The Cornish Pirates booked their semi-final place with a battling display against a gritty Newport side at Camborne. The Pirates won an absorbing contest 26-20 to take an unassailable lead at the top of the group.

Website report

Newport view www.southwalesargus.co.uk

At Brickfields Exeter Chiefs won only their second match in the competition beating Devon rivals Plymouth Albion 26-5.

After recent set-backs against the Pirates and Leinster Chiefs boss Rob Baxter abandoned his policy of selecting squad players and fielded a first choice line-up for the derby match. Only Matt Jess was missing having pulled out before the kick-off due to illness with Phil Dollman taking his place.

Graham Dawe however took the opportunity to rest key players ahead of this Saturday’s must-win Championship clash in Yorkshire against Doncaster.

Missing from the squad were captain Kyle Marriott, prop Martin Rice, top try scorer Ben Mercer, top points scorer Kieran Hallett, scrum-half Ruairi Cushion and flanker Rory Watts-Jones. Tom Skelding, Keni Fisilau and Gary Kingdom were on the bench.

Dawe told The Herald, "Everything was with next week in mind. But we felt we picked a team that could compete with Exeter. We always had confidence that we would front up to them and that it would be a close game."

He continued, “They made errors but we never got any field position first half. I thought our defensive effort was good and I was pleased with the performance right through the game. I don't think there was that much between the sides. They got that (14-0) cushion and it was quite a way back for us then.”

Nic Sestaret and Chad Slade scored first half tries for the Chiefs converted by Gareth Steenson. Geoff Griffiths grabbed a try for Albion early in the second half before two further scores for the Chiefs from Haydn Thomas sealed the win.

The match was marred for Albion by the loss of young full-back Mark Lee with a broken ankle in the final minute of the game.

Match report www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

Pool A concludes on Wednesday evening when Gael Force host Leinster at Bridgehaugh (7pm).

Bristol kept alive their outside chance of qualifying for the knockout stages with a hard fought 21-16 win at Nottingham yesterday.

Only a complete upset by bottom of the table Heriot`s when they travel to play Munster on Friday would deny the Irish side a place in the semi-final.

Tom Youngs opened the scoring for Nottingham with a 9^th minute try converted by Dave Jackson but after a Mark Davies penalty for the visitors Alex Crockett scored his first try for Bristol after good work by James Merriman. Davies converted.

Two further penalties from Davies against one from Jackson left Bristol 16-10 to the good at half-time.

Jackson added a further brace of penalties in the second half with Luke Arscott scoring a second try for Bristol.

Glenn Delaney told the Evening Post, “It was a game we could have won. There were a number of areas when we made a couple of breaks but we didn't finish them off with tries. We lost a little bit of composure towards the end when we had a penalty and could have put it in the corner and put some pressure on.”

"The break-down was a lottery. We struggled to get the interpretations there and we never really got enough into those break-downs.”

Match report www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

In the other match played at the weekend Neath and Coventry shared nine tries in an entertaining contest at The Gnoll with the Midlanders eventaully falling to a 78^th minute try from wing Richard Smith.

Report www.walesonline.co.uk

London Welsh have completed their group matches on top of the pile after beating Llanelli 20-10 at Old Deer Park on Saturday but as with Bristol are odds-on to be overhauled by Irish opposition on Friday night.

Second–placed Ulster need to beat Aberavon at Ravenhill to claim a place in the semi-finals and will start their last match as hot favourites to do so. London Welsh could only manage three tries against Llanelli which means that their lead in Pool C is just four points.

The Exiles took an 8^th minute lead against their Welsh Premiership opponents with an Aled Thomas penalty only to see Steve Shingler level the scores three minutes later from distance.

Shingler then converted Dale Ford`s 18^th minute try before Errie Claasens settled home nerves with a score after good work by Thomas. The fly-half added the extras before home scrum-half Lewis took the home lead to 15-10 with a further try right on half-time.

Simon Whatling pounced for a third after 49 minutes but the Welsh were unable to turn possession into a bonus point clinching score leaving head coach Danny Wilson frustrated.

He told the Rugby Paper, “We`ve blown it as far as the cup goes. I think we really needed a bonus point and with all that possession I just can`t believe we didn`t get it.”

On Friday night Bedford Blues comfortably disposed of Moseley 23-0 with second-half tries from James Pritchard and Luke Fielden.

Match report www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk

There was nothing to play for in Pool D other than pride with Doncaster having already secured their passage to the semi-finals with a midweek win at Pontypridd.

The Knights maintained their 100% record with a 32-22 win at Clifton Lane against Yorkshire rivals Rotherham Titans to ensure a perfect preparation for Saturday`s crucial Championship clash with Plymouth Albion.

The Knights were ahead after just two minutes with a converted try from Chris Hallam and despite Jonny West replying with a penalty for the Titans, Ali Warnock then struck with a penalty for the visitors.

A penalty try converted by Warnock and a third try right on half-time from Anthony Carter left Doncaster 22-3 ahead but Rotherham fought back strongly after the break. Tries from Swatkins and Kleeberger saw the lead cut to just seven points as the game moved into the final ten minutes.

But a Warnock penalty and conversion from a Chris Briers try snuffed out the home revival as the Titans gave away possesssion too readily. Whitehead added a late try for the Titans but they will now travel to Bedford for their crucial last Championship fixture with much to ponder.

Report www.thestar.co.uk

In the other two fixtures Pontypridd came from behind to win 27-24 at Birmingham & Solihull www.walesonline.co.uk

Cardiff sealed victory over Scottish side Ayr at the Arms Park with a 78^th minute penalty from Gareth Davies www.walesonline.co.uk

Pool A

Newport 21 Exeter 14; Plymouth 13 Leinster 16; Pirates 29 Gael Force 8
Leinster 12 Pirates 8; Newport 3 Plymouth 3; Exeter 15 Gael Force 0
Newport 27 Gael Force 5; Exeter 10 Leinster 22; Plymouth 9 Pirates 13
Leinster 6 Newport 10; Gael Force 0 Plymouth 25; Pirates 37 Exeter 14
Plymouth 5 Exeter 26; Pirates 26 Newport 20;
Outstanding fixture: Gael Force v Leinster (10 Mar)

Pool B

Coventry 13 Munster 20; Neath 11 Bristol 18; Heriots 0 Nottingham 5
Coventry 57 Heriots 12; Munster 18 Bristol 6; Nottingham 14 Neath 3
Munster 18 Nottingham 3; Bristol 40 Coventry 15; Heriots 21 Neath 38
Neath 12 Munster 21; Bristol 34 Heriots 17; Nottingham 43 Coventry 17
Neath 29 Coventry 24; Nottingham 16 Bristol 21;
Outstanding fixture: Munster v Heriots (12 Mar)

Pool C

Llanelli 16 Aberavon 19; Moseley 27 Welsh 38; Ulster 29 Bedford 3; Aberavon 7 Welsh 36;
Moseley 21 Ulster 32; Bedford 36 Llanelli 24; Llanelli 21 Ulster 21; Welsh 26 Bedford 13
Aberavon 10 Moseley 0; Ulster 21 Welsh 17; Bedford 17 Aberavon 15; Llanelli 35 Moseley 21
Moseley 0 Bedford 23; Welsh 20 Llanelli 10;
Outstanding fixture: Ulster v Aberavon (12 Mar)

Pool D

Pontypridd 16 Cardiff 22; Rotherham 52 Birmingham 10; Doncaster 32 Ayr 7
Ayr 28 Rotherham 13; Birmingham 20 Cardiff 51; Ayr 49 Birmingham 14
Rotherham 33 Pontypridd 23; Doncaster 34 Cardiff 10; Ayr 21 Pontypridd 22
Cardiff 34 Rotherham 27; Doncaster 41 Birmingham 8; Pontypridd 11 Doncaster 24;
Cardiff 30 Ayr 27; Birmingham 24 Pontypridd 27