Lam wants repeat performance

Connacht coach Pat Lam admits his side must put on a repeat performance next Saturday if they want to beat Heineken Cup rivals Toulouse for a second time in a week.

The Galway outfit pulled off one of the biggest wins in their history with a 16-14 over triumph over the French side at Stade Ernest Wallon to put them back in the hunt for a quarter-final place.

Connacht were outscored two tries to one but Kieran Marmion’s second-half effort combined with 11 points from the boot of fly-half Dan Parks saw them claim a huge scalp.

The victory takes them to within one point of the top in Pool 3 - held by Toulouse and Saracens on 10 points – with three games to play.

They now host the four-time European champions next weekend but Lam says the side must play with the same belief as they did on Sunday.

He said: “We had a lot of belief coming to this game. We have a team with no superstars – we just had to make sure that everyone did their job.

“There was a lot of trust out there – I’m very proud of that. We’re alive, and now we have to go and do the same in our own backyard.

“This will be a big effort, because we’ll face a hurting Toulouse team.

“They’re going to be written off and told how bad they are. They’ll come to us fired up.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh boss Alan Solomons admits his side’s hopes of reaching the knock-out rounds are hanging by a thread after they were beaten 23-12 by Gloucester at Murrayfield.

A Rob Cook try and a double from Martyn Thomas in-between scores from the Gunners Grieg Tonks and David Denton saw the Cherry and Whites to the victory which moves them up to second spot in Pool 6.

Solomons said: “The odds are definitely stacked against us. When you lose a home game it makes it very difficult. It doesn’t mean you are out but it makes it very difficult.”

Munster now top the Scots’ group after their 36-8 bonus-point win over Perpignan at Thomond Park.

But their head coach Rob Penney insists his side will face a “massive challenge” in France next Saturday, despite their huge win.

Munster outscored Perpignan by five tries to one in the first of the sides’ back-to-back matches, moving two points clear of Gloucester at the top of Pool 6.

Penney said: “It is a massive challenge going to Perpignan next week, with the passion and fervour they have for the game down there. It is something we are used to here, but rather than be at our backs, it will be in our faces this time round.”

In Pool 5, Leicester also claimed a bonus point as Miles Benjamin scored twice in two minutes during a spirited 41-32 win over Montpellier at Welford Road.