Ashley Johnson banned for six months

Wasps forward Ashley Johnson has been handed a backdated six-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide.

The former South Africa international’s urine sample returned an adverse finding following an out of competition test on February 7.

However, at a hearing conducted by an independent national anti-doping panel, they concluded that Johnson acted without intent after taking his wife’s fat burner ‘The Secret,’ rather than his own legitimate supplement ‘Nutrilean.’

It was found that there was no “significant fault or negligence” on the part of Johnson and he will be eligible to play again from August 7.

Wasps’ director of rugby Dai Young said: “We fully support the measures in place to keep rugby doping-free, and are grateful for the professionalism shown by everyone involved in this case.

“Ashley has been at Wasps since 2012 and in that time successfully completed countless anti-doping tests.

“He is an extremely honourable person who has made a one-off accidental error for which he has held his hands up, apologised and accepted the consequences.

“This situation has highlighted just how easily a player can make a mistake of this kind. We have therefore strongly reinforced to all our squad that they must always be on their guard and fully aware of exactly what they consume.

“The last few months have been doubly difficult for us all because a process had to be followed and that prevented Ashley or anyone at Wasps from providing updates.

“I know this has been hard for our supporters; I would like to thank them for their understanding and hope we can now all focus fully on the season ahead.”

Johnson added: “I was horrified when I got the test results and once we tracked back and worked out I had inadvertently taken the wrong tablet.

“I completely accept that I am responsible for everything in my body. Drug use is not something I would ever condone, and from now on I will be extra vigilant at all times.

“I would like to thank my family and friends, everyone at Wasps, the RPA and our fans for their support through this difficult period and apologise unreservedly for what has happened.

“I am now working hard in pre-season and am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting back to being part of the Wasps squad.”


VIDEO: Gruelling session for Harlequins

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Harlequins head coach Paul Gustard was mic’d up at a pre-season training session at his new club as he puts his team through their paces.

It looks a gruelling time for the Harlequins players as Gustard quickly lays down his requirements as the Stoop side look for an improved season.

?? We put a mic on Head of Rugby Paul Gustard.

?? Strap yourselves in… pic.twitter.com/BTABAvH45u

— Harlequins ?? (@Harlequins) July 29, 2018

Video credit: Harlequins Twitter


Lions sweating on Aphiwe Dyantyi

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Springbok winger Aphiwe Dyantyi is facing a race against time to be fit for Saturday’s Super Rugby final at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

Dyantyi‚ who scored a magnificent individual try against the Waratahs in the Lions’ 44-26 semi-final win at Ellis Park on Saturday‚ did not reappear after the half-time break due to a hamstring injury.

It has been a breakthrough year of massive proportions for Dyantyi, who has risen through the ranks of the Lions and Springboks in the space of 12 months and become a star player for both club and country.

And the Lions are sweating on their powerful and pacey winger ahead of the all-or-nothing encounter.

“Let’s hope he’s fine‚” coach Swys de Bruin told Times Live.

“He has a hamstring that twitched. But what a guy to sub him with? Courtnall is brilliant as well.”

De Bruin went on to praise the rest of his bench as well as the pack for laying a ‘fantastic platform’.

“The subs were fantastic. How was Marnus Schoeman? Every single sub made a massive difference.”

“The pack was unreal. They laid a fantastic platform.”

While he is frustrated by the fact that his side have fallen behind in their last three matches‚ De Bruin was delighted with the character shown by the team to come from behind on each occasion.

“(There was) brilliant leadership from Warren Whiteley‚” De Bruin said.

“The calling was good. They stuck to the plan and that is massive for the belief. It speaks a lot about the character in the team.

“Elton (Jantjies) will make calls other flyhalves won’t make. Look at that cross kick. Pin point.

“That is what I like about the decision makers. Ross (Cronjé) when he kicks‚ Kwagga (Smith) when he sets off.

“He’s just relentless. He was special. He was the injection.”

De Bruin‚ however‚ knows that the Lions will have to play even better if they are to cause an upset against the defending champions and overwhelming favourites.

“We are blessed to get the chance to go to the best team in the world. I watched them (against the Hurricanes).

“They are unreal. We have to find a crack in that armour.”


Lions captain urges better start

Lions captain Warren Whiteley has called on his side to improve on their poor starts to matches ahead of the Super Rugby final against the Crusaders.

The Lions have had to come from behind in their last three matches against the Bulls, Jaguares and Waratahs. All three games were at home and the Lions will know it won’t be easy to replicate this feat away, especially at the mighty Crusaders.

Having booked a final place for a third year in a row with a 44-26 come from-behind victory over the Waratahs at Ellis Park on Saturday, Whiteley knows his side can ill-afford to start poorly again.

“We’d like to improve on that, to be honest with you,” he told Reuters.

“We were under pressure, we had to go back to the drawing board, tighten up a bit, we went to our rolling maul and our scrums and I think it worked well. That’s been our strength all season.”

Meanwhile, head coach Swys de Bruin says it was a case of his side not having any possession in the opening ten minutes.

“Honestly, go look back at the game, we never had the ball!,” he told reporters at the post-match news conference.

“We had to defend and they cleverly outsmarted us. But once we had the ball, the game changed.

“It’s amazing, even with the Springboks against England (in June), it was the same. It seems we have to allow the opposition to run away with the score early and then we catch up.

“It gives me grey hairs and it’s not good for the spectators, but you know what? It builds character in a way. But we are going to have to fix that before we meet the Crusaders.”


Christian Lealiifano commits to Brumbies for 2019

The Brumbies have announced that star fly-half Christian Lealiifano has committed to the club for the 2019 Super Rugby season by signing a new one-year deal.

Lealiifano, who has played 133 games for the Brumbies and is second on the all-time points scoring list with a mammoth total of 845, signed the deal prior to heading to Japan for a stint with Toyota Shokki in the Japanese Top League.

“I am really excited to have another year with the Brumbies,” Lealiifano commented when the agreement was announced.

“The biggest factor was the excitement I felt about the future of the club. I love the fact that there is young talent coming through and being able to lead the side was special for me, hopefully I can still add something to the future of the club.

“It’s always an honour to able to lead the Brumbies. There’s been some fantastic leaders here in the past and for me, that role has always been about mentoring guys and making sure that, like when I was a kid coming through, that there’s someone to help and to make it easier for them to cope with the step up to Super Rugby.

“A super Rugby title is something which always drives you and motivates you each day and it’s something I’ve been chasing for a while now and that I got close to in 2013. That’s the end goal but it’s also about making sure the Brumbies is in a better place for the future as well.”

Lealiifano made his Super Rugby debut for the club back in 2008 against the Crusaders in Christchurch and has also been capped 19 times by the Wallabies, making his Test bow in the rarefied atmosphere of a British & Irish Lions tour in 2013.

Since then he was pulled the strings from fly-half for his club and become a firm crowd favourite with the Brumbies and Australian faithful, recovering from a serious illness to reclaim his place in the Brumbies starting XV.

“Christian brings leadership and experience to the team,” Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar commented. “His performances have really developed and improved over the course of the season. He’s a vital part of the team and it’s nice to have him signed for another season.”

“He has got a great understanding of how we want to play the game and where our game is headed, particularly how we are developing our attacking game. It’s always nice to have that stability, and we have that in Christian wearing that number ten jersey again next season.”


Preview: Lions v Waratahs

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The Waratahs will look to prevent the Lions from reaching the Super Rugby final for the third successive year when the teams go head-to-head at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Swys de Bruin’s men may have struggled to recapture the performances of the previous two campaigns, but they did just enough to finish top of the South African Conference and then elevated their game in the Qualifiers.

Mario Ledesma’s Jaguares had enjoyed an impressive year, reaching the play-offs for the first time since their inception in 2016, but the Argentines failed to match the South Africans’ physicality.

With Warren Whiteley and Malcolm Marx back to full fitness, De Bruin has a powerful forward eight at his disposal and the ‘Tahs will need to do a better job of negating that threat.

In Tom Robertson and Sekope Kepu, they have props better equipped to handle the qualities of Ruan Dreyer and Jacques van Rooyen, while the back-row of Ned Hanigan, Will Miller and Michael Wells performed excellently in the second-half against the Highlanders.

Although the absence of captain Michael Hooper is a blow, Miller – particularly at the breakdown – has been a nuisance for the opposition and he will need to display that scavenging ability again.

The Lions are rightfully favourites, however, and despite some of the issues that have encompassed the franchise this season, they were much improved in their quarter-final encounter.

De Bruin’s charges have also benefited from the format by having a home semi-final, even though they finished the season with fewer points than the Hurricanes and Chiefs.

Their opponents will also enjoy the fact that they have avoided having to face either the Crusaders or ‘Canes in the last four, but you get the sense that both are playing for second in the competition.

The Johannesburg-based side appear the best equipped to reach the final and should ultimately prevail at Ellis Park on Saturday, but you cannot discount a team that contains the potency of Israel Folau, Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale behind the scrum.

The last time the teams met: Daryl Gibson’s men produced an appalling performance earlier this year as they succumbed 29-0 to the Lions in Sydney. They struggled for continuity and made a plethora of mistakes as the South Africans kept them scoreless at Allianz Stadium. In contrast, the visitors were excellent and opened the scoring when Madosh Tambwe touched down before Kwagga Smith took them 12-0 ahead. Harold Vorster and Marnus Schoeman added further tries while Elton Jantjies kicked three conversions and a penalty to complete a dominant victory.

Players to watch:

For Lions: Having committed to the franchise this week, despite interest from overseas, Andries Coetzee’s battle with Israel Folau could be crucial to the outcome on Saturday. The Lions full-back has started to hit top form and was excellent in the Johannesburg outfit’s victory over the Jaguares in the Qualifiers. With Folau also close to his best, it should be a great contest. The Australian international is likely to dominate the air and Bernard Foley will look to test the opposition back three with some high balls, so Coetzee will need to negate that threat.

For Waratahs: Daryl Gibson hasn’t made too many changes to the side following their impressive victory over the Highlanders, but Tolu Latu has been chosen over Damien Fitzpatrick. It is a tactical decision, according to the head coach, with Latu’s physicality more suited to the encounter, so automatically there is more pressure on the hooker to deliver. Against Malcolm Marx, who is one of the best front-rowers in the world, it will be a big test of the Tongan-born player’s capabilities.

Team news: Lions head coach Swys de Bruin has made one change to his XV for the Super Rugby semi-final in Johannesburg.

Despite reports coming out of the camp earlier in the week suggesting that flanker Cyle Brink would be fit to face the Australian franchise, he has been replaced in the team by Lourens Erasmus.

Brink suffered a stinger against the Jaguares and was replaced at the interval by Marnus Schoeman, but has not recovered in time to take on the Tahs.

Schoeman remains on the bench, however, with Erasmus, who usually plays in the second-row, chosen ahead of the flanker.

Elsewhere, the hosts are unchanged, although back-rower Hacjivah Dayimani is among the replacements because of Erasmus’ elevation to the first team.

For the Waratahs, the selection of hooker Tolu Latu is the only change to their line-up for Saturday.

Latu will make his first start of the season, replacing Damien Fitzpatrick, who will be on the bench. Head coach Daryl Gibson said the inclusion of the front-rower was a reflection of the type of game the Lions were likely to play.

“This match will be a very physical encounter, particularly with the breakdown and scrum being key battlegrounds. These are areas where Tolu excels. We are expecting a real set-piece battle so we need to be good in this area to compete with the Lions’ scrum and lineout,” Gibson said.

“I can’t see the Lions changing what has worked for them all season. We learnt a great deal from the last time we played them when they won easily, and when their strengths led them to victory. We have again focused on our defence this week as we see that as key to victory.”

Form: Irrespective of their victories in the Qualifiers, both head into the match in good shape having gone into the play-offs in decent form. The Lions have won four of their past five matches, beating the Brumbies, Stormers, Sharks and Bulls, with their only defeat coming in Durban – a 31-24 loss to the Sharks.

The Waratahs have been similarly impressive and have emerged triumphant in five of their last seven encounters. Two of those were against the Highlanders with the latter – a 30-23 victory – securing their place in the last four of the competition. They are certainly a different prospect to the one that went down 29-0 to the Lions mid-season, a result which was the first of three successive defeats.

Prediction: It is no surprise that, as the injuries have subsided, the hosts have started to play far better and they were impressive in the Qualifiers. The Waratahs did well to overcome the Highlanders but Swys de Bruin’s men should make it to a third successive final. Lions by 8.

Previous results:

2018: Lions won 29-0 in Sydney
2017: Lions won 55-36 in Johannesburg
2015: Lions won 27-22 in Johannesburg
2014: Waratahs won 41-13 in Sydney
2011: Waratahs won 29-12 in Sydney
2010: Waratahs won 73-12 in Sydney
2009: Waratahs won 38-33 in Johannesburg
2008: Waratahs won 26-3 in Sydney

The teams:

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Lourens Erasmus, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Hacjivah Dayimani, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Courtnall Skosan, 23 Howard Mnisi

Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (c), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tolu Latu, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Bryce Hegarty, 23 Cam Clark

Date: Saturday, July 28
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)


Chiefs consolidate front-row stocks

The Chiefs’ front-row stocks have received a boost with the news that props Aidan Ross and Angus Ta’avao have re-signed with the team.

Ross and Ta’avao have re-committed until 2021 and 2020 respectively.

Ross is very familiar with the Chiefs environment, having progressed through the University of Waikato Chiefs Development programme before entering the 2018 Super Rugby season with a full contract.

The Bay of Plenty prop impressed, playing seven games, before his season was abruptly ended with an ankle injury. The young prop made his debut for the Chiefs in 2017 as a squad replacement player against the Western Force, and has gone from strength to strength since.

The front-rower was ecstatic to re-sign with the club.

“I’m absolutely stoked to re commit to the Gallagher Chiefs – I couldn’t imagine playing my footy anywhere else and I’m pumped to crack into next season,” he said.

Ross represents Bay of Plenty in the Mitre 10 Cup and has played for the New Zealand U20 team and was also in the squad for the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians game against the British & Irish Lions in 2017.

Ta’avao came into the team as a squad replacement player and was hugely significant throughout the season, playing 17 games and clocking up over 1100 minutes. Ta’avao’s contribution both on and off the field didn’t go unnoticed, picking up the Chiefs Personality Award at the 2018 Chiefs Season Celebration.

The 28-year-old is vastly experienced, having played for the Blues and Waratahs throughout his career, as well as being a prominent figure for Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup.

Ta’avao thoroughly enjoyed his first season with the team and is excited for the seasons to come.

“It’s an exciting time for my family and I as we thoroughly enjoyed our first season with the Chiefs family and it is great to sign on,” he said.


Celtic Park to host PRO14 Final

Celtic Park will host the 2019 Guinness PRO14 Final on May 25 as the championship takes another historic step, with the showpiece event being held outside of a traditional rugby venue for the very first time.

Fresh from the success of the 2018 Guinness PRO14 Final in Dublin that saw a new record attendance set for the third year in a row, Glasgow will play host as the championship decider returns to Scotland for the first time since 2016.

After the first Guinness PRO14 season brought about increased attendances and audiences across broadcast and social media, the move to host the final at Celtic Park will ensure that fans new and old can experience the thrilling play that the championship decider delivers every season.

With a capacity of 60,832 Celtic Park is known for football, but also hosted athletics and cycling when the site opened in 1892 and today holds a reputation for providing some of the most colourful and passionate atmospheres in all of sport.

On the big day itself, Premier Sports will also be the host broadcaster capturing all of the action that will be seen all around the world.

Martin Anayi, CEO of PRO14 Rugby, said: “Bringing our final to a world-famous stadium like Celtic Park is a truly historic step in the evolution of the Guinness PRO14. Since introducing Destination Final venues in 2015 we have seen the event thrive by making it about fans of rugby and not just the supporters of the two teams competing for the trophy.

“The bid put forward by Scottish Rugby, Celtic FC and the City of Glasgow was compelling from the very beginning and we’re certain that fans across the Guinness PRO14 will share in our excitement. Glasgow has so much to offer in terms of hospitality, culture and heritage and like our previous finals in Dublin, Edinburgh and Belfast we can offer fans so much more than just a rugby experience.

“In the past number of seasons we have made many bold decisions which have transformed the Guinness PRO14 for the better and the choice of Celtic Park as the venue for the 2019 final is yet another signal of our ambition to provide the best club rugby tournament possible for our clubs and our fans.”


Eddie Jones handed RFU ultimatum

The RFU have given head coach Eddie Jones an ultimatum that England must deliver a successful autumn campaign after a poor 2018 thus far.

The Red Rose endured a disappointing Six Nations campaign in which they finished fifth before losing a three-Test series 2-1 in South Africa in June.

England’s rugby bosses showed their loyalty to Jones in the face of fierce criticism, but have warned Jones that he is on thin ice.

“We plan to win every game we play. We expect success in the autumn,” RFU chief executive Steve Brown said.

“I don’t want to predict failure, I’d rather predict success, but that’s not in blind faith. They’re all big matches. We’re planning to come out of the other side successful.”

And Brown made it clear although this year’s decline was unacceptable, one must look at it as a very short period in an otherwise highly successful tenure.

“I’ve reflected over the time Eddie has been at his post and his win rate (80 per cent). The win rate is still very high – it’s significant and it’s hard to argue against it,” Brown said.

“It’s important that we don’t just make a judgement on what’s happened in the very short term. Nevertheless, it was a pretty poor run of results.

“We showed great character for the result in Cape Town but the series result was disappointing, there’s no question about it. So was the Six Nations. Coming fifth in the Six Nations was a pretty difficult situation.

“The last result in South Africa was important, but not critical to any decisions we make about the future.

“The confidence comes from the history to date and talking to Eddie about the plans for the autumn and the World Cup and how to get back to that win rate.

“I’ve discussed this with Eddie and I’m confident those disappointing results are behind us and can be turned around.”


Team of the Week: Super Rugby, semi-finals

With the semi-finals of Super Rugby now a thing of the past, it is time for us to pick out which players shone over the past weekend.

After their dominant victories in the last four, the Crusaders and Lions unsurprisingly dominate the XV with Julian Savea the only representative of either the Hurricanes or Waratahs to get in.

Super Rugby: Team of the semi-finals

15 David Havili (Crusaders): It was another polished performance from the All Black as he was solid in all areas in their win over the Hurricanes. Outplaying Nehe Milner-Skudder on the day, he also edges Andries Coetzee and Israel Folau to this spot after excellent kick returns, a steeliness in defence and great option taking throughout. Capped his game with a smart try as he ran an intelligent, hard line.

14 Julian Savea (Hurricanes): The lone Hurricane in our line-up, Savea signed off on a positive note from a personal point of view, although he would have traded his own performance for a place in the final. A superb finish in the right-hand corner saw him bring up 50 tries for the ‘Canes in Super Rugby. Although he’s lost a yard of pace in recent times, his incredible power remains a valuable bullet in his gun.

13 Jack Goodhue (Crusaders): Surely the long-term option for New Zealand at outside centre. Goodhue impressed yet again for the Crusaders as his hard running and tough defence was complimented by smarts and skills. Beat four defenders on attack while defensively he made the third most tackles for his side with 12, as he combined brilliantly with Ryan Crotty to win the crucial midfield battle with ease.

12 Ryan Crotty (Crusaders): Speaking of the veteran back, Crotty nullified Ngani Laumape in Christchurch as the latter made just 11 metres with ball in hand. Crotty had 10 carries for 49 metres and was again the glue as others grabbed the scores.

11 Aphiwe Dyantyi (Lions): Only played 40 minutes but what a 40 minutes that was as his individual try will live long in the memory of Lions supporters. George Bridge also impressed and came close to taking this spot after another workmanlike performance, but Dyantyi is our left wing. The Lions are now sweating on whether their Springbok finisher can shake off a hamstring issue in time for Saturday’s final.

10 Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders): Mo’unga is now surely the next-in-line to Beauden Barrett for the All Blacks as he put in another commanding display at the weekend, scoring a try, setting up another, while kicking two penalties and two conversions for a total haul of 15 points. Took his try excellently with a beautiful step and created Braydon Ennor’s score with a wonderfully instinctive cross-field kick. Comes in ahead of the Lions’ Elton Jantjies, who shone for the Lions for the second week in a row.

9 Ross Cronje (Lions): A wonderful performance from Cronje as he spotted the gaps around the fringes of the ruck with expert precision, beating six defenders – the second most in the match, second only to Kwagga Smith’s tally of 10 tackle busts made on the day. Cronje was highly efficient at the breakdown, providing quick ball which allowed his outside half-back partner Jantjies to flourish. Beats out Bryn Hall, who was in fine form against the Hurricanes.

8 Kieran Read (Crusaders): This was a special performance from the All Black captain, but one that might have gone unnoticed to the untrained eye. Read made 16 tackles (none missed) as well as 16 carries in a typically industrious display. His work at the line-out was immaculate as ever, while he contributed an offload, a clean break and one tackle-bust, as he linked seamlessly with the backline, displaying his superb all-round skill-set. Looks to be back to his best.

7 Kwagga Smith (Lions): Talismanic performance from the Sevens superstar, who showed all his qualities from the shorter format of the game on Saturday as he shrugged off defenders with impunity (beating 10 in total). Struck twice either side of half-time to bring the Lions roaring back into the contest – both magnificent individual efforts. Meanwhile, Gareth Evans backed up his quarter-final performance with another big shift but was unlucky to be on the losing side this time out.

6 Marnus Schoeman (Lions): Talk about having an impact. Many were puzzled by Schoeman’s omission from the starting XV and one could see why when the blonde-haired blindside came on in the 53rd minute for Lourens Erasmus and immediately impressed with some barnstorming carries. Beat three defenders and made two offloads for 33 metres from seven carries in his lovely little cameo. Beats out Ned Hanigan of the Waratahs, who scored a try and created Tom Robertson’s score with good work at the line-out.

5 Franco Mostert (Lions): A difficult call between him and New Zealand international Sam Whitelock but we’ve gone for the South African, who was once again excellent. Mostert was solid in the line-out and made 13 tackles in defence as the defending champions dominated their rivals. Whitelock was similarly influential for the Crusaders but we have gone for the Lions man.

4 Scott Barrett (Crusaders): Another impressive display from the All Black, who proved to be a more than able deputy for Brodie Retallick during the June internationals. In fact, on this form, he may challenge Retallick for the shirt after carrying well throughout Saturday’s game and being a reliable source of line-out ball. Marvin Orie showed up well for the Lions but it’s Barrett once again who gets a slot in the XV.

3 Owen Franks (Crusaders): Both the Crusaders and Lions’ front-rows dominated and are a large reason as to why they made the final. Ruan Dreyer was therefore close to selection but Franks just about edges it after making his mark in the scrum. Toby Smith had a torrid time in the set-piece as the Crusaders’ impressive pack laid the platform for a comfortable victory over New Zealand’s second best team.

2 Malcolm Marx (Lions): While there were debates over the other positions in the front five, there was no such query at hooker with Marx showing his quality once more. Following a dominant display against the Jaguares, the South African international followed it up with another fine effort. Although the two tries he scored came via excellent teamwork at the maul, the front-rower excelled in other facets after running for 36 metres in the loose and being a nuisance at the breakdown.

1 Jacques van Rooyen (Lions): Perhaps tough on Joe Moody, who did a similarly excellent job in the scrum for the Crusaders, but we felt that Van Rooyen was slightly more destructive. In the loose, there was not much in it, with both props proving useful assets when carrying in close quarters, but the Lions prop’s performance opposite experienced Australian international Sekope Kepu was very impressive.