Sunday Snippets

Tough break for JDV: Springbok fans and rugby fans from all four corners of the globe alike were left grimacing yesterday, as replay footage showed the horrific moment Jean De Villiers suffered the most awkward of injuries. With his side well in the game and trailing their Welsh hosts narrowly, De Villiers went to compete for the ball at the ruck before being cleared out by a combination of Taulupe Faletau and Dan Lydiate, collapsing awkwardly under the contact. According to immediate reports and the general consensus on second viewing, De Villiers has suffered a dislocated kneecap and faces a prolonged period of time away from the game. Having lost their captain midway through the second half, Heyneke Meyer’s side were unable to kick on and gain any foothold in the game, with Wales running out 12-6 winners over the 80 minutes, only adding more misery to an average European tour for the Springboks. With the World Cup under 12 months away, Meyer will be sweating on the imminent results of scans on De Villiers injury, to determine the timeframe of absence.

Leinster down Ospreys: The Guiness Pro12 saw two of its most successful sides do battle at the Royal Dublin Showground yesterday evening as Leinster entertained Welsh outfit the Ospreys. Infront of a large crowd in Dublin, the hosts got over the finish line with an 18-12 victory, courtesy of a forward oriented game plan, with the likes of Kane Douglas and Dominic Ryan impressing throughout. A cagey and error-prone affair on account of the rather slippery conditions, it was the home side who took advantage of some Ospreys’ ill-discipline, with both Madigan and Gopperth knocking over penalty attempts to seal a 6 point win. No tries to reflect on in this one but a dominant forwards display nonetheless, handing Leinster a vital four points and a confidence boost ahead of next week’s return to European action against English Premiership outfit Harlequins.

Ryan Sheady