Rare North & South Double Medal- FAIL!!!

In my first article on this subject (Rare North & South Double Medal) I spoke about four players that were on target for a very rare achievement.
Scott Hamilton, Pedrie Wannenberg, George Smith and Campbell Johnstone all were inline to win the Heineken Cup with their respective Northern Hemisphere Clubs. They all play for separate clubs in England, Ireland and France and WERE (operative word here) all in the Heineken Cup Quarter Finals this past weekend.

My thinking went along the lines of featuring some Southern Hemisphere players and seeing , at least one make it through to the final. The Rugby Gods, however, had something else in mind. All four of the teams featured and players concerned were unceremoniously dumped out of the top European Rugby Competition.
Not only that but at the start of the weekend we had 10 South Africans to watch in the tournament and come sunday night we now only have 4 left.

Watch this space for Heineken Cup Semi Final action at the end of the month.

Heineken Cup Quarter Final Results:
Biarritz 20 - 27 Toulouse
Northampton Saints 23 - 13 Ulster
Leinster 17 - 10 Leicester Tigers
Perpignan 29 - 25 Toulon

Rare North & South Double Medal

There are Eight teams chasing European glory in the Heineken Quarter Finals this weekend. There are however four players that have a very special and rare opportunity to win the top rugby competitions in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. A SupeRugby medal as well as a Heineken Cup Medal. This has only been done twice before by Rod Kafer ( ACT Brumbies & Leicester Tigers) and Doug Howlett (Blues & Munster)

The four players chasing this honour are:

Pedrie Wannenberg - Ulster:
Wannenberg has three SupeRugby medals in his trophy cabinet from his time at the Blue Bulls (2007, 2009, 2010) and is looking to help Ulster over the line against Northampton Saints.

Scott Hamilton - Leicester Tigers:
Hamilton has two SupeRugby medals with the Crusaders (2005, 2006) and will be facing Irish opposition Leinster on April 9 2011.

Campbell Johnstone - Biarritz Olympique:
Johnstone was teammates with Hamilton at the Crusaders franchise and collected two SupeRugby medals in 2005 & 2006. Johnstone will be propping for the Biarritz side against Toulouse on April 10 2011.

George Smith - Toulon:
The great Aussie flanker, with 110 appearances for the Wallabies, will be facing off against Perpignan on Saturday for a place in the Heineken Cup Semi-Finals. He has already pocketed two SupeRugby medals with the Brumbies in 2001 & 2004.

See televised schedules here (If available)

Supersport (South Africa) 

SkySports (New Zealand)

Fox Sports (Australia)

SkySports (United Kingdom)