Here are the latest rugby headlines on the evening of Saturday, April 23.
Moriarty suffers nerve damage
Wales back rower Ross Moriarty has revealed he suffered nerve damage to his leg in a painful incident earlier this month, and he doesn't know when he will be back.
Cries of pain were picked up by pitchside microphones as he was caught in an awkward position during a collision playing for the Dragons against the Sharks in Durban, and he was stretchered off with his left knee in a brace. He is not thought to have suffered any structural damage to the knee but has experienced extreme pain from the nerve damage.
Providing an update on his condition on BBC Wales, he said: “It was something to do with the nerves in my leg. There’s no time frame on it, but it is feeling a bit better, so hopefully it won’t be too long and I will be alright.”
Moriarty's left knee was put in a brace following the incident. It was a cruel blow for the player, who now looks unlikely to feature again this season, having missed so much of it with a shoulder injury that he suffered against the All Blacks last autumn.
Scarlets crush Dragons
The Scarlets have eased to a comfortable 38-19 win over the Dragons at Rodney Parade.
They scored six tries to secure the bonus point which keeps hopes of a top eight finish alive. The Dragons had fought back from 17-0 down, but were blown away in the final 10 and remain winless at home this season.
Angus O'Brien scored twice against his former side, while Sam Lousi, Ryan Elias, Rob Evans and Corey Baldwin also crossed.
Jack Dixon, Jordan Williams and Adam Warren threatened a home comeback, but two late tries sealed victory for Scarlets.
Tributes flood in for dead Springbok
Tributes have been paid to former South Africa forward Pedrie Wannenburg following his death in a car crash in Texas.
The 41-year-old former Bulls and Ulster back-rower, who was capped 20 times by the Springboks, died in a collision in Houston on Friday evening local time, South Africa Rugby has confirmed.
President Mark Alexander told SA Rugby's official website: "Pedrie will be remembered as one of the first real versatile loose forwards who could play in any position in the back row and even though he played in only 20 Tests, his record in the colours of the Bulls, during a period where they dominated on all levels, is nearly unmatched.
"After he finished his career in South Africa, he went on to make a big impact playing club rugby in Ireland, France and later the USA, and he started giving back to the game in a coaching capacity after he retired a few years ago.
"Pedrie was a fun-loving and hard-working man and someone who gave all he had on the pitch, but afterwards always had a smile on his face.
"He represented his country with aplomb - who will ever forget the try he scored in the narrow victory over the All Blacks in Rustenburg in 2006?
"To lose someone at the cusp of the rest of his life with a young family, after a long and storied rugby career, is extremely sad and our thoughts are with his wife, Evette, their two children, Isabelle and Francois, as well as his parents and other family members, loved ones and friends during this very difficult time."
Wannenburg, who made his Test debut as a 21-year-old, was a mainstay of the Bulls team which won Super Rugby in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and lifted the Currie Cup from 2002 to 2004, 2006 (shared) and 2009.
He moved to Ulster in 2010 and helped the province reach the 2012 Heineken Cup final before heading for France to play for Castres and Oyonnax, then the USA, where he represented Denver and Austin.
A statement on Ulster's official Twitter account said: "Ulster Rugby is deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of former flanker, Pedrie Wannenburg following a car crash in Texas.
"The Springbok played a major role in Ulster's Heineken Cup and Pro12 campaigns, making 54 appearances for the Ulster men between 2010 and 2012."
England doctor banned
The England U20s doctor who sparked controversy during a recent Six Nations match has been banned for his conduct.
Dr Nigel Rayner was found guilty of three misconduct charges and banned for four weeks following the events that unfolded in the match against Italy.
His actions were described as “grave” and “unacceptable” and he was handed an eight-week ban as well as a separate two-week suspension to run concurrently. That was cut by half given his previous good record and, given he has effectively been on leave since the incident, his ban expires in less than a week.
The incident occurred in the 77th minute of Italy’s shock victory when Deago Bailey, the England wing, challenged for a high ball and appeared to sustain a head injury. The independent matchday doctor determined Bailey needed to leave the field for a head injury assessment but Rayner attempted to overrule the decision. His interaction with the female referee, Aurélie Groizeleau, and other officials was also criticised.
The three charges Rayner faced were:
A. Allowing the player to return to the field when an HIA had been called for
B. Interfering with the HIA process and on-field decision making
C. Disrespectful conduct towards the officials
A Six Nations statement read: “The committee noted that in respect of charge A and B, Dr Rayner’s actions were grave and found that the HIA protocol is mandatory and must be complied with by all concerned.
“The independent judicial committee was unanimously of the view that an entry point of eight weeks would be appropriate regarding charges A and B. Regarding charge C, Dr Rayner’s actions towards the [match day doctor] were found to be unacceptable and not in the spirit of the game, and the judicial committee decided upon a two-week suspension, those two weeks to run concurrently with the eight-week suspension for charges A and B.
“The independent Judicial Committee applied full mitigation (50%) based on Dr Rayner’s previous impeccable record and acknowledgement of culpability, leaving a total suspension of four weeks.”
Bulls beat Benetton
The Bulls were made to work hard for a 46-29 United Rugby Championship victory over Benetton in Pretoria.
Benetton were shock 35-8 winners when these sides met for the first time in last season's Rainbow Cup final in Treviso but were not fancied to repeat the feat on South African soil.
However, Marco Bortolami's men dominated the early stages at Loftus Versfeld, opening up a 13-0 lead thanks to a Tommaso Menoncello try and the boot of Rhyno Smith.
Cyle Brink and Kurt-Lee Arendse went over before half-time to reduce the deficit to 16-12 before a second Arendse touchdown and more from Marcell Coetzee, Canan Moodie and Simphiwe Matanzima saw the Bulls to a bonus-point win.
Menoncello added a consolation after Niccolo Cannone had been red-carded for a closed fist to the chin of Arno Botha.
The result strengthens the Bulls' play-off prospects, having come into the weekend in the eighth and final qualifying berth.
