RUGBY NEWS - Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen was in good form for Toulon as they blanked Benetton 36-0 in Champions Cup action over the weekend.
Former Bulls lock Juandre Kruger and ex-Bulls and Cheetahs prop Marcel van der Merwe were also in the French side's starting XV. Meanwhile, former Blue Bulls and Southern Kings lock Irne Herbst was in the opposition starting line-up.
Former Sharks players Louis Ludik and Paul Jordaan faced off against each other for Ulster and La Rochelle respectively as the Irish side overcame their French opponents 20-13.
Further afield, a whole host of South Africans were on the losing side as Montpellier were dismantled 41-10 by Exeter Chiefs. Ex-Sharks stalwarts Bismarck du Plessis and Frans Steyn, former Bulls duo Jan Serfontein and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and former Lions prop Johannes Jonker all started for the French team.
Meanwhile, the large South African contingent on display for Wasps were also on the losing side as ex-Sharks and Cheetahs full-back Willie le Roux, former Cheetahs utility forward Ashley Johnson and former Stormers No 8 Nizaam Carr could not prevent their side going down 33-28 to a Harlequins side including former Bulls loose forward Renaldo Bothma.
Also on display in the Champions Cup was former Sharks scrum-half Cobus Reinach as he scored a try as a replacement for Northampton Saints as they stunned Clermont 34-21 at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday. Ex-Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe was on display for the French side.
Former Sharks centre and Saracens captain Brad Barritt, ex-Stormers prop Vincent Koch, former Stormers flank Michael Rhodes started for Saracens while former Stormers legend Schalk Burger came off the bench in their 15-15 draw with Ospreys, which leaves the reigning champions on the verge of an early exit.
Jean Kleyn, CJ Stander and Chris Cloete featured for Munster in the 34-30 defeat to Racing 92 on Sunday. Former Stormers lock Kleyn scored a try while ex-Blue Bulls No 8 Stander and former Kings fetcher Cloete played well too.
