European Champions Cup round-up: Saracens smash Munster at Allianz Park
Saracens have kept their Rugby Champions Cup quarter-final hopes alive with a 33-10 victory over Munster at Allianz Park.
It’s a result which moves Sarries to the top of Pool One and sets up a winner-takes-all match-up with Clermont Auvergne in their final group outing.
In arguably their most complete performance of the season, wings Chris Wyles and Chris Ashton scored first-half tries before Ashton added a second touchdown after the break.
Owen Farrell, meanwhile, reminded England head coach Stuart Lancaster of his quality prior to next week's Six Nations squad announcement by kicking four penalties and three conversions for an 18-point haul.
French giants Clermont remain favourites to win the group - they host Saracens on Sunday week - but it is probable that one of three best runners-up spots will be filled by either club.
Two-time European champions Munster, though, are staring at pool-stage elimination - barring a mathematical miracle - for only a second time in the last 17 seasons, even if they defeat Sale Sharks in bonus-point fashion next weekend.
Centre Denis Hurley's late try, plus an Ian Keatley conversion and penalty, could not mask Munster deficiencies, as Saracens overpowered them up front and won an overwhelming majority of midfield collisions.
And while Munster's European fate looks sealed, Saracens appear well equipped to make another assault on silverware, even if they did not collect a bonus point their dominance deserved.
Toulon 60-22 Ulster
Toulon No.8 Steffon Armitage scored a hat-trick as the French side booked a place in the quarter-finals with a 60-22 victory over Ulster at the Stade Mayol.
Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny top scored with 20 points for the home side as they continued their good form.
Bryan Habana, Mathieu Bastareaud, Martin Castrogiovanni and Mamuka Gorgodze also scored as Toulon secured top spot in Pool 3.
Sale 13-22 Clermont Auvergne
Sale slipped to their fifth straight Pool One defeat as French giants Clermont boosted their hopes of winning the group.
The visitors confirmed victory late on when number eight Fritz Lee burrowed over the line for a try which Camille Lopez converted, adding to his five earlier penalties.
Sale’s Danny Cipriani, seeking to impress England coach Stuart Lancaster for one last time before the Six Nations squad is announced on Wednesday, showed his defensive prowess in the eighth minute when he denied Wesley Fofana a try with a vital cover tackle.
Cipriani’s kicks kept the hosts in touch with the high-flying French side, who entered the break 6-3 up, and the Englishman put his side ahead with a penalty try in the 52nd minute.
Fly-half Lopez then put Clermont 12-10 up with two penalties before Cipriani restored Sale's lead with his third penalty in the 65th minute.
But Lopez continued his fine form from the tee, kicking his fifth penalty of the night before a late try from Lee sealed the win for Clermont.
Leinster 50-8 Castres
Leinster remain on course to qualify from Pool Two following a 50-8 bonus point thrashing of Castres.
Matt O'Connor's men had chalked up four tries by half-time, with Dave Kearney's second-minute opener followed by further converted efforts from Martin Moore, Eoin Reddan and Sean Cronin.
Moore and Reddan scored their tries while Castres flanker Ibrahim Diarra was in the sin-bin, as the Irish province threw off the shackles having only scored four tries in the previous four rounds.
They added to their 31-3 interval lead with a maiden European try for replacement prop Tadhg Furlong and Darragh Fanning came off the bench to bag his third in this season's tournament.
Castres' only consolation was an unconverted try from Romain Martial, before Luke McGrath made it seven tries on the night for Leinster, whose qualification battle with Harlequins and Wasps is likely to go right down to the wire next week.
Harlequins 3-23 Wasps
Wasps took a giant step towards the quarter-finals as they stunned Harlequins 23-3 at The Stoop in Saturday’s evening clash.
The victory set up a winner-takes-all showdown with Leinster, who trounced Castres 50-8 in Dublin, at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry in the final round of Pool Two next weekend.
Early tries from Christian Wade and Joe Simpson set the platform for the triumph, while Andy Goode kicked ten points along with Elliot Daly's long-range penalty effort. Quins could only muster a solitary Ben Botica penalty in reply.