Saracens survive Thirlby fright

Powergen Cup round-up

Rob Thirlby helped Penzance & Newlyn give his old club Saracens a bit of a Powergen Cup jolt at Westholme before losing 30-20 in the Powergen Cup sixth round yesterday.

Thirlby kicked the National League One side into the lead with penalties in the seventh and 12th minutes. A converted try from Kris Chesney put Saracens ahead before the Cornishman regained the lead when James Shanahan scored a try of his own, which Thirlby converted.

The Premiership team had levelled affairs by half-time with two Nicky Little penalties but were made to wait a further half an hour before nosing ahead for good through tries by the winger Richard Haughton and Ben Russell. Even then Penzance pulled them back with a try at the death by Matthew Jess, the conversion taking Thirlby's match haul into double figures.

Bristol did not put up any kind of a fight against Wasps in their sixth round tie at the Memorial Stadium. Bristol who were relegated from the Premiership last season lost 46-8 as Tom Voyce claimed a hat-trick in Wasps' seven-try rout.

But Pertemps Bees, formerly known as Birmingham-Solihull, ensured National League One had one representative in the quarter-finals when they beat Wakefield 17-10.

Leicester succumbed tamely to Sale, 43-28. It was the first time in a major competitive match at Welford Road they have conceded six tries. Sale are only the third team, after Bath and Wasps, to beat Leicester at Welford Road in the knock-out competition, and only the fourth team ever to win twice in a season at Welford Road.

The cup holders, Gloucester, also lost at home, going down 35-29 to London Irish. The Exiles ended a two-year unbeaten home run for the Cherry and Whites who had not been beaten on their own turf in all competitions for 34 matches.

Elsewhere, Bath beat Northampton 42-13 in a five-try demolition.