Challenge Cup round-up: Cardiff shock Edinburgh, Pau edge French thriller and Falcons to meet Gloucester

Alex Broun 19:51 02/04/2018
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  • Newcastle's Alex Tait goes over for one of his two tries against Brive

    England may have been knocked out of the Champions Cup but the Premiership is still very much alive in the Challenge Cup with Gloucester and Newcastle both battling their way to the semi-finals.

    The other two teams to reach the top four are the Cardiff Blues who stunned Edinburgh at Murrayfield and Pau who knocked out Stade Francais in a high-scoring thriller.

    Here’s our wrap of the weekend’s action:

    Cherry and Whites on track for third decider in four years

    Gloucester survived a frantic finish to end Connacht’s unbeaten run in the Challenge Cup with a 33-28 quarter-final win at the Galway Sportsgrounds.

    Replacement Billy Twelvetrees’ 77th-minute penalty proved to be the final score of an eight-try thriller, as last year’s runners-up set up a home semi-final against English Premiership rivals Newcastle Falcons next month.

    Tries from James Hanson, Tom Marshall and man-of-the-match Henry Trinder had the Cherry and Whites 17-10 up at half-time, with returning Grand Slam winners Kieran Marmion and Bundee Aki touching down for Connacht.

    The hosts twice got back within two points thanks to second-half tries from Niyi Adeolokun and Matt Healy, but John Afoa’s 55th-minute score on his 100th club appearance – coupled with the place-kicking of Owen Williams (10 points) and Twelvetrees – had Gloucester out of reach.

    Gloucester have a proud record in the Challenge Cup and they are now one step away from reaching a third final in four years, which would be a superb achievement.

    Pau hang tough to oust Stade Francais in French thriller

    Pau hung on to beat holders Stade Francais 35-32 in a thrilling encounter to reach the semi-finals.

    Pau had looked to be cruising after establishing a 27-7 first-half lead, but their French rivals roared back and took the clash to the death at Stade du Hameau in Pau.

    However, Stade could not find the one late score they needed and Pau survived to reach their first semi-final since 2005, with surprise packets Cardiff their opponents in the last four.

    Jale Vatubua, Benson Stanley, Thibault Daubagna and Quentin Lespiaucq Brettes crossed for Pau’s tries, with Clement Daguin, Charlie Francoz, Djibril Camara and Marvin O’Connor responding for the fallen champions.

    Two defensive lapses cost Edinburgh dear as they crashed out of the European Challenge Cup in a 20-6 defeat to Cardiff.

    Edinburgh stunned at home by Blues

    Two defensive lapses cost Edinburgh as they crashed out of the Challenge Cup in a 20-6 defeat to Cardiff.

    Nathan Fowles and Blair Kinghorn each misjudged kicks to hand the Blues two simple first-half tries and send them through to the semi-finals after a a scrappy contest at Murrayfield.

    Danny Wilson’s side did not have to be at their best, but their kicking game caused all sorts of problems for the Edinburgh defence and proved enough to seal a spot in the final four of the competition, while Edinburgh’s attentions will quickly turn back to the domestic scene where they are looking to seal a play-off spot in the PRO14.

    The home team went into the break 11 points down, but they emerged from the tunnel with more intent for the second half as the two sides traded penalties.

    A stunning break from Kinghorn from inside his own half, hoping to make up for his earlier error, could have revived Edinburgh hopes, especially when Jenkins was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on near the try line.

    However the hosts were unable to make their advantage count as they wasted a two-on-one after a sustained period of pressure.

    That was as good as it got for Edinburgh as the Blues defence stuck to their task and maintained their 14-point lead that puts them into the final four with Gloucester, Newcastle and Pau.

    Newcastle rides the Flood to overcome Brive

    Newcastle’s terrific season continued when they moved into the semi-finals – but Brive made them work hard for their 25-10 victory at Kingston Park.

    It needed two second-half tries in the space of 10 minutes from winger Alex Tait – both engineered by Toby Flood – to break Brive’s resistance and set up a semi-final in Gloucester.

    There was little in the game until Tait’s double with Newcastle’s handling regularly letting them down.

    The hosts led 12-3 in the first half but then gifted Brive a try after a mix-up between Sam Stuart and Nili Latu gifted Brive their try with number eight Etienne Herjean snapping up the ball and racing 50 metres to score.

    The visitors were just two points down and the Falcons nearly handed the French side another through sloppy handling while on attack.

    But Flood’s brilliance resulting in Tait’s double saw them home after the break.

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