Bristol win over Stade blows pool wide open

European Cup Round-up:Richard Hill described his team's memorable Heineken European Cup victory over the French champions Stade Français yesterday as "probably our best result of the last five years". Bristol blew Pool Three wide open by sending an off-colour Stade back to Paris reeling from a 17-0 defeat.

It was the first time the French side had ended scoreless in their nine seasons of European Cup rugby as centre Neil Brew's late try and four David Hill penalties saw Bristol home.

Bristol head coach Hill said: "To beat the French champions rates as an outstanding achievement. Our frontrow did a superb job, and our defence didn't allow Stade any time on the ball.

"We took a gamble playing against the wind in the first half, but the players worked exceptionally hard to make it difficult for Stade to come back."

Stade's defeat means Cardiff Blues hold a two-point lead at the group summit, but Bristol's battling performance has given them a fighting chance of reaching the quarter-finals in only their second cup campaign.

The only disappointment for Bristol was an ankle injury suffered by wing Tom Arscott.

Stade also suffered an injury setback, losing number eight Sergio Parisse with an ankle problem that could sideline him for some weeks.

Stade coach Fabien Galthie said: "I wasn't surprised by Bristol. They played well in the scrum, lineouts and defence.They played with more intensity than us. When we tried to put some more speed in our game during the second half Bristol still kept control."

London Irish and Leicester claimed impressive bonus-point wins - but a late penalty denied Saracens a famous victory over the 2006 runners-up, Biarritz.

London Irish moved top of Pool One by smashing their Rodney Parade hosts, Newport Gwent Dragons, 45-17, a triumph orchestrated by the 36-year-old England World Cup veteran Mike Catt.

The Exiles outhalf scored a try and was influential through an embarrassingly lopsided opening period when wing Tomas de Vedia (twice) and centre Delon Armitage also added touchdowns.

Catt said: "We would have been happy to collect an away point from Newport, so to get five points is pretty special. You are never in control of a Heineken Cup group, but it puts us in a good position.

"Claiming maximum points away from home in the Heineken Cup is something not many sides will do, so it does take the weight off our shoulders a little bit."

Leicester launched the Marcelo Loffreda coaching era at Welford Road with a 39-0 win against Andy Robinson's Edinburgh, posting five tries that included a touchdown for Ireland's Geordan Murphy.

Tigers now face Pool Six rivals Toulouse home and away next month, and Loffreda said: "Edinburgh can score points when they have possession, but they never got the ball."

A rueful Robinson admitted: "We were physically dominated. We were bullied the whole game, and I thought the referee got bullied as well. I didn't think we were allowed to scrummage the way we did last week, when we put Toulouse under pressure."

It was heartbreak for Saracens in Pool Four, as scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili's strike saw Biarritz home 22-21 at Parc des Sports Aguilera.

Saracens scored three tries to one, but were punished for conceding too many penalties.

Rugby director Alan Gaffney said: "I can't say we were robbed, but I am definitely disappointed with the result. It was very hard to live with the penalty count, but the last penalty was definitely legitimate, I have no doubts about it.

"Although I thought we played well enough to win, conceding nine penalties is not on."

Harlequins' hopes of winning Pool Three nosedived after the group leaders, Cardiff Blues, held them to a 13-13 draw at the Twickenham Stoop.

Number eight Nick Easter scored a try for the home side, but Cardiff - European Cup underachievers for so long - denied them a victory they desperately needed.

"We had 70 per cent of the lineout possession, our scrum was pretty good and from a territorial point of view it was probably 60-40, but we didn't capitalise on it."

The Wasps head coach, Ian McGeechan, hailed a "tremendous performance" by the European Cup holders that effectively ended Llanelli Scarlets' challenge and kept his team on course to make English rugby history.

No Premiership club has won three European titles, but Wasps are chasing that ground-breaking achievement after crushing Llanelli 33-17 at Stradey Park.

The bonus-point win, in which centre Fraser Waters grabbed two tries, took them top of Pool Five, ahead of Munster, and set them up for back-to-back clashes with Clermont Auvergne next month.