Bristol put one foot into the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a superb win over Bayonne in France on Friday..
The Guinness Premiership front-runners made it three from three in the tournament with the 38-17 victory, and only a shock loss at Newport Gwent Dragons in January will prevent Bristol from earning a top-two spot in the Cup's final eight.
Coach Richard Hill admitted things couldn't have gone better on the night.
He said: "We arrived wanting a win and a bonus point for four tries, but there was a gale-force wind and rain, so it didn't look good.
"But we managed three tries in the first half and we had a great halftime speech from skipper Gareth Llewellyn, and then Shaun Perry scored our fourth try two minutes into the second half. Job done.
"We've put ourselves in a very good position to make the quarter-finals - the ball is in our court. We were aiming for a top-four finish so we could have a home quarter-final.
"We should beat Bayonne next week, so we then need to go to Newport and beat the Dragons."
Former Wales international Craig Morgan scored the opening try to help Bristol to a 19-3 halftime lead, and further five-pointers from
England scrum-half Perry and Morgan put the result beyond doubt before Bayonne hit back with two late scores.
Fellow English club Newcastle's hopes of European silverware took a severe battering, with Montauban emerging 16-10 victors from a monumental forward battle at Stade de Sapiac.
With a loss to Brive already under their belt, the Falcons need a lot of results to go their way if they want to have a say in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals. Prop Micky Ward was Newcastle's unlikely try-scorer to keep his side in the game at 10-all at halftime, but the weather prevented any free-flowing moves in the second spell and it was left to Romanian international Petre Mitu to kick the winning goals.
Connacht's hopes of some playoff action died six weeks ago, but they sent Montpellier packing with a four-try 26-13 win in the rain at the
Sportsground. Hooker Adrian Flavin scored a first-half brace of tries to give the Irish province a match-winning 19-6 lead at halftime, and centre Gavin Williams scored late to put matters beyond doubt.
The Newport Gwent Dragons thumped Romanian side Bucuresti 66-10 at Rodney Parade to set up a Pool decider against Bristol in the new year.
Winger Nathan Brew and Wales fullback Kevin Morgan scored try doubles, with forwards Adam Black, Ian Gough and Colin Charvis also crossing in an embarrassingly one-sided encounter.
In Pool 4, Glasgow kept the pressure on leaders NEC Harlequins with a 51-7 mauling of Narbonne. The Scots ran in six tries, with fly-half Dan Parks adding five conversions and three penalty goals.
