Falcons reach the Challenge Cup last eight for a fifth successive year

Newcastle made sure they finished top of Pool Five and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup with a 20-3 win over Petrarca.

But the Falcons failed to get the four-try bonus-point win which would have guaranteed a home quarter-final draw.

A Gcobani Bobo try, a penalty try and eight points from the boot of Jimmy Gopperth secured an easy Falcons win.

Meanwhile, Worcester had three players sent to the sin bin as they suffered an 8-3 defeat at Montpellier.

Warriors, who were out of the running in Pool Two, took an early lead through a Matthew Jones penalty, but that was the last time they troubled the scoreboard.

In what was a scrappy match, Worcester's Matt Cox was shown the yellow card in the first half for an accidental high tackle and then, in the space of four second-half minutes, back row duo James Collins and Tom Wood spent an enforced 10-minutes spell on the sidelines.

606: DEBATE Who would you like to see reach the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals?

The indiscipline proved costly as it was while Worcester were reduced to 13 men that Montpellier's Marc Giraud touched down for the crucial score.

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