Leeds off to a winnign start, Connacht falter

Leeds Carnegie shrugged off their Premiership blues to take pole position in Pool Five of the European Challenge Cup at Headingley tonight with a 35-18 win over Castres Olympique, while Connacht lost away at Brive.

With only one win in six Premiership games, the English club scored five tries overcoming the tough French side and with home-and-away matches against minnows Calvisano and Dax to come, Stuart Lancaster’s men must rate their chances of a berth in the quarter-finals.