Springboks submerge Wales

Round-up

South Africa were given the perfect tonic for today's international when their A team completed a 12-match tour of the United Kingdom with an emphatic 42-26 victory over Emerging Wales in Swansea yesterday.

South Africa A ran in five tries - one each for Dawie du Toit, Marius Goosen, Willie Meyer, Gerald Scholtz and Werner Swanepoel - and their fly-half Louis Koen landed four conversions, two penalties and a drop goal. The Welsh, who lost the Bath flanker Richard Webster with a knee injury after only 12 minutes and trailed 23-6 at half-time, replied with a try apiece from wing Garan Evans and No8 Chris Wyatt while fly-half Shaun Connor kicked four penalties and two conversions. The South Africans, who had beaten England A 35-20 four days previously, had 31 penalties awarded against them by the English referee Doug Chapman.

The Pontypridd wing Gareth Wyatt ran in four tries as the Welsh Rugby Union President's XV came from behind to trounce Natal 64-20 in the under- 21 curtain-raiser. An interception try by visiting wing Wade Wingfield gave Natal an early lead, but Wyatt responded with a hat-trick in 27 minutes to put the home side 22-17 ahead at the break. Wyatt later claimed his fourth touchdown, fellow wing Rhys Shorney bagged two and the Welsh finished with 10 tries in all.

Gloucestershire's reign as county champions ended when the Launceston full-back Danny Sloman landed five penalties to steer Cornwall to a 15- 10 victory in South Pool Four at Redruth.

After two away wins in Pool 2B, Orrell suffered their first defeat in the Anglo-Welsh Cup when they lost 22-18 to Newport at Edge Hall Road. Orrell, who trailed 17-5 at the interval, fought back to lead 18-17 with a few minutes remaining only to succumb to a late try from Newport wing Martin Llewellyn. The visitors' other try scorers were their captain and No 8 Richard Goodey and hooker Gary Hicks while Paul Hamer, who moved from wing to fly-half at half-time when Matthew McCarthy went off with a hamstring strain, ran in two for Orrell and also kicked a penalty. Orrell's other try came from flanker Peter Anglesea while fly-half Alex Lawson slotted a penalty and two conversions for Newport.

The Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for two-and-a-half months, postponed his comeback in Bath's 11- try, 71-20 walloping of Wakefield yesterday because of flu and may struggle to be fit in time for next weekend's Pilkington Cup fifth round meeting with London Irish.

The Scotland wing Craig Joiner and England Under-21 centre James Overend will miss Leicester's tie against either Newbury or Lydney. Joiner, who has a torn groin muscle, and Overend, who has dislocated a shoulder for the fourth time, both need operations and will be out for six weeks.

Bryan Richardson, the chairman of Premiership football side Coventry City, will submit a plan tomorrow to members of second-division Coventry proposing a link between the two clubs. The rugby club, which has also had an offer from the property group Leander, will decide which route to take later in the week.

Bernard Lapasset has been re-elected unopposed as the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) for the next four years. Marcel Martin, the former FFR vice-president, withdrew his candidacy as head of the "Rugby for all" opposition after several defections on Friday.