Unbeaten Heineken Cup Pool 5 leaders Newcastle Falcons lost their grip on the Powergen Cup as they were beaten by European Challenge Cup quarter-finalists Saracens in the sixth round of the English competition.
England World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson paved the way for a last gasp try for Mike Stephenson to bring the Falcons back into a game they looked well and truly out of at half-time when they trailed 17-5 at Vicarage Road, but the visitors' captain could only hit the upright with his conversion attempt.
That meant the Saracens were able to hang on to their two point lead, 22-20, and progress through to the quarter-finals and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2005/2006 Heineken Cup by capturing the Powergen Cup title once again.
Also into the hat for the draw for the last eight are Heineken Cup sides Gloucester, Bath, Northampton Saints and London Wasps, while Sale Sharks and Leeds Tykes will keep the flag flying for the Challenge Cup and European Shield tournaments.
London Irish also qualified for the semi-finals thanks to a 79th minute drop goal from Mike Catt which gave them a 9-7 victory at Worcester.
Gloucester were good value for their 20-13 victory at Leicester, where two tries in the space of two minutes, one of them a penalty try, turned the game in their favour, while Bath ran in three tries at The Recreation Ground to sink NEC Harlequins 33-7.
Northampton notched their first victory over English opposition since 11 September with six tries in a morale boosting 41-8 home triumph over First Division Bedford, while reigning Heineken Cup champions
London Wasps needed extra-time to overpower the First Division leaders Bristol.
Mark Van Gisbergen conjured up 23 points for Wasps to save their skin at the Memorial Ground after the home side had hit back from a 24-13 interval deficit to make it 33-33 at the end of normal time.
The game remained deadlocked throughout the first 10 minutes of extra-time before Van Gisbergen landed another penalty and then converted a fourth try for the visitors by Tom Rees to make it 43-33.
Challenge Cup side Sale Sharks were too strong for battling Division One outfit Plymouth Albion, running in five tries in a 38-18 home win, European Shield Leeds Tykes, while European Shield hopefuls Leeds Tykes romped home 81-17 against last season's giant killers Pertemps Bees.
