JACK
RICHARD COCKERILL’S Edinburgh moved to within touching distance of a place in the European Champions Cup quarterfinals with a historic victory in Toulon.
The 28-17 win in Pool Five means Edinburgh are only the third team to win at the Stade Mayol in European competition. Darcy Graham, Blair Kinghorn and James Johnstone went over for Cockerill’s side to secure a sixth successive win.
They are now three points ahead of Montpellier, who thrashed Newcastle 45-8 earlier, at the top of Pool Five.
Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards admitted his young Falcons side found a “world-class” Montpellier side too good as a 45-8 defeat ended their Heineken Champions Cup dream.
“Montpellier have a huge amount of world-class players. You’ve got to be on your mettle to beat them,” said Richards.
In pool 1 Bath edged Wasps 18-16 while Leinster won the battle of the big guns, 29-13 against Stade Toulousain.
In pool 4, Leicester went down 33-10 at Scarlets while Ulster got a 26-22 win against Racing 92.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS Leinster 29-13 Toulouse Bath 18-16 Wasps Ulster 26-22 Racing 92 Scarlets 33-10 Leicester Montpellier 45-8 Newcastle Toulon 17-28 Edinburgh
Exeter v Castres Pool 2, 1pm Lyon v Saracens Pool 3, 3.15pm
JACK NOWELL returns for Exeter’s must- win clash against French champions Castres with Chiefs under orders not to die wondering.
The Premiership leaders gave themselves a mountain to climb by failing to win any of t heir first t hree Champions Cup matches.
Victory at Gloucester in round four brought them back from the dead but pool leaders Munster achieving an even more emphatic result at Kingsholm on Friday night leaves Chiefs’ hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.
The pride of Devon refuse to throw in the towel however and they go into today’s Anglo- French showdown with boss Rob Baxter reminding them that they scaled much the same peak in 2016.
Baxter said: “What we did that season highlights to everyone that whether people give you a chance or not, if you play and you just go for it, things can happen.
“I’ve told the guys to go out enjoy, take what we can, and don’t be negative or nervy. Let’s just get on with it all, enjoy the occasion, and see what happens.”
Chiefs, one of Brian O’driscoll’s three ante-post tips to land Europe’s top title, lie third of four in Pool 2, level on points with already-eliminated Gloucester.
The odds were already stacked against Baxter’s men before Munster rampaged to a 41-15 win over the Cherry and Whites. With only the winners assured of advancing to the quarter- finals, the Irish giants hold an eight-point lead over Exeter, having played one game more.
And given that Chiefs’ final match is at Thomond Park, they know they must take maximum points today to give themselves a chance.
While there is life there is hope and the return of England star Nowell gives them a further optimism.
The 25-year-old (above)