Overview of Amlin Challenge Cup - The Last Eight
This weekend has been busy and decisive for many teams playing Amlin Challenge Cup. Five teams are confirmed for the quarter finals, while others have to play next weekend to claim their positions in the last eight.
Stade Francais made their place in Amlin Challenge Cup quarter finals after beating Leeds Carnegie ruthlessly with a score difference of 39-10. Andy Key’s men have been sent off from Europe after this crushing. Leeds Carnegie had to beat Stade Francais to
keep themselves alive in this tournament and make it to the next round, but Stade demonstrated a quantifiable routine. Tries from Rodrigo Roncero, Hugo Southwell, Julien Arias, Olly Phillips and Pierre Rabadan made the difference, while all Leeds could do
was Dan Browne converting a try and Ceiron Thomas scoring a penalty.
Gloucester won over Rovigo from 55-7 on Sunday and kept alive their possibility of making it to the quarter finals. Henry Trinder, Tim Taylor and Charlie Sharples all scored twice and Gloucester scored overall eight tries to claim their victory at Stadio
Mario Battaglini. Matt Cox and Jonny crossed, while Taylor converted three tries and Freddie Burns affixed nine more points in to the total with his boot to claim a perfect win.
This victory has shortened the gap between them and Pool 5 leadersLa Rochelle. But La Rochelle can deny Gloucester a place in top eight by victory next weekend. It was Trinder who initiated the damage against Rovigo and pounced in a slip in Cavalieri defense.
He scored his second try with the pass from Freddie Burns. Matt Cox, the number eight stormed through for the third try and Sharples charged in of his wing to earn a bonus point and then scored a second bonus from Olly Morgan’s off load.
The game slowed down during the second half, but was brought back to action later on with three more tries in final seven minutes of the game by Taylor and May.
Harlequins scored six tries against European newcomers Cavalieri Prato and won contentedly with a huge 48-16 score difference. The match was played in Italy and has created a winner-takes-all kind of game against Bourgoin next week. The match is between
the group rivals and thw winner will claim a home advantage in quarter finals.
First try was scored by Maurice Fa’asavalu in first twelve minutes and Danny Care followed him to take Harlequins to a 20-6 lead before the break. Second half was impressive as Harlequins wrapped up a bonus point win with four more tries. Sam Smith and Karl
Dickson scored two tries each.
Bayonne lost from Connacht with a 35-21 point difference and will face a lot of struggle to make it to the quarter finals. Keatley did all the damage for his side as he scored six penalties and a conversion. He scored 20 points alone, while penalty tries
from Fionn Carr and Brian Tuohy added to the final total of Connacht. Bayonne is now in need of a bonus point against Harlequins next weekend to make it to the last eight.
Exter Chiefs won a hard fought victory over Bourgoin in a 17-6 pool three match. A late, last three minute try by prop Hoani Tui confirmed their victory. Tom Johnson score prior to Tui’s try to add to the total for Rob Baxter’s side. Exeter will have their
last say at Montepellier for Pool 3, where a win will take them to quarter finals of Amlin Cup for the first time.
Sale Sharks gave an astonishing performance against Petrarca, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the battle for quarter finals. Sharks achieved a 54-0 thrashing victory, as they scored eight tries at Edgley Park to secure a bonus point victory in Pool
2.
Brive’s victory over Cetransa El Salvador confirmed the absence of Sharks from the last eight of Amlin Cup quarter finalists. Rob Miller scored a try and six conversions to give a 17 point contribution to the total. Cetransa remain seven points behind their
Pool 2 opponents with only one game remaining.
Newcastle Falcons are still hoping to win their first match in 2011 after being thrown out of the battle for last eight. They lost all the three games in Pool 3 including the one against Montpellier by 6-0. However, Montepellier failed to pick any bonus
point and is no more in race for the last eight, while opening gate for Exeter Chiefs, who are most likely to make it to the quarter finals after next week’s match.
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