Weekend Rugby Wrap: 5 Takeaways

It was the final round of games of the European club rugby competitions for 2023 and all the games across the board were excellent – nail-biting and packed with pulsating rugby. Bet Central explores some standout moments.

Emanuel Tshituka Continues To Soar

There was a time when he was the less-known younger sibling of Sharks loose forward Vincent Tshituka, but now Emanuel Tshituka has found his own path to stardom. He looked like an absolute star against a poor Newcastle Falcons side scoring 2 tries.

That shouldn’t be a blight on a player who even against better opposition continues to ascend to a different level with every passing season. While it is unclear whether he will remain with the Lions or join his brother in Durban, the one thing that is clear is he is in imperious form.

Peato Mauvaka Is A Star

Julien Marchand is a world-class hooker – one of the best in the world in his position. But the rise of Peato Mauvaka has presented the Toulouse and France coaching staff with a pleasant headache with his performances through the World Cup and into the domestic season.

After a superb World Cup with France, he’s picked up where he left off with some great performances for Toulouse. He was outstanding as his team beat a strong Harlequins side in the Champions Cup. When Marchand returns, he will struggle to get his starting place from Mauvaka who is flying right now.

Black Lion Roars On The Big Stage

Just last week Georgian side Black Lion made their debut in the Challenge Cup and narrowly lost to Gloucester, in their 2nd ever game in the competition they weren’t content to just narrowly win it, they won convincingly against Welsh outfit Scarlets.

What made their 23-7 win even more impressive was the fact that they were playing away from home. Luka Matkava scored 13 of the 23 points and the standout Georgian international was awarded Player of the Match. Black Lion now have any team that thinks they will be a walkover on alert after this win.

La Rochelle, Not The Force Of Old?

The Stormers were brilliant against La Rochelle and their gamble last week paid off as Manie Libbok landed a goal kick after the final hooter to secure victory. But after not losing in the Champions Cup for 2 years, La Rochelle are winless after 2 rounds.

Is it a case of mental fatigue on the account of the French side? The absence of talisman Gregory Alldritt could also be affecting the side. Either way Ronan O’Gara needs to remedy whatever is going wrong with his team because they are far from their efficient best.

Cheetahs Stun Sharks

It was an all-South African battle on Sunday in the Challenge Cup as the star-studded Sharks side headed to Free State Stadium in pursuit of their 1st away win of the season in either of the competitions, they participate in. It wasn’t for John Plumtree’s side.

The Sharks are an incredibly inconsistent side when one considers their quality, but credit must be given to the Cheetahs who were relentless across the game and the old head in Ruan Pienaar shone brightly once again, especially with his dead-accurate boot. The Cheetahs were full value for the 32-29 win.