Xavier Rush upstaged fellow All Black Jonah Lomu with two tries as Cardiff moved closer to the European Cup quarterfinals with a 43-16 win over Italian minnows Calvisano at the Arms Park on Saturday.
Only the six pool winners are guaranteed a spot in the last eight, the final two places going to the two best runners-up overall. Cardiff’s victory left them a point clear of Perpignan at the top of Pool Two with two rounds of group matches remaining when the tournament resumes next month.
Number eight Rush was in the thick of the action with his try double and Cardiff captain Rhys Williams also scored two tries of his own.
Lomu, on his home debut, came through the whole 80 minutes of a competitive match for the first time in more than two years after being sidelined with what many thought was a career-ending kidney complaint.
Despite his lengthy absence Lomu remains one of the biggest names in rugby and Cardiff saw their decision to increase the Arms Park’s capacity rewarded with a crowd of just under 12 000 — their biggest home gate in the European Cup for five years.
Lomu, who lasted just over an hour in Italy last week on his first Cardiff outing, was pleased with his progress.
”I feel as though I am going in the right direction,” he said.
And the giant wing insisted he felt no frustration at once again being denied a try.
”Sometimes, the ball goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. I have got to make sure I do what is best for the team.
”I am confident in what I’ve got. I am growing each week, although today wasn’t my day to open up.”
Elsewhere in Pool Two, Perpignan stayed in contention with a 12-8 win over English side Leeds where two tries from Samueli Naulu proved decisive.
Biarritz remained top of Pool Four as Fiji wing Sereli Bobo and France international Thomas Lievremont scoried two tries apiece in a 38-24 win away to Italy’s Treviso.
Philippe Bidabe and Benoit August also touched down for the French side while eight points came from the boot of Dimitri Yachvili.
Treviso took some consolation from their fourth defeat by claiming a bonus point for scoring four tries.
Saracens kept up the pressure with an 18-10 win at home to Irish province Ulster but the English team will need wins from their final two Pool matches against Treviso and Biarritz to be sure of reaching the knockout stages.
In Pool One, Munster’s 22-game unbeaten record at Thomond Park looked in danger before 15 points from the boot of Ireland flyhalf Ronan O’Gara and a late try from Jerry Flannery saw the Irish province secure a 30-18 over Newport-Gwent Dragons.
It was the Welsh visitors’ fourth straight European defeat, Munster moving to within five points of unbeaten Pool-toppers Sale.
Stade Francais, last season’s runners-up, took control of Pool Three with a six-try display in a 47-28 win against compatriots Clermont in Paris.
Stade raced into a 14-0 lead by the 26th minute thanks to tries from scrum-half Jerome Fillol and prop Rodrigo Roncero with Juan Martin Hernandez converting both on his way to a match haul of 20 points.
Hooker Benjamin Kayser, winger Lucas Borges (2) and Pierre Rabadin added further scores after the break to ensure Stade picked up a bonus point in a group where former winners Leicester could reclaim top spot with a win against the Ospreys on Sunday.
In Pool Five, Bourgoin virtually ended Leinster’s hopes of making the quarterfinals with a 30-28 win which was sweet revenge for their 53-7 defeat against the Irishmen last weekend.
A match where both teams scored three tries ended on a dramatic note when the French side won a last-minute penalty which was successfully kicked from 35m by full-back Alexandre Peclier.
Sunday’s other match sees Llanelli going for a double over Wasps, following last week’s win at home to the English title holders.
Another victory would see the Welsh side close the gap on Pool Six leaders and reigning European champions Toulouse and effectively end Wasps’s already slender quarterfinal hopes. – Sapa-AFP