Three games took place in the Euroepan Challenge Cup on Friday, and there were some surprises in the mix
Bristol - who had lost six from six on the domestic front - made a dream start to their European Challenge Cup campaign but then faded away to make it a seventh straight defeat of the season as they went down 33-15 at Montpellier.
However, they could not have asked for a better start at Stade Yves du Manoir, pouncing on a mistake by Justin Marshall for full back Vunga Lilo to smash through the home defence and send wing Lee Robinson in at the corner with a first minute try.
Eight minutes later they got their second - an absolute cracker of a try - with Kevin Maggs prominent for young No 8 Iain Grieve to finish off a flowing length of the field score that outside half Adrian Jarvis converted.
He also added a penalty goal but in a magnificent exhibition of first half attacking rugby Montpellier scored two superb tries of their own through Francois Trinh-Duc and Thierry Brana and went ahead towards the end of the half as Federico Todeschini added 10 points with the boot.
The second half was a pale shadow of the first as Montpellier cruised home with a third try scored by Pieter van Niekerk to leave Bristol without a point.
Connacht Rugby did make a wining start to their campaign, beating Dax 30-12 at Stade Maurice Boyau, with outside half Ian Keatley kicking 15 of their points while Bayonne lost 21-10 at home to Viadana.
Italian international Kaine Robertson was Viadana's hero as he came off the bench in Bayonne to score the try that made victory safe in Pool 5.
The visitors had edged their noses infront, having found themselves 10-7 adrift at the break, thanks to a try from their Fijian international wing Isy Coalala shortly after the re-start, but it was Robertson's 74th minute effort that ensured a famous win on the road for the Italians.
Things started well enough for the home side with French international fullback Pepito Elhorga skipping away for a try at the end of the first quarter which Daniel Larrachea converted. Viadana responded with a try from full back Steve Bortolussi which Gary Law converted, but Larrachea's 34th minute penalty gave the home side a small lead at the break.
Then came those two crucial tries from the Viadana back line, with Coalala giving his team the lead and Robertson rounding things off.
