Tuivuaka Outruns Wainiqolo, Kolbe
The “Tank” Asaeli Tuivuaka scored his first try in the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) Challenge Cup but three time European champions Toulon won 28-14 at Stade Félix Mayol on Friday night.
It was his Challenge Cup debut for Zebre Parma.
He had the most metres in the match with 79 when he touched down in the 34th minute - South African flyer Cheslin Kolbe failed to stop Tuivuka 15 metres from the try line.
While Tuivuka featured for Parma Zebre, Flying Fijian and Olym
pic gold medallist Jiuta Wainiqolo started for Toulon.
The Namosi juggernaut’s hard running lines and solid carries kept Wainiqolo and Kolbe switching positions to keep him at bay.
Toulon led 14-7 at half time with to tries from prop Emerick Setiano and lock Quinn Roux.
Toulon travel to Worcester Warriors for Round Three; while Zebre are on bye and will be in action again in Round Four when they host Worcester.
Dragons vs Lyon
Meanwhile Flying Fijians prop Mesake Doge continued to his try scoring spree for Dragons but his side went down 28-41 to Lyons.
Doge was impressive in the game with 35 metres gained from his runs and 29 runs with one try as
sist.
The rugged prop was in the thick of things and carried the ball over the try line to score a try.
Dean Ryan’s men scored through prop pair Doge and Aki Seiuli while Wales international forward Aaron Wainwright also went over.
But it wasn’t enough to stop the men from Rodney Parade suffering a sixth successive defeat.
Dragons had lost to French opposition at Perpignan in Round One of the Challenge Cup.
In the other EPCR matches: Gloucester 54 Benetton 25, Section Paloise 28 Saracens 0.
Games postponed
Seven European matches due to take place this weekend were postponed due to COVID travel restrictions brought in by the French gov
ernment.
Two European Champions Cup games had already been cancelled because of COVID cases in the Leinster and Ospreys squads, with Montpellier and Racing 92 respectively awarded the match points, while Saracens forfeited their match against Pau in the European Challenge Cup due to positive tests.
Now a further five Heineken Champions Cup and two European Challenge Cup matches have been postponed because of France’s new COVID rules, which restrict travel from the United Kingdom.
From Saturday, anyone who is not a French resident or citizen must give “a compelling reason” to travel.
So the Bath v La Rochelle and Sale v Clermont, which were due to take place on Saturday, and yesterday’s
Scarlets v Bordeaux-Begles, Toulouse v Wasps and Stade Francais v Bristol matches have all been postponed in the Champions Cup as well as Worcester v Biarritz and London Irish v Brive in the Challenge Cup.
An EPCR statement read: “Following a meeting of the EPCR Board today (Friday, 17 December) it has been decided that due to current exceptional circumstances, Round 2 matches in the Heineken Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup between French and UK clubs scheduled Saturday and Sunday are postponed.
“This is a consequence of new travel measures between the UK and France which are being introduced by the French government.