Biarritz test facing Bristol

Bristol claimed the last place in the Heineken Shield quarter-finals as they trounced Dax 50-13 at the Memorial Ground yesterday.

Bristol claimed the last place in the Heineken Shield quarter-finals as they trounced Dax 50-13 at the Memorial Ground yesterday.

However, their reward is a testing away trip to Biarritz - the conquerors of Gloucester in Pool Five yesterday - in one of two Anglo-French matches in the last eight. In the other, Newcastle have to travel to the Pool Three winners, Pau. The other Premiership team, London Irish, are away at Ebbw Vale.

Bristol ran in six tries - the full-back Spencer Brown leading the way with two - while Henry Honiball supplied 20 points with the boot.

London Irish, who were helped to their victory in Pool Seven when Agen were docked four points for fielding illegal players, went down 49-31 to Brive in a game that featured 10 tries.

The fourth quarter-final is an all-French affair, with the favourites, Castres, taking on Perpignan. Castres claimed the No 1 ranking for the draw after a nine-try avalanche in their 59-26 Pool Two win at Rovigo. That allowed them to join Ebbw Vale as the only teams with 100 per cent records.