Rugby: Kiwis in Europe roundup

Rugby union club Toulon's (RCT) new recruit, Ma'a Nonu, passes the ball during a training session before the Top 14 rugby match between Toulon and Agen. Photo / AP.

Dan Carter may have taken most of the headlines from European club rugby over the weekend, but many other players of New Zealand origin were strutting their stuff to good effect in round three of the Champions and Challenge cups.

Carter slotted three goals on his debut for Racing-Metro as they cast aside Northampton Saints 33-3, but former Tonga, Chiefs and Hawke's Bay prop Sona Taumalolo was again in tryscoring form, recording a hat-trick in Grenoble's 40-20 defeat of Agen.

No 8 Thomas Waldrom continued his stellar season for the Exeter Chiefs, his double helping them to a 31-14 win over Clermont, for whom No 12 Hosea Gear scored a try.
In other Champions Cup action, Ma'a Nonu and Tom Taylor turned out for Toulon in their 24-9 win over Isa Nacewa's Leinster at Stade Mayol.

Prop Soane Tonga'uiha and lock Leon Power were, er, powerless in the face of a 45-10 Saracens' onslaught.

The Leicester Tigers trio of Telusa Veainu, Mike FitzGerald and Brendon O'Connor were victorious 31-19 over Francis Saili's Munster.

Halfback Brendon Leonard and Ospreys edged Bordeaux-Begles 19-16, with Hugh Chalmers wearing the No 7 jersey for the French club.

Centre Paul Williams scored a brace in Stade Francais' 50-17 win over Treviso. Prop Zak Taulafo played off the bench for Stade.

Glasgow Warriors, with Grayson Hart a replacement halfback, smashed Regan King's Scarlets 43-6.

Nick Williams had a mixed day at No 8 for Ulster, but his yellow card for a no-arms tackle was cancelled out by a try and a superb 38-0 victory over perennial European heavyweights Toulouse.

Bath edged Wasps 25-23, with Charlie Piutau shifting to the wing for the latter. Jimmy Gopperth slotted a conversion for Wasps.

In the Challenge Cup, Ben Botica kicked five conversions for Harlequins, with Winston Stanley outside him at No 12, in their 50-10 win over Jim Tuivaiti's Calvisano.

Wing Robbie Malneek's Russian club Enisei had a good win in Sochi, 10-7 over William Whetton's Brive.

George Naoupu was at No 8 as Connacht beat Newcastle Falcons 25-10. Halfback Tane Takalua and blindside flanker Richard Mayhew played for Newcastle.

Pau, minus Colin Slade and the yet to appear Conrad Smith, but with Chris King and Daniel Ramsay in their ranks, were blanked 22-0 by the Dragons.

Sale Sharks edged Saimone Taumoeapeau's Castres, while centre Asaeli Tikoirotuma scored a try as London Irish defeated Edinburgh 38-6.

Jamie Mackintosh's try was not enough to prevent Montpellier falling 37-27 to Cardiff Blues. Anthony Tuitavake marked Cardiff's Rey Lee-Lo.

Romana Graham's La Rochelle beat Mils Muliaina's Zebre 27-19.
The fourth round of the European competitions is set for this weekend.