Saracens make it a home quarter

Saracens secured a home quarter-final in the European Challenge Cup with a convincing 24-3 victory over Stade Montois.

Saracens secured a home quarter-final in the European Challenge Cup with a convincing 24-3 victory over Stade Montois.

In soaking conditions, England centre Andy Farrell crashed over for his first try of the season in the 17th minute to set Saracens on track in the rain-lashed south of France.

Matias Aguero and Donald Barrell sealed an emphatic Pool Five win which took Saracens into the knock-out stages in Europe for the sixth time in seven years.

Stade Montois took the lead through Jean-Marc Mazonetto's penalty after four minutes at the Stade Guy Boniface.

Despite the wet weather, Gordon Ross levelled the match before the Scottish fly-half assisted Farrell, who used brute force to fend off three tacklers to score under the posts.

Ross converted and Saracens, led by England captain Steve Borthwick, displayed their supreme power and muscle up front to extend the lead five minutes later.

The visitors were dominating the scrum and Argentinian prop Aguero caught the hosts napping on the blind side to touch down. Ross converted for a comfortable 17-3 lead at half-time.

Saracens were never likely to match their 53-3 victory in the corresponding fixture although Barrell's converted try in the 47th minute edged them towards that target.

Fabio Ongaro's line-out was gathered by the impressive Kris Chesney and his offload allowed back-row forward Barrell in at the left corner.

Connacht bounced back from their worst European defeat last week at London Irish with a bonus-point victory against Dax to progress to the last eight as runners-up in Pool One.

Fionn Carr and Niva Ta'auso both scored twice at Connacht ran in seven tries in the 49-3 win at the Galway Sportsground. Sean Cronin, Liam Bibo and Gavin Duffy also scored.

Bourgoin beat Bucuresti 50-10 in Pool Three, although that result looks to be too little too late in their bid to reach the knock-out stage.