BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | European | Quins crush Caerphilly

First round first leg results

Harlequins made a flying start to their Parker Pen Challenge Cup campaign with a 73-20 demolition of Welsh whipping boys Caerphilly.

The Londoners rendered next week's home leg of the first round tie academic by running in 11 tries against a team who have yet to win this season.

Quins spread the scores around, with backs Rob Jewell, Nick Duncombe and Matt Moore touching down twice each.

Australian full-back Nathan Williams converted nine tries and scored one of his own.

Chris Hall scored three tries against Petrarca
Chris Hall's hat-trick rescued Leeds
Leeds have made a flying start to the Zurich Premiership season, but they found themselves in unexpected trouble at half-time against Italian side Petrarca.

The Yorkshiremen trailed 17-10 at the break in Padova but rallied to win 29-23 and take a six-point first-leg lead back to Headingley.

Winger Chris Hall scored a hat-trick of tries, with flanker Cameron Mather adding a fourth.

Parker Pen fixtures

Former Ireland full-back Simon Mason helped Italian league leaders Treviso spring the shock of the day with a 22-9 defeat of Castres.

Mason kicked five penalties and converted Francesco Mazzariol's try to give his team a 13-point lead to defend in France.

Newcastle put some variable domestic form behind them to win 19-12 at Grenoble, scoring all their points in the first half and then digging in in the face of a stiff wind.

And Connacht also recorded a solid victory in France, beating Mont-de-Marsan 26-12.

Pontypridd notched up a 60-18 win at Roma, with Neil Jenkins converting seven of their eight tries, one of which he scored himself.

Saracens' Tom Shanklin scored five tries in Bucharest
Tom Shanklin scored five tries for Saracens
Saracens hammered Dinamo Bucharest 87-11 in the Romanian capital, scoring 12 tries in the process.

Five of those went to Wales cap Tom Shanklin, and 10 were converted by Fijian fly-half Nicky Little.

Elsewhere, the Borders made a successful European debut with a 73-22 victory in Madrid.

Wasps eased to a 40-24 win at Overmach Parma, courtesy of a hat-trick from 21-year-old John Rudd.

But Bridgend's progress hangs in the balance after they failed to turn possession and territory into points in losing 18-6 at Pau.

Another French side, Colomiers, cruised to a 58-14 win over L'Aquila in Italy.

But their compatriots from Bordeaux-Begles made harder work of beating Spanish champions La Moraleja Alcobendas 37-31 away.

In Friday's matches, Bath scored six tries in crushing Italian side GRAN Parma 40-3 away.

But Ebbw Vale left themselves plenty to do in the second leg of their tie against Montauban, after winning just 20-16 at home.


	Links to more European stories