Heineken Cup round up

Nick Evans slotted a last-gasp drop-goal as Harlequins rescued a late losing bonus-point in Clermont to keep their hopes of qualification alive.
Quins went down for the second consecutive week but losing 23-16 means they have two points to their name and remain in the race for an eventual qualification for the quarter-finals.
Lee Byrne, Wesley Fofana and Thierry Lacampe put the French side 20-3 up inside 25 minutes.
Byrne was sent to the bin and, on stroke of half-time, Tom Williams reduced the gap to 20-13 at the break.
Brock James kicked a penalty early to open a ten point gap but Quins managed to stay in the game and Nick Evans salvaged the losing bonus-point
Two second-half tries helped Glasgow claim a 20-16 win over Exeter to throw the race for qualification in pool 2 wide open.
With Cardiff Blues stunning Toulon at the Arms Park yesterday, all teams have a win and a defeat to their name but Toulon and the Chiefs leads the packs thanks to two bonus-point.
Gareth Steenson spent ten minutes in the bin but he had time to put the Chiefs 9-6 in front kicking three penalties against two from Ruaridh Jackson.
Lock Tim Swinson and Tyrone Holmes sealed the win in the second half but Dave Ewers rescued the crucial losing bonus-point for the English side five minutes from time.
Northampton got their Heineken Cup campaign back on track with a 27-16 success over the Ospreys at Franklin’s Gardens.
With both sides losing in the opening round last week, it was do or die and it would take a miracle for Ospreys to now qualify for the play-offs.
Meanwhile, the Saints will go into their back-to-back clash against Leinster with a chance of coming out of the group of death.
Stephen Myler got the English side on the board in the first minute with Samu Manoa’s clear run from the back of the scrum made it 10-0 after ten minutes.
Dan Biggar reduced the gap for the Welsh with two penalties but Christian Day went over in the corner for a 17-6 lead at the break.
Biggar brought the Welsh back in the game converting his own try under the posts but Ben Foden put Saints back on the front foot on the hour mark for the home side’s third try.
The Ospreys were again within striking range soon after though as Biggar kicked his third penalty of the game.
It was the closest they got though and, without a single point to their name after two rounds, their European campaign looks well and truly over.
Meanwhile in France, Perpignan ran a second-half riot beating Edinburgh 31-14 at Aime Giral.
Edinburgh were looking to back up their shock win against Munster last week but they had no answer to the French side’s flair and will go back to Scotland empty handed.
James Hook slotted an early penalty but Tim Visser edged the Scots ahead on stroke of half-time with a well-taken try in a very tight encounter.
In front of their vocal crowd, the French were off to a flying start in the second half and two quick tries from full-back Joffrey Michel and replacement winger Wandie Mjekevu put the hosts 17-7 in front.
The momentum had swung as Justin Purll and Mjekevu with his second secured the try bonus-point taking the game away from Edinburgh just after the hour mark.
No.8 Cornell du Preez grabbed a consolation try for Edinburgh but it was too little too late.
Munster went back to winning ways beating Gloucester 26-10 at Thomond Park tonight.
Ian Keatley put Munster 9-0 up with three penalties but it was Gloucester who scored the opening try of the game as scrum-half Dan Robson sent winger Charlie Sharples over in the corner.
Damien Varley extended the lead from a well-worked lineout drive but Jonny Bentley kicked a penalty for the Cherry and Whites to only trail 16-10 at the break.
Keatley added a penalty before Johne Murphy sealed the win for Munster with just over ten minutes to go collecting a pin-point cross-field kick from Keatley.
Meanwhile, the Scarlets gave away a 23-10 lead to concede a 26-26 draw against Racing Metro at Parc Y Scarlets.
Scott Williams and Rhodri Williams answered a try from Wanceslas Lauret to help the Welsh region to a 20-10 lead at the break.
Rhys Priestland added two penalties in the second half for the home side but a try from No.8 Masi Matadigo and three penalties from Jonny Sexton saw the French level the score and rescue the draw.
Leinster have made it two from two with a gutsy 19-7 win over Castres at the RDS.
Jimmy Gopperth put the Irish 9-0 in front with three penalties but the Top 14 champions got on the board as scrum-half Rory Kockott raced down the touchline to score and make it 9-7 at half-time.
Castre centre Remy Lamerat was sent to the bin for not using his arms in the tackle after 55 minutes and soon after replacement prop Jack McGrath barged his way over by the side of the posts to open a crucial lead.
Gopperth slotted his fourth of the game as Castres finished the game with 14 men as Julien Tomas was sent to the bin but nearly secured the losing bonus-point with Pedrie Wannenburgh being held just short of the line.
Sevens start Gareth Davies scored a late try as the Cardiff Blues beat the reigning Heineken Cup Champions Toulon 19-15 at the Arms Park.
With the weather playing a big part, neither could put their game in place and it looked like Toulon was heading for a win when Jonny Wilkinson kicked his fifth penalty of the game putting the French 15-12 in front with nine minutes to go.
But Davies, who came off the bench four minutes earlier, darted over with a brilliant solo run to clinch the win and put the Welsh back on track after last week’s thumping in Exeter.
Toulon had one last go but they had to do with a losing bonus-point.
Over in France, Ulster confirmed their win over Leicester last week with a 25-8 success against Montpellier.
Andrew Trimble scored a superb try to help the Irish side to a 7-3 lead at the interval.
Ruan Pienaar extended the gap with a penalty but Yoan Audrin made it a two-point game with 30 minutes left on the clock.
That was the closest they got though as Pienaar secured the vital away win with four further penalties and Paddy Jackson one.
Over in Parma, Dan Parks kicked 23 points from the tee as Connacht claimed a 33-6 win over Zebre.
No.8 George Naoupu crashed over in the first half while four penalties from Park helped the Irish to a 19-3 at the break.
The former Scotland international added three penalties before Mata Fifita went over to round up a fine win in Italty.
Yesterday, France No.8 Louis Picamoles scored a crucial late try as Toulouse stunned Saracens 17-16 in front of a record crowd at Wembley.
The French giants are now in pole position to win the group and qualify for the quarter-finals with nine points from their opening two games while Saracens have five.
Chris Wyles put Sarries 7-0 in front early but, as David Strettle was sent to the bin, hooker Christopher Tolofua leveled the score from the back of a lineout drive.
That was it from the French in the first half though as Owen Farrell slotted two penalties for a 13-7 lead at the break.
Farrell extended the gap with his third penalty of the game but Jean-Marc Doussain put Toulouse back in losing bonus-point territory with a penalty with 10 minutes to go.
The French seemed to have found a new lease of life by then and Picamoles sealed the deal with ten minutes to go as Farrell missed a last-gasp drop goal.
Meanwhile, Leicester went back to winning ways with a 34-3 success over Treviso at Welford Road with Adam Thompstone securing the try bonus-point on the last play of the game.
Two penalties from Toby Flood put the Premiership champions 6-0 up but they had to wait until the 39th minute to get their first try.
As they earned a penalty five metres out, they went for the corner and it paid off with Thomas Waldrom barging his way over from the resulting catch and drive.
Flood converted for a 13-0 lead at half-time.
Tobias Botes put the Italians on the board but they had to play with 13 men five minutes later when captain Antonio Pavanello and Christian Loamanu were sent to the bin in quick succession.
The Tigers made them pay instantly as Tom Youngs made it 20-3 from the back of another lineout drive.
American winger Blaine Scully added a third with 15 minutes left on the clock before Thompstone clinched the five game points late.
Read the full report and analysis from these two games in Sunday’s copy of The Rugby Paper.
Find all the team sheets for the rest of the second round of the Heineken Cup here.
While the teams for the English and Welsh teams involved in the Amlin Challenge Cup can be found here.