Newcastle 25-10 Brive: Falcons book place in Challenge Cup semi-finals
Last Updated: 30/03/18 11:14pm
Newcastle's terrific season continued when they moved into the European Challenge Cup semi-finals - but Brive made them work hard for their 25-10 victory at Kingston Park.
It needed two second-half tries in the space of 10 minutes from winger Alex Tait - both engineered by Toby Flood - to break Brive's resistance and set up a semi-final against either Connacht at home or Gloucester away.
There was little in the game until Tait's double with Newcastle's handling letting them down often.
The hosts led 12-3 in the first half but then gifted Brive a try and nearly handed the French side another through sloppy handling while on attack.
Big lock Sean Robinson's charge up the left saw the ball being recycled inside and Sam Lockwood burst through and delivered an excellent reverse pass for fellow prop Scott Wilson to score and Flood's conversion made it 7-0 in the 18th minute.
Brive got three points back when Nili Latu went over the ball and Nicolas Bezy kicked an easy 21st-minute penalty.
But Newcastle struck again with a tearing run by Ryan Burrows and the Falcons won quick ball at the ruck for Zach Kibirige to score in style for 12-3, Flood shaving the post with the conversion.
A mix-up between Sam Stuart and Latu gifted Brive their first try with No 8 Etienne Herjean snapping up the ball and racing 50 metres to score and with Bezy converting, they were just two points down after 28 minutes.
The French outfit could have led when Latu threw a wild pass over the shoulder from a scrum break close to the Brive line and big centre Seremaia Burotu rampaged away - it needed a great tackle from Josh Matavesi on the Falcons 22 to prevent a try.
Newcastle were twice over the line early in second half but Chris Harris was held up and then the rolling maul was inconclusive and Brive did well to gain a penalty and clear.
Flood then gave Newcastle a real lift with a surging run and half dummy before throwing out a long pass for Tait to score in the corner in the 58th minute for 17-10.
He then repeated the trick after some big drives by the forwards in the 67th minute, Tait finishing well again to make it 22-10 and end Brive's resistance.
Right on time, Joel Hodgson added a penalty for Newcastle to send the 4,053 crowd home happy.
Pau 35-32 Stade Francais
Elsewhere on Friday night, Pau hung on to beat holders Stade Francais 35-32 in a thrilling encounter to reach the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup.
Pau had looked to be cruising after establishing a 27-7 first-half lead, but their French rivals roared back and took the clash to the death at Stade du Hameau.
However, Stade could not find the one late score they needed and Pau survived to reach their first semi-final since 2005, with Edinburgh or Cardiff their opponents in the last four.
Jale Vatubua, Benson Stanley, Thibault Daubagna and Quentin Lespiaucq Brettes crossed for Pau's tries, with Clement Daguin, Charlie Francoz, Djibril Camara and Marvin O'Connor responding for the fallen champions.
