Tom Taylor upstages Carter
Dan Carter has been upstaged by another ex-All Black from Canterbury, in the latest round of the French Top 14 rugby competition.
Carter’s Racing 92 crashed to a 31-22 defeat to third-placed Castres on Saturday (NZT Sunday), but Kiwi Tom Taylor kicked a stoppage time penalty to hand Pau a 39-38 win against Grenoble.
Taylor, playing at second fiveeighth outside former Crusaders and All Blacks colleague Colin Slade, kicked 24 points, nailing six penalties and three conversions as Pau moved into eighth place, one behind Racing 92.
Former Blues flanker Luke Braid was among the try-scorers in Bordeaux-Begles’ 32-10 home win over Lyon.
Ma’a Nonu’s struggling Toulon team play Clermont Auvergne on Sunday (NZT Monday).
Meanwhile Kiwi veteran Jimmy Gopperth scored 15 points to lead Wasps to the top of the English rugby Premiership.
The former Hurricanes and Blues pivot grabbed a converted try in a 20-15 win over the Northampton Saints on Saturday (NZT Sunday).
It was a rare home defeat at Franklins Garden for a Saints side sporting brothers Ken and George Pisi.
Ken Pisi received a yellow card for a trip on Wasps’ halfback.
Gopperth, 33, better known in New Zealand as a first five-eighth, played at second-five for Wasps outside former England No 10 Danny Cipriani.
The victory moved Wasps to the top of the standings ahead of previous leaders Bath’s visit to Leicester Tigers - a match which will pit former Crusaders coaching colleagues Todd Blackadder and Aaron Mauger against each other.
Blackadder is the new director of rugby at Bath while Mauger is in his second season as Leicester’s head coach.
Elsewhere former Bay of Plenty and Chiefs first five-eighth Mike Delany kicked two penalties and a conversion in the Newcastle Falcons’ 18-13 win over Gloucester, captained by ex-Crusaders halfback Willi Heinz.
It was Newcastle’s first away win for almost two years. Former Hurricanes and Crusaders backrower Thomas Waldrom crashed over for two tries as Exeter moved up to fourth place after a 41-17 win over Bristol on Saturday.
Harlequins ended Saracens’ unbeaten start to the season with a 17-10 win.
Meanwhile, former All Blacks wing Charles Piutau continued his sparkling form in the Pro12 premiership as his Irish club Ulster went to the top of he table after their 22-17 win against the Glasgow Hawks.
The BBC Sport website reported Piutau "was at the heart of so much of their attacking. He did Stuart Hogg for pace, then he carried again, racing away from Leonardo Sarto up the left wing. When Ulster swept right, [Darren] Cave went over".
Piutau was joined in the Ulster lineup by fellow Kiwis Jared Payne and Rodney Ah You, both Irish internationals.
● Former Canterbury first fiveeighth Tyler Bleyendaal kicked eight points in Munster’s 28-14 win over Edinburgh. Ex-Highlanders flanker John Hardie scored a late try for Edinburgh.
Rey Lee-Lo, the former Counties and Hurricanes midfielder, helped the Cardiff Blues to a 23-21 win over Zebre in Italy.
Hadleigh Parkes, whose Kiwi teams included Auckland, Manawatu, the Blues and the Hurricanes, assisted Welsh club Scarlets to a 17-8 win over coach Pat Lam’s Connacht outfit.