European Challenge Cup round-up: Gloucester, Newcastle, Sale and Worcester all win
A review of this weekend's action in the European Challenge Cup
Saturday review
Ollie Thorley scored a try in each half as Gloucester came from behind to claim a 33-26 bonus-point win over Zebre in European Challenge Cup Pool Three.
Trailing 19-14 at half-time after two early tries from the Italian side, Johan Ackermann's Cherry and Whites hit back after the break at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi to record their second win in the campaign.
Ruan Ackermann, Owen Williams and Richard Hibbard were the other try-scorers for Gloucester, with Williams adding four conversions.
Tries for Johan Mayer and Renato Giammarioli in the first 16 minutes - both converted by Carlo Canna - gave Zebre a flying start, with further scores from Tommaso Boni and Ciaran Gaffney, with Guglielmo Palazzani adding a conversion.
Newcastle secured a bonus point before half-time as they overcame an early tussle to power past Bordeaux Begles 52-24 at Kingston Park in Pool One.
Tries from Calum Green, Adam Radwan (two), Scott Wilson, Ben Sowery and Craig Willis gave the Falcons the advantage with the latter kicking four conversions. Yann Lesgourgues and Mathieu Jalibert scored for Bordeaux, with Jalibert also adding both conversions and a penalty.
Geoffrey Cros scored for Bordeaux after the break but Alex Tait and Josh Matavesi touched down for two converted tries to seal victory and move the Falcons top of the group.
Sale claimed their first win by toppling Pool Two leaders Cardiff Blues 24-0.
The Sharks took a 9-0 advantage into half-time thanks to three penalties by Alan MacGinty and added tries from Will Cliff and Marc Jones after the break, with a conversion and another penalty from MacGinty.
Worcester defeated winless Oyonnax 35-14 to move top of Pool Five.
The Warriors edged the first half 13-11 thanks to a converted try from Tom Howe, with fly-half Sam Olver also kicking two penalties. Hika Elliot crossed for Oyonnax with Christopher Ruiz on target with two penalties.
Howe scored his second try after the break, with Luke Baldwin and David Denton also crossing. Olver kicked two more conversions and a penalty, with Ruiz adding another.
Edinburgh maintained their perfect start to the competition with an eight-try 50-20 bonus-point win against London Irish in Pool Four.
Richard Cockerill's side took a 26-10 advantage to half-time despite Rory Sutherland's 18th-minute yellow card after tries from Stuart McInally, Blair Kinghorn and two from Phil Burleigh, while Ben Ransom crossed for the Exiles.
Sam Hidalgo-Clyne picked up with a try for Edinburgh seven minutes into the second half with Darcey Graham and Junior Rasolea touching down either side of Mike Coman's try for the visitors. Ben Meehan scored a late try for Irish with Sean Kennedy doing the same for the hosts.
Jaco Van Der Walt slotted three conversions and Kinghorn two, with Irish full-back Greig Tonks kicking one for the visitors.
In the other match, Connacht beat Brive 38-31 with Ultan Dillane, Kieran Marmion, Jack Carty and Kian Kelleher the tryscorers, with fly-half Carty also kicking four penalties and three conversions.
Mike Tadjer (two), Florian Cazanave, Julien Brugnaut and Guillaume Namy all crossed for Brive, with Gaeten Germain adding four conversions.
Friday review
Dragons moved to the top of Pool 1 of the Challenge Cup after beating basement side Enisei-STM 15-0 at Rodney Parade.
The Russian side, who lost both their opening fixtures, missed the chance to take the lead when Yury Kushnarev's 12th-minute penalty drifted wide at a time where they dominated possession and territory.
The home side were made to wait until the 23rd minute before they registered their first score which came courtesy of Adam Warren's unconverted try after good work by Arwel Robson.
In the 54th minute, Enisei-STM's resistance was broken for a second time when Angus O'Brien's grubber kick was grounded by Aaron Wainwright for his first try for the Dragons. The conversion was missed again by O'Brien as was his third after Warren scored his second of the game with nine minutes to play.
The Welsh side had to settle for the win without securing a bonus point.
Pau ensured they stayed top of Pool 3 after beating Agen 40-21 to maintain their 100 per cent start to the tournament.
The visitors raced into a 21-0 lead after just 15 minutes when Adrien Plante opened the scoring in the second minute before Malik Hamadache and Giovanni Kueffner followed him over the whitewash. Thibault Daubagna converted all three to put Agen under pressure.
Valentin Saurs and Akapusi Qera's tries before half-time reduced the deficit to 21-14 thanks to Hugo Verdu's conversions.
Plante against scored two minutes into the second half to secure the bonus point for Pau with Daubagna adding the extras to make it 28-14.
Agen capitalised on Pau being reduced to 13 men with Qera's second of the game and Verdu's conversion pulled Agen to within seven of their visitors.
But substitute Jeremy Hurou and Sean Dougall ensured Pau stayed top of the group as they finished the game on top.
Stade Francais made amends for losing to Krasny Yar in October by beating the Russians 39-24 in Paris to climb to second in Pool 4.
It was the Russians who made the better start and led 9-3 after 21 minutes thanks to two penalties and a drop goal from Lasha Malaguradze, with Shane Geraghty's penalty the only score for the Challenge Cup holders.
Jimmy Yobo's first try gave Stade Francais their first lead of the night, but another Malaguradze penalty edged Krasny Yar 12-10 in front.
Yobo's second try of the first half ensured the French side went in at the break leading 17-12.
Girogi Pruidze's converted try put Krasny Yar back in front before the lead changed for the seventh and final time when Geraghty's penalty put Stade Francais ahead 20-19.
Further tries from Siefried Fisiihoi, Romain Martial and Julien Arias ensured the defending champions got their first win of the tournament despite Sunia Latu's late try for the visitors.
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