Super Rugby
Waratahs vs. Reds was supposed to be a very tight match but no one told Israel Folau that. He scored in the second minute and then again later in the first half to turn the match into a 32-5 blowout. Peter Betham and Kurtley Beale also scored for the Waratahs while Lachie Turner scored the Reds only try. The Rebels are also perfect on the season after they beat the Cheetahs 35-14. Also among Australian teams, the Brumbies beat the Force 27-14.
Over in New Zealand the Chiefs are 2-0 thanks to a 21-19 win over the Highlanders. Tim Nanai-Williams scored in the first half while Liam Messam and Charlie Ngatai scored in the second half. Aaron Cruden made all three conversions. John Hardie scored for the Highlanders. The Blues outlasted the Crusaders 35-24 in a high-octane affair. The Crusaders are now last in New Zealand with no points.
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The Lions couldn't keep their hot streak going as they suffered their first lost of the season 25-17 to the Bulls. The Lions actually had more tries on the day (Stefan Watermeyer and Willie Wepener vs. Jan Serfontein) but Jacques-Louis Potgieter was better than Marnitz Boshoff with his boot with five penalties and a drop goal. Deon Fourie scored in the 76th minute and Demetri Catrakilis converted to finally put the Stormers in front of the Hurricanes 19-18.
Aviva Premiership
Northampton and Saracens both won to keep the race at the top of the Premiership table close but Northampton secured an extra bonus point to open up a two point gap. Northampton beat Gloucester 39-13 and Saracens beat Bath 23-10. The loss didn't hurt Bath too much but they are now tied for third with Leicester, who beat Newcastle 41-18. Sale have kept their playoff hopes alive with a 21-17 win over London Wasps. Lastly, Exeter beat Worcester 21-20 and Harlequins beat Worcester 21-20.
Top 14
They've been out of it for awhile but with five games left in the Top 14 season Toulon have climbed back into a share of the lead. They destroyed Oyonnax 64-10 while Clermont fell to Bordeaux 26-16. Metuisela Talebula had a brace for Bordeaux. Biarritz are all but assured relegation after they lost to Bayonne 11-8. Taku Ngwenya and Joe Rokocoko each scored and the match was decided on a last minute Matthiew Ugalde drop goal. Stade Francais are not down to fourth place after losing to third place Montpellier 19-10. Toulouse are now back in a playoff spot. They beat Perpignan 37-9. Lastly, Racing Metro beat Castres 25-15 and Brive beat Grenoble 31-6.
RaboDirect Pro12
Leinster have now taken over the lead in the RaboDirect Pro12. They beat Glasgow 28-25 while Munster surprisingly lost to Scarlets 18-13. Gareth Davies and John Barclay scored for the Scarlets. Ulster are keeping their name in the hunt with a big 38-8 win over the Dragons. Tommy Bowe had a track for Ulster. The biggest surprise of the weekend was Zebre's 15-10 win over Cardiff. Brendon Leonard and Guilio Toniolatti scored for Zebre. In other scores, Connacht beat Benetton Treviso 38-6 and Edinburgh beat Ospreys 31-25.
RFU Championship
Bristol are the new leaders in the RFU Championship. They beat Rotherham, who led the league a few weeks back, 34-26. Leeds have moved into second thanks to their 27-18 win over London Scottish. London Welsh are third but have a match in hand. They beat Ealing 39-6. Ealing are battling with Jersey to avoid relegation. Jersey lost to Cornish Pirates 19-15. Finally, Moseley beat Bedford 24-13.
Pro D2
Narbonne are making moves in the Pro D2. They beat Dax 64-20 and are climbing up the table. Lyon are still first. They beat Colomiers 27-10. La Rochelle and Pau are fighting it out for second. La Rochelle beat Bourgoin 29-24 and Pau beat Beziers 41-7. Agen is also right there but they lost to Tarbes 21-12. Other winners include Aurillac 29-6 over Auch, Albi 31-24 over Bressance, and Mont-de-Marsan over Carcassonne 18-12.
Eccellenza
Rovigo have opened up a gap in the Eccellenza. They had a close match against Viadana but still came out ahead 26-20. Mogliano are second and Calvisano are right behind. Mogliano beat Fiamme Oro Roma 8-3 and Cavalieri beat San Dora 12-3. Petrarca beat Lazio 28-16 and Reggio beat Capitolina 31-3 to round out the results.