Bristol ease into quarter-finals of Challenge Cup

Bristol became the first English side through to the quarter-finals of the European Rugby Challenge Cup with a comprehensive victory over Brive.

The Bears’ 52-3 win maintained their perfect record in Pool Four and ensured they will be at home in the last eight.

Piers O’Conor and Dave Attwood scored in the first half and they added five more tries in the second, with Callum Sheedy converting all seven.

Bristol are 13 points clear of second-placed Zebre, who pulled off the shock of the round by beating Stade Francais 29-24 in Paris.

Stade recovered from 17-0 down but were always playing catch-up and it was the Italians who took the win and bonus point.

A top-of-the-table clash in Pool One ended with a convincing 42-14 victory for Castres against Dragons.

Six tries from the hosts secured their bonus point, with Dragons only managing two second-half efforts from Jared Rosser.

Worcester draw level with Dragons on 15 points thanks to a thumping 66-10 victory over Russian minnows Enisei.

With lock Michael Fatialofa still in intensive care following the neck injury he suffered against Saracens last weekend, Warriors would have been forgiven for not having their minds on the pitch but they put in a thoroughly professional performance.

Returning hero Stuart Hogg bagged an unwanted 'prize' on his trip back to Glasgow
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Ollie Lawrence scored a first-half hat-trick and Worcester pulled away after half-time, scoring six more tries.

Bordeaux-Begles secured their place at the top of Pool Three with a 32-17 over previously-unbeaten Edinburgh.

The competition’s top scorer, Matthieu Jalibert, contributed 12 more points, with tries coming from Semi Radradra and Santiago Cordero in the first half and Yann Lesgourges in the second.

Third-placed Wasps won in France for the first time in more than five years, beating Agen 52-24 in a match that featured 11 tries.

Eight of those went to the English side, who were off the mark in just the second minute as Ashley Johnson crossed.

Agen kept pace for most of the first half but Tom Cruse’s converted try shortly before the break gave Wasps a nine-point cushion and they extended that in the second period, with Jimmy Gopperth scoring twice.

London Irish’s miserable run continued with a 27-10 defeat by Pool Two’s bottom side, Bayonne, who scored four tries.

Pau ended a six-match losing run away from home in the competition by beating Rugby Calvisano 47-19 in Pool Five. The French side crossed for seven tries, all scored by different players.

– Press Association