and they are now tied with Toulouse at the top of the table. Smit, as was the case with many of the main players, was given the weekend off and Clermont dipped into their squad depth to hammer the struggling Albi.
Shaun Sowerby, starting at No 8, got one over fellow Springbok Jacques Cronje in Toulouse’s 12-6 win against Biarritz.
In the second division Toulon’s drive for automatic promotion took a blow when they lost by a point to Pau. Toulon still top the table, but only by five points from Racing Metro, who have a game in hand.
Top 14 Round 16 results:
Toulosue 12 Biarritz 6
Castres 12 Montpellier 17
Bourgoin 9 Perpignan 10
Clermont 52 Albi 17
Brive 14 Montauban 7
Auch 16 Dax 10
Bayonne 14 Stade Français 36
Table after 16 rounds:
1 Toulouse 62
2 Clermont 62
3 Stade Français 49
4 Perpignan 44
5 Biarritz 42
6 Castres 41
7 Montauban 36
8 Bourgoin 35
9 Montpellier 34
10 Bayonne 33
11 Brive 31
12 Albi 25
13 Dax 21
14 Auch 14
Pro D2
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Grenoble, 12-12
La Rochelle vs Lyon, 22-15
Limoges vs Béziers, 16-11
Narbonne vs Tarbes, 56-9
Pau vs Toulon, 24-23
Racing-Métro vs Aurillac, 46-0
Blagnac vs Oyonnax, 26-7
Agen vs Mont-de-Marsan, 15-15
25 Comments
30 Mar 2008, 22:49 pm
Would have been nice to have both players in the Stormers squad.
30 Mar 2008, 23:08 pm
Coach “Sneaky” Pete
You telling me mate.
All you got to do…is d-r-e-a-m… dream, dream, dream with the Stormers my friend…etc
30 Mar 2008, 23:08 pm
Would have been nice to have most of those guys in the Lions and Cheetah’s squads also.
30 Mar 2008, 23:09 pm
#2 and #3 Both true.
30 Mar 2008, 23:23 pm
Could do with de Kock, not sure where we would put Russell. Don’t want Barry back
30 Mar 2008, 23:25 pm
Is Russel starting or is he still a “super-sub”?
31 Mar 2008, 00:01 am
lekker te hear the boys are doing well!
From all the positions that Russel played…I wonder which one is the best position suited 4 him…
31 Mar 2008, 00:02 am
Maar,he has started all the games,he is realy playing well here
31 Mar 2008, 00:02 am
PROBABLY FULLBACK
31 Mar 2008, 00:05 am
wonder if pdv will give him another chance.
31 Mar 2008, 01:09 am
15.Russell
14.De Villiers
13.Fourie
12.Steyn
11.Habana
10.James
09.du Preez
dreams are free
31 Mar 2008, 02:46 am
russell wont play boks again.
pity our depth is all overseas – only way we can sustain 5 teams in super rugby is if we pay the players enough to keep them here.
31 Mar 2008, 06:48 am
Russel simply aint good enough. Another classic case of a player going overseas, and doing well ina club environment, and all of a sudden being pushed for Bok. Remember Andre Snyman???
I would pick Jantjes, Steyn, Pienaar and probably even Kirschner above Russel in my Bok team.
As for Toulon – if they dont win the second division someone should be shot !! It is basically an International side playing club rugby
31 Mar 2008, 07:05 am
Agreed Cheetha
If de kak is the best scrummie in the Premiership this season, I shudder at the capabilities of the rest of the scrummies.
I like Gerbers backline though, if only he had the gumption to pick the best fullback on display in SA rugby at the moment to really round off his selection…. but that fullback unfortunately happens to be a Stormer and ermmmm…. non white.
31 Mar 2008, 07:11 am
This fixation with Brent Russell just shows the power of the press. I will never forget his meltdown against the AB’s at Loftus. His exposure to the Green & Gold should have been limited to 7′s. I would even pick Louis Ludick ahead of him. Very underrated youngster
31 Mar 2008, 08:45 am
Bod is it really necesaary to bring colour into the conversation?
He already had the “gumption” to include a non white player in Habana?
Jantjies is not the best fullback in SA by a country mile, but I guess thats just opinion for you eh?
31 Mar 2008, 10:01 am
South African players are doing good for there teams over there.
31 Mar 2008, 10:32 am
wernergreeff fanclub membership 1 – I think it is the change of scenery that helps most of the SA players perform well in the UK and France.
But yes De Kock and Russel are playing well, i watched them both in action for Saracens a few weeks ago in a pub in Chiswick and they were both very hot! Even the English comentator was saying he wished De Kock could play for England.
By the way i think the man in your name is another player who never reached his full potential as a player! What a player he could have been!!
31 Mar 2008, 12:58 pm
Northern hemisphere rugby is rubbish. That’s why they’re doing well.
31 Mar 2008, 13:18 pm
Overseas Boks XV
01)Faan Rautenbach
02)John Smit
03)Cobus Visagie
04)Gerrie Britz
05)Victor Matfield
06)Hendrik Gerber
07)Charl van Rensburg
08)Shaun Sowerby
09)Neil de Kock
10)Butch James
11)Ashwin Willemse
12)Rudy Keil
13)Marius Joubert
14)Brent Russell
15)Percy Montgomery
16)Pat Barnard
17)Gary Botha
18)Nico Breedt
19)Jacques Cronje
20)Maichael Claasens
21)Shaun Payne
22)Thinus Delport
Would win Six Nations without much trouble. Anyone wanna strengten the team?
31 Mar 2008, 13:28 pm
coma – rudy keil??? he’s useless. try trevor halstead.
31 Mar 2008, 15:04 pm
gus, where does trevor play these days?, I thought he retired!!
31 Mar 2008, 15:17 pm
gas-man #21
Trevor Halstead has retired, and resident in Durban again. Find another one.
31 Mar 2008, 15:30 pm
It amazes me all the people who have got so much to say about the quality of the Premiership & club rugby in the UK & France without even seeing it.
The standard is very high no question about it. It has to be with all the quality player around.
For those Tools who think De Kok is the best of a bad bunch, try watch a game & then open your mouth. De Kok would (on current form) walk into the Bok side. FDP & Pienaar (the incumbents) are far from their best & besides a Greenhorn like Kockket no one has put their hand up.
Russle to is playing well. Not that he is the best 15 in the UK or SA, but he is playing really well, breaking the line with regularity. More than can be said for any of the SA Super full backs, who have rules that favour them doing so.
31 Mar 2008, 20:15 pm
#5
Thats why I said “most”.
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