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European Challenge Cup
Brive bounce back to winning ways
Scrum.com
October 16, 2008
Brive No.8 Antoine Claassens caught the eye as the French side got their European campaign back on track
© Getty Images Enlarge
Brive got their European Challenge Cup campaign back on track with a 36-22 victory over Newcastle in their Pool 4 clash at Stade Amedee-Domenech. The Falcons were brought back down to earth as an Andy Goode-inspired Brive swept to their first victory in this season's competition. Goode kicked 21 points and created two of his team's three tries, including the first inside a minute, as the French club ruled in wet conditions at Stade Municipal. It was a rude awakening for Newcastle who beat Spanish minnows El Salvador 63-0 last week and though tries from Rory Clegg and Tim Visser cut the deficit to 19-15 after an hour, it was Brive who powered home. Brive, Heineken Cup winners in 1997, rang the changes after losing their opening European game at Overmach Parma last week and their foreign legion helped open a 13-5 lead at the break. South African Ronnie Cooke raced onto Goode's clever kick to touch down near the posts inside a minute. Goode converted and added a penalty before opposite number Clegg responded, stepping past one defender to grab the Falcons' first try. But the French showed their strength when forwards Johan van Zyl and Jean-Baptiste Pejoine stepped off the bench and stormed over either side of a yellow card for Newcastle's John Rudd. The wing left former England hooker Steve Thompson requiring treatment to a facial injury after an off the ball clash eight minutes from time. Pejoine touched down after the Brive scrum had the Newcastle pack in reverse to seal the victory. Ollie Phillips' last-gasp try for the visitors was mere consolation on the scoreboard. Brive: Palisson, Ligairi, Cooke, Estebanez, Cohen, Goode, Pic, Khinchagishvili, Thompson, Capdevielle, Short, Browne, Claassen, Azoulai, Popham. Replacements: Agulla for Palisson (73), Pejoine for Pic (71), Forgues for Popham (64). Not Used: Bonrepaux, Idieder, Van Zyl, Orquera. Newcastle: Jones, Visser, Noon, May, Rudd, Clegg, Charlton, McDonnell, Long, Hayman, Perry, Sorenson, Balding, Dowson, Williamson. Not Used: Thompson, Ward, Swinson, Winter, Grindal, Phillips, Dillon. Sin Bin: Rudd (67). Att: 6,153 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland). © Scrum.com
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