Brive pack wears down Llanelli

LLANELLI'S hopes of joining Cardiff in the Heineken European Cup semi-finals in January were left in tatters at Brive yesterday. They were out-gunned by the French side from the opening and although they never ran up the white flag they were soundly beaten.

Brive, by winning all their earlier group matches, will now have home advantage when Cardiff try to match their feat of last season by reaching the final.

But they face a formidable semi-final hurdle against a jumbo Brive pack who simply wore Llanelli down and forced them to concede a string of penalties. Centre Christophe Lamaison was presented with 10 penalty chances, taking seven and converting both the home team tries for 25 points.

The fact that Llanelli matched Brive try for try is a credit to their never-say-die defence, although there was nothing they could do when big number eight Thierry Labrousse stormed away from a scrum for their first after just seven minutes.

And, with Lamaison getting plenty of goalkicking practice, they were 19 points clear in the same number of minutes before Scarlets skipper Ieuan Evans, struck for the first of his two tries, winning the chase for a kick ahead from Wayne Proctor.

Centre David Venditti got Brive's second try before half-time and they were 25 points clear before Evans struck again, sprinting over from a penalty.

Fly-half Frano Botica converted both his captain's tries but they were little more than defiant gestures against a team that is going to take some stopping.

Wasps have moved above champions Bath in the Courage League first division following their 22-20 victory at London Irish. The London club are now second behind leaders Harlequins on points difference, but they were given a huge fright by relegation-haunted Irish.

Tries by skipper Lawrence Dallalgio and wings Paul Sampson and Shane Roiser, plus two conversions and a penalty from fullback Jon Ufton, saw Wasps home despite Irish fly-half David Humphreys's 15-point contribution and a Paul Richards try.

Gloucester overhauled eighth-placed Bristol and left Orrell still without a win after romping home 49-3 at Edge Hall Road.

Centre Alastair Saverimutto scored two tries, with scrum-half Scott Benton, prop Tony Windo, wing Audley Lumsden and number eight Ed Pearce also crossing. Fly-half Mark Mapletoft kicked 19 points.

Second division leaders Richmond coasted past 500 points for the season in drubbing Nottingham 70-5 and are still three clear of title favourites Newcastle who won 28-12 at London Scottish.

Fellow promotion challengers Coventry slipped up, beaten 30-23 by improving Bedford who have lost only one league match since mid-September.

Moseley moved off the foot of the table on points difference despite losing at Rotherham, and Waterloo overwhelmed Rugby ahead of today's expected announcement to confirm former Leicester supremo Tony Russ as their new coaching director.