Round-Up: Contepomi on song as Leinster stun Bourgoin

Leinster moved into a commanding position in Pool Two of the Heineken Cup at Lansdowne Road last night with the third biggest win in the 10-season history of Europe's premier club competition.

Leinster moved into a commanding position in Pool Two of the Heineken Cup at Lansdowne Road last night with the third biggest win in the 10-season history of Europe's premier club competition.

The Irishmen's hapless victims were a surprisingly sluggish Bourgoin side that conceded 13 tries, eight in the second half, en route to a 96-17 humiliation. The Argentine centre Felipe Contepomi crowned his Heineken debut for Leinster with a hat-trick of tries while fly-half David Holwell chalked up 29 points.

Saracens suffered a recurrence of the poor form which has blighted their season to date when they went down to a surprise 19-18 defeat away to Rugby Parma in the second round of the European Challenge Cup yesterday.

But the north London side should still progress to the quarter-finals following next Saturday's return leg at Vicarage Road. Centre James Shanahan went over for Parma and fly-half Roland de Marigny supplied a conversion and four penalties. Thomas Castaignède, who also kicked two penalties, and Matt Cairns crossed for the visitors.

Connacht can expect to reach the last eight after thrashing Montpelier 56-3 in Galway. Fly-half Paul Warwick contributed 26 points and wing Conor McPhillips ran in two of their seven tries.

Worcester enjoyed their visit to Italy when they hammered Rovigo 48-3 in the first leg of their European Shield first-round encounter.

Wasps, the Heineken Cup holders, welcome back Josh Lewsey and Joe Worsley for today's high-octane Pool One match against Leicester at the Causeway Stadium. The Tigers will be reinforced by the return of their England forwards Graham Rowntree, Julian White, Ben Kay, Lewis Moody and Martin Corry.

Newcastle, who, like Wasps, are unbeaten in the competition, will still be without Jonny Wilkinson for this afternoon's Pool Five appointment with Edinburgh at Kingston Park, but the former All Blacks centre Mark Mayerhofler returns for his first start since breaking a leg 11 weeks ago.

Harlequins, who must win away to Neath-Swansea Ospreys in Pool Four to keep alive their slim hopes of progressing, recall England's Will Greenwood to partner Dafydd James at centre.