Connacht through with exhilarating win

Connacht 40 Narbonne 21

(Connacht win 51-46 on agg)

Connacht continued their fine record in Europe by overtuning a 14-point first-leg deficit against Narbonne to reach the second round of the European Challenge Cup.

Last season’s Cup semi-finalists went into the match at the Sportsground needing a 15-point victory after last weekend’s 11-25 loss in France, and came up trumps with an exciting 40-21 win.

Outside-half Paul Warwick was the hometown hero, scoring two tries and kicking a further 22 points in a superb individual performance.

The home side led 29-7 at the break, and a try to winger Conor McPhillips sealed the victory despite a brace of tries to winger Frederic Lartigue.

Connacht play another French club, Montpellier, in the second round.

In other matches, Beziers romped past Petrarca Rugby 69-18 to cruise into the second round with two victories.

Winger Philippe Escalle bagged a hat-trick as Beziers ran in 10 tries at the Stade de la Mediterranee, and his side play a tough Grenoble outfit in the next round.

Italian club Overmach Parma sneaked into a second-round series against Saracens with a 36-10 victory over Spanish outfit El Salvador. Parma needed to overturn a first-leg 24-point deficit and managed it by a mere two points.

They were helped by Irish referee David Keane, who awarded two penalty tries in a hard-fought tussle.