Aussies Afield: Trenches, Tries and Try-Savers from Aussies Abroad

It was another heavy weekend for the Aussies playing afield and abroad. Xavier Treacy went on a wrecking spree in Christchurch, Tom Banks reminded Montpellier why he’s still a Wallaby-class fullback, and half of Pro D2 seemed to be playing basketball with the way the points piled up. From provincial dogfights in the Shaky Isles to shootouts across the Channel, here’s who put their hand up for the green and gold this week.

Top 14

Perpignan beat Castres 43–29, with Lachlan Swinton at the heart of it , a hard-nosed start at No. 8 that included 60 metres off 11 carries before Posolo Tuilagi took over. Brad Amituanai made his mark late off the bench, and Castres second-rower Tom Staniforth was one of the few shining lights in defeat.

Over on the Atlantic coast, Montpellier beat Vannes 26–12 on the back of a superb Tom Banks performance at fullback, he beat four defenders and ran 89 metres to a try. Meanwhile Pau thumped Bayonne 70–28, with Jack Maddocks showing his usual gas in a tidy 40-minute stint before being rested.

Clermont’s 25–16 win over Stade Français was built on defence, led by lock Darcy Swain running the lineouts, while Stade Français prop Paul Alo-Emile anchored the scrum for the opening 37 minutes. In an 80-minute thriller, La Rochelle edged Toulon 21–20 with Ulupano Seuteni doing the heavy lifting in midfield.

Pro D2

The French second tier produced some big scorelines. Oyonnax put 52 on Aurillac (52–17), with hooker Feleti Kaitu’u setting the platform in a 46-minute start. On the other side, Aurillac’s Paulo Pelesasa was immense in defeat , a full 80 minutes at No. 8 with 24 tackles and 16 carries, easily the standout defensive effort of the round.

Aix beat Narbonne 47–42 in another high-scoring affair, with second-rower Izack Rodda dominating in the air , 11 lineout takes in 64 minutes. Wing Sione Tui went the distance for Aix too.

In the backs, Ollie Cummins was the difference for Agen in their 39–33 win over Grenoble, cutting loose for a line break and a try. Grenoble’s Fergus Lee-Warner put in a shift in the lock before handing over to Cameron Holt off the bench.

Up front, Dax beat Valence Romans 27–20, with David Lolohea steadying the scrum off the bench and Valence Romans prop Tom Ross coming on at the hour mark to nab a late turnover. Elsewhere, Sifa Amone and Joey Walton featured for Montauban as they went down 45–7 to Soyaux-Angoulême, while lock Steven Cummins played the full 80 for Colomiers in a 38–20 loss to Biarritz.

NPC

Back closer to home, Canterbury put on a show in a 66–19 rout of Wellington. Blindside flanker Xavier Treacy had the game of the round , two tries and a colossal 23 tackles across the full 80. Wellington hit back through prop Jake Turnbull, who scored a try off the bench, while Jackson Ropata chipped in with a good cameo.

Otago beat Tasman 57–33, with fly-half Pat Pellegrini coming off the bench after just 12 minutes and taking over the game , 8 from the tee, a try and a try assist. For Tasman, Lopeti Faifua worked hard in the second row while Rory Scott brought energy off the bench at No. 8.

Southland’s wingers stole the show in a 43–12 win over Bay of Plenty. Glen Vaihu was unplayable out wide , two tries and three line breaks in a full 80-minute shift. Loosehead Jack Barrett laid the platform up front, and Clem Halaholo added fresh legs off the bench. Bay of Plenty’s Viliami Lea got through a shift in the midfield.

Northland ran out 34–17 winners over Waikato, powered by a complete performance from lock Lachlan Hooper, two tries to go with his usual lineout work across 80 minutes. James Ramm was lethal on the wing with a try of his own, while Daniel Botha and Reesjan Pasitoa both featured off the bench. Waikato centre Austin Anderson battled hard in defence over the full match.

Manawatu edged Taranaki 27–25 thanks largely to halfback Doug Philipson, who racked up a try and a try assist, with lock Taini Roiri doing the donkey work up front. North Harbour beat Hawke’s Bay 31–24 in a good wing battle: Hawke’s Bay’s Nic Benn scored a try, while Harbour’s Darby Lancaster came on early and tore through for 73 metres and four defenders beaten. Dane Sawers helped close it out off the bench. And in Auckland’s 43–33 win over Counties Manukau, lock Harvey Cordukes and halfback Issak Fines did the damage.

Shoutouts From the Back Paddocks

Angus Wagner (Loosehead Prop, Carcassonne): started and played 47 minutes up front as Carcassonne beat Marcq-en-Baroeul 33–7 in French Nationale.

Baden Godfrey (Number 8, Mont-de-Marsan): played the full 80 and scored in the 11th minute, despite his side going down 19–13 to Rouen.

The Aus-tracized XV

1. Jack Barrett (Southland)
2. Feleti Kaitu’u (Oyonnax)
3. Tom Ross (Valence Romans)
4. Darcy Swain (Clermont)
5. Lachlan Hooper (Northland)
6. Lopeti Faifua (Tasman)
7. Xavier Treacy (Canterbury)
8. Lachlan Swinton (Perpignan)
9. Doug Philipson (Manawatu)
10. Reesjan Pasitoa (Northland)
11. Glen Vaihu (Southland)
12. Austin Anderson (Waikato)
13. Ollie Cummins (Agen)
14. Darby Lancaster (Hawke’s Bay)
15. Tom Banks (Montpellier)

Replacements: 16. Angus Wagner (Carcassonne) 17. No reserve hooker selected 18. Daniel Botha (Northland) 19. Izack Rodda (Aix) 20. Rory Scott (Tasman) 21. Issak Fines (Auckland) 22. Jack Maddocks (Pau) 23. James Ramm (Northland)

Aussies Playing Overseas Last Weekend

For the Stats Nerds