Dragons stun Bristol in Newport
Bayonne, Montauban, Bath, Quins and Newcastle join celebrations
Guinness Premiership leaders Bristol were stunned in Wales as the Dragons roared to European Challenge Cup success at Rodney Parade on Friday night.
With the Dragons bagging four points and Bristol one from the 17-11 home win, the sides are tied on 20 points at the top of Pool One.
The Welsh side have a tricky trip to Bayonne in the final round, and Bristol’s home match against Bucuresti looks the easier task in the race to bag a home quarter-final.
The Dragons scored through United States international centre Paul Emerick and classy winger Gareth Wyatt, with Wales centre Ceri Sweeney adding eight crucial points with the boot.
Bristol were limited to two penalty goals from New Zealander David Hill in the first half, and a second-half try from winger Lee Robinson gave the visitors a bonus point that could prove the difference in the final analysis.
Pool One cellar dwellers Bayonne exacted revenge on Romanian side Bucuresti with a thrilling 38-31 win at Stade Jean Dauger.
The French club lost to the Dragons, Bucuresti and Bristol (twice) in the opening four rounds of the tournament, but secured the victory thanks to a try double from hooker Christophe Laurent.
Prolific Romanian winger Catalin Fercu grabbed a brace of his own, but six-try Bayonne deserved the points.
Bath continued their romp through the tournament with a 36-24 win at Connacht’s Sportsground stadium in Galway.
Full-back Michael Stephenson helped himself to a hat-trick of tries and Olly Barkley bagged 14 points as Bath took a stranglehold on Pool Four.
Barkley converted his own try in first-half injury time to give Bath a 19-10 lead at the break, and former England international Stephenson’s silky skills confirmed the victory against the never-say-die Irish side.
Bath moved to 21 points at the top of the pool, and need only a point against bottom-placed Montpellier at the Recreation Ground next weekend to secure a place in the cup quarter-finals.
Harlequins stayed in touch with Bath thanks to a hard-fought 37-27 win at Montpellier, but are probably playing for a best runners-up spot in their home match against Connacht in the final round next weekend.
Quins beat their French rivals 57-10 in the home match, but needed the trusty boot of fly-half Adrian Jarvis who scored 20 points to secure victory.
Prop Aston Croall scored a rare try to set Quins on their way at Stade Sabathe, and second-half efforts from Will Skinner, Jarvis and David Strettle confirmed the five points.
In a battle of the also-rans in Pool Three, Montauban beat Petrarca 19-7 on the back of tries from South Africa international Jacobus Immelman, Canada international Ryan Smith and centre Benoit Albert.
Meanwhile, Newcastle kept their European fires flicking with a well-taken 24-17 win over Brive at Kingston Park.
