EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP:ENGLISH CLUBS will be at home in all four quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup. Top seeds London Irish entertain Bourgoin, Northampton host Connacht, Saracens face an all English Premiership clash at home to Newcastle, while Worcester meet Brive at Sixways.
Connacht ran in seven tries against an inexperienced Dax side at the Sportsground on Friday night and now must travel to Northampton in the last eight.
Newcastle Falcons reached the quarter-finals yesterday with a convincing bonus-point win at El Salvador. The Falcons ran in seven tries in Spain to move above Overmach Parma with a 43-14 victory which booked their place away to Saracens in the last eight.
Flanker Phil Dowson set the Guinness Premiership side on their way to a 29-0 interval lead in Pool Four with the opening try in the ninth minute.
The forwards domination continued as hooker Rob Vickers, lock Tim Swinson and prop Jon Golding also scored - before wing Danny Williams crossed for Newcastle's fifth try inside the opening 31 minutes.
El Salvador got their first points on the board when scrumhalf Aaron Good touched down in the 42nd minute.
But the visitors cruised into the quarter-finals when scrumhalf Micky Young and replacement Matt Thompson scored either side of Gaston Szabo's consolation for the hosts.
Bristol were the only English side who failed to make the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup despite their 25-14 victory against Montpellier. The Premiership outfit needed eight tries to overcome French side Bourgoin to secure a last eight spot but they only managed three through David Lemi, Shaun Perry and Redford Pennycook at the Memorial Stadium.
London Irish qualified for the quarter-finals as top seeds following their 23-9 Pool One win at Rovigo on Saturday. Tries from Kieran Roche, Adam Thompstone and Dominic Shabbo held off a stubborn effort from the Italians.
Northampton finished as the second-ranked side after keeping up their 100 per cent record in the Challenge Cup with a routine seven-try victory over Toulon. Number eight Mark Easter, brother of England forward Nick, scored in either half to set the Saints on their way to a fifth bonus point at Franklin's Gardens.
Worcester secured a home quarter-final draw against Brive following their emphatic 68-17 success over Petrarca which saw them top Pool Three. The Warriors ran in 10 tries to overtake their last-eight opponents from France amid speculation head coach Clive Griffiths is set to quit the club for personal reasons next week.
