Amlin Challenge Cup - Round 3
Chiefs give Dragons the chop
ESPNscrum Staff
December 11, 2011

Exeter Chiefs remain on course for this season's Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals following an 18-6 victory over Pool 4 rivals the Dragons at Sandy Park on Sunday.

Fly-half Ignacio Mieres proved to be the home side's matchwinner with four first half penalties and two more after the break with the visitors limited to just two Steffan Jones kicks. As a result, the Premiership side top the pool at the halfway mark - one-point ahead of the Dragons - with a trip to Rodney Parade awaiting them next week.

In the other Pool 4 clash, Perpignan got their campaign back on track with a thumping 54-20 victory over Cavalieri Prato on Friday night. Beaten by the Dragons in their last outing, the struggling Top 14 side recovered some form to notch eight tries and a bonus point against their Italian opponents. Lock Romain Taofifenua led the way with two tries while the Catalans' forward dominance was also rewarded with two penalty tries. Winger Julien Candelon and replacements Nicoals Laharrague, Adrien Plante and Yoann Vivalda also crossed the whitewash with fly-half Gilles Bosch landing seven conversions.

Bayonne usurped London Wasps at the top of Pool 3 with a 19-11 victory over the Premiership outfit at the Stade Jean Dauger on Saturday night. Wasps had taken maximum points from their previous two outings against Bordeaux and Rovigo but after a reasonably encouraging opening quarter, they came off a clear second best against a fired-up Bayonne side with a Yoann Huget try and four penalties from Benjamin Boyet seeing them home. Elsewhere in Pool 3, Bordeaux Begles racked up their first win by defeating Rovigo 31-7 at the Stadio Mario Battaglini.

Jonny Wilkinson watched on from the sidelines as his former club Newcastle Falcons beat Toulon 6-3 in their Pool 2 clash at Kingston Park on Thursday night. The England fly-half, who left Newcastle for the south of France three years ago, was an unused substitute with two Jimmy Gopperth penalties carrying the hosts home. In the other game in Pool 2, Lyon saw off Petrarca Padova, as expected, but the Top 14 outfit failed to pick up a bonus point in their 31-16 victory over the Italians at the Stade Matmut.

Worcester Warriors coach Richard Hill will have been a relieved man after his side were pushed all the way before beating Pool 1 minnows Bucharest Wolves 24-13 in Romania. Worcester needed a win to keep their hopes of a place in the quarter-finals alive and remain in touch with Pool leaders Stade Francais. They were only 12-6 ahead late in the second half, but eventually secured a bonus-point victory with tries from Josh Drauniniu, Jake Abbott, Andy Short and James Currie.

Stade Francais made it three wins from three games in Pool 1 with a predictably facile victory over Crociati at the Stadio XXV Aprile. Michael Cheika's men racked up 57 unanswered points in total, with Alex Rokokaro helping himself to a hat-trick of tries, Sergio Parisse dotting twice and Julien Arias, Morgan Turinui, Antoine Burban and Djibril Camara all crossing once.

Brive maintained their 100 percent winning record in Pool 5 with a 47-18 victory over a game but ultimately outclassed La Vila side at Beltrametti. Jacques Boussuge notched a hat-trick, Sevania Galala touched down twice while Guillaume Namy and Louis Acosta both contributed one try apiece. Their Spanish hosts managed two tries of their own, through Marcos Poggi and Juanma Quirante Carmona.

Sale Sharks remain on their heels following an emphatic 29-14 victory over Agen at the Stade Armandie in France. The Sharks had secured the try bonus point by half time as they went into the break 29-7 up and held off Agen's attempted fight to secure a morale-boosting win.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.