European Challenge Cup Preview: Pool 1

As we enter into the final three pool games  Cardiff and London Irish are fighting it out for top spot with four points separating them with Cardiff leading the way after their win at the Cardiff Arms Park last weekend. The other game saw Grenoble pick up their first points of the tournament defeating Rovigo with both sides unlikely to make it through to the knockout stages. 

Cardiff Blues replaced London Irish at the top of Pool 1 with a 24-14 win at Cardiff Arms Park. They now lead by 4 points after picking up a four try bonus point with  Smith, Anscombe, Dacey and Lloyd Williams going over for the Welsh side. London Irish replied with a penalty try and a try from Geoff Cross but in the end left Cardiff with no points. They will now look for bounce back from that defeat when Cardiff travel to the Madejski Stadium on Saturday. A win for Cardiff would all but seal their place in the knockout stages while defeat for London Irish would leave them with a difficult task in qualifying for the knockout stages.

In the other game in the group it was ten of the best for Grenoble who picked up their first points in the pool with a 68-10 win against Rovigo. The win may come a bit too late for Grenoble to have any hopes of making it through to the knockout stages with three wins from their remaining three games required if they are to have any hope. As for Rovigo they continue to be the whipping boys of Pool 1 having conceded 171 points in three games and they will hope to put up a better fight when they host Grenoble on Saturday.