European Challenge Cup Saturday round up

Worcester and London Irish got their European Challenge Cup campaigns off to the perfect start with massive wins.

The Warriors scored nine tries in a 55-6 win against Petraca in Northern Italy, while the Exiles crossed for 12 tries of their own as they crushed Rovigo 78-3 at the Madejski Stadium.

New signing Chris Latham scored a first-half hat-trick for Worcester who led 38-6 after 40 minutes, while Irish had themselves established a 49-3 lead at the half-time interval.

With Worcester finishing as runners up in the same competition earlier this year and Irish reaching the final four of last season's Heineken Cup, the two Guinness Premiership sides had been expecting to start strongly.

They did just that as made light work of their Italian opposition.

Centre Alex Grove crossed twice for Worcester, with New Zealanders Rico Gear, Greg Rawlinson and Sam Tuitupou and home-gown wing Charlie Fellows also on the scoresheet.

Mike Ruddock's men had secured a try-scoring bonus point inside 33 minutes at the Stadio Plebiscito thanks to Grove's third-minute opener and Latham's hat-trick.

Matthew Jones added four conversions and Latham one, with Petraca's only points coming from the boot of former Gloucester outside-half Ludovic Mercier.

Elvis Seveali'i scored twice for London Irish, as did replacement Peter Richards, as they recorded their biggest margin of victory and their highest-ever score in a European fixture.

Sailosi Tagicakibau, Seilala Mapusua, Paul Hodgson, Delon Armitage, Topsy Ojo and Shane Geraghty added the other tries, with Rovigo also conceding a penalty try after 32 minutes.

Former New South Wales Warratahs full back Peter Hewat kicked eight conversions for Irish, with Delon Armitage also adding an extra two points.

All Rovigo could muster was a single penalty from right wing Stefan Basson during the early stages of the first-half.

In the final game of the day, there was a comfortable 63-0 win for the Falcons over Spansih side Cetransa El Salvador