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Champions Cup: Bears outlast than Bulls in remarkable 16-try shootout, Glasgow advance

Bears now top pool four
Bears now top pool four

Bristol ran riot in a remarkable first half to secure their place in the Investec Champions Cup knockout phase with a 61-49 victory over the Bulls in Pretoria.

The South African hosts fielded 10 Springboks in their starting XV in the hope of registering a first win of the group campaign yet were still swept aside at Loftus Versfeld.

Bristol started like a freight train, running in three tries inside the opening 10 minutes and seven in total to build an interval 47-28 lead.

Wing Noah Heward crossed twice and there were also touch downs for Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Max Lahiff, Kalaveti Ravouvou and former Ireland international scrum-half Kieran Marmion.

The Bulls offered more resistance in the second half but Bristol continued to fire shots with Heward completing his hat-trick, Pedro Rubiolo breaching the whitewash and Ravouvou running in his second.

A third win in as many outings in the competition lifts the Bears to the top of Pool 4 above main rivals Northampton and Bordeaux, who collide at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday.

Glasgow Warriors are guaranteed a spot in the last-16 of the Champions Cup after claiming a third bonus-point win on the spin by beating Clermont Auvergne 33-21.

After edging out Sale in their Pool A opener and then hitting back from 21-0 down to stun six-time champions Toulouse last month, the Warriors took charge at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin.

First-half tries from Euan Ferrie, Huw Jones, Kyle Steyn and Jack Dempsey, three converted by George Horne, helped the visitors establish a 26-7 lead at the break, with George Moala scoring for Clermont.

But Patrick Schickerling was yellow carded for offside, with Horne joining him in the sin bin for a deliberate knock on, with Clermont awarded a penalty try and Glasgow down to 13 men.

Clermont capitalised on the two-man advantage as Irae Simone touched down, closing the gap to five points just after the hour, but Steyn's second try made sure of a Glasgow win.

Having made sure of a spot in the knockout stages, Glasgow could claim top spot in their group by beating Saracens at Scotstoun next weekend.

A dominant second-half display gave Sale a 26-10 win over South African side Sharks and a spot in the last 16.

The visitors went ahead through Siya Masuku's penalty but Sale led 7-3 at half-time thanks to a try from Rekeiti Ma’asi-White.

Ten minutes into the second half Bevan Rodd popped up at the back of the maul to score.

Five minutes later George Ford and Obi Ene combined to put Tom O’Flaherty over in the corner.

Sharks responded when Manu Tshituka charged past Ford to score and Masuku’s conversion brought them to within nine points.

But Sale went straight back up the other end with O’Flaherty getting the bonus-point try and Ford adding his third conversion.

Scarlets missed out on a first win in Pool 4 after a see-saw 47-38 defeat by Pau.

The Welsh side led through a Joe Hawkins penalty but two minutes later they conceded the opening try to Toshi Butlin.

After 10 minutes Butlin had his second from a long pass out from Axel Desperes, and shortly after Clement Mondinat went over for try number three.

Home skipper Josh Macleod scored twice either side of former Scarlet Carwyn Tuipulotu barging his way over for Pau, and from 26-10 down Scarlets were just two points behind at half-time through Archie Hughes' try.

They edged ahead moments after the restart when Taine Plumtree burst through and Hawkins increased the lead to 12.

But Pau hit back through Remi Seneca, Theo Attissogbe and Siate Tokolahi to secure the victory.

Billy Searle scored a nine-minute hat-trick as Leicester cruised past Bayonne 57-14 to keep their Investec Champions Cup knockout hopes alive.

Leicester sewed up the bonus point before half-time as flying wing Adam Radwan went over twice and Tommy Reffell and Cameron Henderson also crossed.

It was the Searle show at the start of the second half as the fly-half waltzed in three times between the 48th and 57th minutes.

Captain Ollie Chessum and Emeka Ilione completed the scoring in a one-sided second period, as Searle added five conversions to finish with 25 points.

Bayonne only managed two tries through full-back Tom Spring and prop Emosi Tumania and will not feature in the knockout stages.

Leicester, who lost their opening two games in Europe to La Rochelle and Leinster, must beat unbeaten Stormers in their final group game to progress.

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