Pau 34 Cardiff Blues 29

Pau won a thriller at Stade du Hameau as Cardiff Blues left with faint hope of reaching the Challenge Cup quarter-finals after securing two bonus points.

All looked lost for Cardiff as they found themselves 24-7 down at half time with Mahomed Boughanmi, Geoffrey Moise, Pierre Nueno, Bastien Pourally all crossing the line for the hosts.

Owen Lane had started off the scoring with a try for the Welshmen after just three minutes, converted by Jarrod Evans. But Pau’s forward power then saw them take over and after those four first-half tries, Baptiste Pesenti added a fifth on 44 minutes.

However, replacement Hallam Amos crossed for Cardiff then Lane completed a hat-trick to set up a tense finish.

Clovis Le Bail and Jason Tovey exchanged late penalties which meant Blues claimed two bonus points in defeat.

London Irish 20 RC Toulon 26

Toulon made it four wins from four in Challenge Cup Pool 2 by coming out on top in an entertaining contest with London Irish at the Madejski Stadium.

Paddy Jackson kicked an early penalty for Irish, before Anthony Belleau struck twice from the tee in reply. It was the Exiles who crossed the line first through Albert Tuisue, who worked his way over from the base of the scrum, with Jackson converting.

Belleau soon added two further penalties and Toulon then profited from a yellow card for Ruan Botha as Masivesi Dakuwaqa latched on to a cross-field kick to touch down in the corner on 38 minutes.

It got worse for Irish when Terrence Hepetema was then sin-binned just before the half-time whistle, with the hosts 19-10 behind.

A Jackson penalty after a high tackle reduced the Irish deficit, but on the hour Baptiste Serin squeezed over the line for a converted try and Toulon’s victory seemed secure.

Stephane Mbarag’s yellow card for Toulon opened up a slither of hope for the hosts and indeed second-row Barney Maddison flopped over from short range with three minutes left, with Jackson converting, but the Premiership side couldn’t make late pressure count.

Stade Francais Paris 16 Bristol Bears 18

Harry Thacker’s try with three minutes to go seized a narrow victory for Bristol Bears at Stade Jean Bouin which assured them of a quarter-final place in the Challenge Cup.

After Callum Sheedy’s early penalty for Bristol, Waisea Vuidarvuwalu blasted through the tackle of Piers O’Connor to cross the line after a lengthy period of pressure from the hosts. Nicolas Sanchez added the conversion.

After Pablo Matera was yellow carded for Stade on 27 minutes, Bristol’s forwards capitalised and barged over the line after a lineout, with Will Capon emerging from the pile of bodies with ball in hand. The conversion hit the post though, giving Stade a 10-8 half time lead.

Joris Segonds booted a penalty after a Bristol infringement at the scrum to stretch the hosts’ lead to 16-11 with 20 minutes left, and they held on to it until three minutes from time.

Bristol were held up twice right on the try line but eventually Thacker surged over just left of the posts, making Sheedy’s task to slot the match-winning conversion a simple one.

We are taking another trip down memory lane today as we look back at some of the most memorable matches in Round 4 of this season’s European Rugby Challenge Cup.