Heineken Cup
Toulon, Munster, Clermont, and Saracens are all through to the Heineken Cup semi-finals after notching victories this past weekend. The Saracens victory was the most controversial as Ulster's Jared Payne was issued a red card just four minutes into the match after taking out Alex Goode in the air. With the numerical advantage Chris Ashton put in two tries and Mouritz Botha one for Saracens to win the match 17-15. It was a battle of legends--Brian O'Driscoll and Jonny Wilkinson--as Toulon beat Leinster 29-14. Toulon got out to an early lead and never looked back. Munster punched in six tries from six different players to beat Toulouse 47-23. Finally, Morgan Parra hit five penalties and Wesley Fofana scored a try to help Clermont beat Leicester 22-16. Jordan Crane scored a try for the Tigers. Saracens will play Clermont and Toulon will face Munster in the semi-finals.
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Amlin Challenge Cup
It will be an all-English Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals after Bath, London Wasps, Harlequins, and Northampton all won. By and large the matches weren't as competitive as their Heineken Cup counterparts. Bath and Harlequins each had easy times in their matches. Bath beat Brive 39-7 while Harlequins beat Stade Francais 29-6. London Wasp's 36-24 win over Gloucester was the closest of all the matches. Each team scored three tries but Andy Goode's four penalties were the difference. Northampton topped Sale 28-14 in their match. The semi-finals will see Northampton play Harlequins and London Wasps will play Bath.
Super Rugby
The Force are suddenly one of the hottest teams in all of Super Rugby after they beat the Reds 32-29 for their fourth straight win. Ben McCalman, Luke Morahan, and Jayden Hayward all scored tries. Hayward's try came with only minutes left. Still, the Force sit third in Australia. The Brumbies are in first after beating the Blues 26-9. The Waratahs are second. They added to the Stormers misery with a 22-11 win. Despite having a week off the Sharks are still in first in South Africa. The Bulls missed their chance to move up after losing to the Hurricanes 25-20. The Lions also lost a chance as they lost to the Crusaders 28-7. Overall it was a strong weekend for New Zealand sides as the Highlanders also beat the Rebels 33-30. The only exceptions was the thrilling 43-43 draw between the Cheetahs and the Chiefs. The Chiefs still lead in New Zealand followed by the Hurricanes and the Blues.
British & Irish Cup
The semi-finals are also set in the British & Irish Cup. Leinster A defeated Munster A 47-15 to represent Ireland. Pontypridd will be the Welsh contingent after beating Cornish Pirates 16-14. In the all-England quarterfinals Bristol beat Rotherham 39-24 and Leeds beat Plymouth Albion 41-21.
Pro D2
Only four weeks remain in the Pro D2 season and Lyon remain firmly on top after beating Bressane 64-3. La Rochelle and Agen are the next closest teams. La Rochelle beat Narbonne 48-17 and Agen beat Colomiers 35-22. Along with Bressane, Auch and Carcassonne are the closest to the drop. Both won as Auch beat Bourgoin 36-26 and Carcassonne beat Beziers 22-20. Other winners include Pau 28-27 over Albi, Mont-de-Marsan over Aurillac 26-19, and Tarbes 40-13 over Dax.
Eccellenza
Calvisano and Rovigo are neck and neck in Italy. Rovigo beat Reggio 31-27 while Calvisano beat Cavalieri Prato 52-7. Petrarca are the next closest side although they sit a ways back. They beat Capitolina 71-0. Also in the league, Viadana beat Fiamme Oro Roma 31-24 and Mogliano beat Lazio 37-20.
Vodacom Cup
The Pumas hold a five point lead in Group 1 of the Vodacom Cup. They beat up Limpopo 88-0. The Leopards and Griquas are next in the table followed by the Bulls. The Leopards beat the Griffins 35-15, the Griquas beat the Lions 33-18, and the Bulls beat the Falcons 54-7. In Group 2, Natal, Cheetahs, and Western Province are all in a tight race. Natal beat Boland 43-27, Western Province beat Simba 65-29, and the Cheetahs beat the Bulldogs 54-17. Lastly, the Eagles beat Eastern Province 23-21.