European Challenge Cup Saturday Round Up

Flanker Matt Lacey crashed over in the eighth minute of injury time to give Connacht a thrilling European Challenge Cup win over Worcester at the Galway Sportsground.

The 22-21 victory avenges last weekend's result between the two sides, and leaves them neck-and-neck in the race for a Cup quarter-final spot.

Worcester hooker Chris Fortey rumbled over for the Warriors in the first half, with the boot of Australian Shane Drahm giving the leaders an 11-10 lead at halftime.

South African Thinus Delport extended the visitors' lead in the second spell, before Lacey's heroics stole the victory.

Worcester's bonus point for finishing within seven points gives them a one-point lead on the Pool 5 table, but Connacht have the easiest run in.

The Irish province are home to Montpellier and away to Italian minnows Catania - while Worcester face a tricky trip to the French club before they can start thinking about the playoffs.

At Kingsholm, Gloucester extended their Pool 3 lead with a 66-5 mauling of French minnows Toulon in front of 9,000 fans.

South African backrower Jake Boer and England winger James Simpson-Daniel scored try doubles as the Cherry and Whites ran riot.

They took a 28-5 lead into the break and scored six second-half tries to approach the 74-3 scoreline they racked up in France last weekend. The hard-working Boer and Simpson-Daniel are in stunning try-scoring form, with Boer bagging four in his past two European matches and Simpson-Daniel snatching six in the past three.

Gloucester's home Cup match against Bayonne next month will decide who tops the pool.

In Italy, Rugby Parma secured their first win of the competition with a 20-11 result over French club Pau.

Neither side have a chance of making the quarter-finals, and a penalty try and the boot of fullback Ezio Galon did the damage for the home side in front of 200 loyal fans at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.

Former Australian rugby league star Paul Franze snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for London Irish as the Exiles grabbed a crucial 32-24 win over Agen on French soil.

Having struggled to stay ahead through the combined boots of Riki Flutey and Barry Everitt in the first half, the Pool 2 leaders found themselves falling behind in the second spell as Agen picked up two tries to turn their 12-10 interval deficit into a 24-12 lead.

But Everitt chipped away at the lead with two more penalties, one in the 78th minute, before an amazing injury-time revival.

Franze's run, which took him past four defenders in a 30-metre run, took Irish to within a point and left Everitt needing only to hit the mark with a conversion in front of the posts to take his side back into the lead.

To add insult to the French club's injury, fullback Delon Armitage intercepted an Agen pass two metres out from their line as the Frenchmen tried to find a way back into the contest and he ran in for another try.

Everitt converted to make it 17 points in the final 12 minutes and make it four wins out of four for Irish to virtually guarantee them a quarter-final slot.

But across country, Border Reivers will struggle to make the quarter-finals after they were edged 34-28 by Brive.

Outside-half Charlie Hore kicked five goals, but it wasn't enough for the visitors, who must now beat Newcastle Falcons away to have any chance of advancing. Brive fullback Charly Platek scored two tries to help his side to a 17-6 lead at halftime.