Gloucester come from behind to beat Montpellier and set up Bath clash
The Gallagher Premiership play-off contenders dug deep to recover from a 14-point deficit after just nine minutes.
Tries from Anthony Bouthier and Hugo Reus, who converted both, gave Montpellier a flying start.
But Gloucester weathered the storm and drew level following touchdowns by Wales international Freddie Thomas and his fellow forward Cameron Jordan.
Santi Carreras kicked two conversions, only for Montpellier to regain the lead through a Reus penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Gloucester had scrum-half Caolan Englefield yellow-carded early in the second period, yet they regained the lead while he was still off the pitch when Ruan Ackermann crossed for try number three and Carreras again converted.
The visitors held on to their advantage and Carreras made sure of victory when he kicked a penalty in the last minute to set up an intriguing all-Premiership encounter.
South African challengers the Bulls moved into the last eight, meanwhile, after a 32-22 win at Bayonne, with David Kriel and Marco van Staden among their try-scorers.
Connacht overcame Cardiff 35-20 in Galway to set up a home quarter-final against Racing 92 next weekend.
Tries from Matthew Devine, Sean Jansen, Finn Treacy, Shayne Bolton and Paul Boyle saw the Irish province through.
Cardiff responded with tries from Rey Lee-Lo, Ben Thomas and Josh Adams as the Welsh visitors rallied in an entertaining affair.
Connacht full-back Mack Hansen and Cardiff lock Josh McNally were both sent to the sin bin in the first half.
With Ireland centre Bundee Aki impressive, Connacht built on their 14-8 interval lead and Cardiff's fate was sealed by a yellow card to centre Thomas and a final try from replacement flanker Boyle.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indianapolis Star
a few seconds ago
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana football: What we learned from the first week of fall camp
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football was back on the practice field this week for the start of fall camp. Veteran linebacker Aiden Fisher told reporters after Thursday's practice that the continuity on IU's coaching staff and experienced roster has made this a 'seamless' offseason for the Hoosiers as they eye a return to the College Football Playoff. 'We are way further ahead than we have been in the past,' Fisher said, after Thursday's practice. Indiana retained all but one assistant coach from last year's staff while bringing back a veteran-laden squad that includes seven players who earned All-Big Ten honors last season. 'I think the staff, we know what to expect from one another,' Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. 'The experienced guys that we have a long history with, the same. To bring in experienced guys from other programs is good.' Here's what stood out during the first week of camp: More: 5 (plus) Indiana football players with biggest breakout potential in 2025 Indiana offensive linemen Drew Evans and Kahlil Benson were full participants at practice on Wednesday and Thursday. They are looking to make up for lost time having missed spring camp while recovering from injuries. The Hoosiers didn't disclose Benson's injury, but Evans returned to action less than nine months after suffering an achilles injury. 'It is a credit to them and their hard work to get back on the field,' IU center Pat Coogan said, after Thursday's practice. 'During the spring they were there mentally and physically watching everything - obviously they couldn't do much skill wise and football wise.' Coogan, who exited spring as the starting center on the first-team offense, told reporters that he's been working alongside Evans to open fall camp. The former Wisconsin walk-on started nine games for the Hoosiers last season at left guard. 'Super strong guy and he knows his stuff really well,' Coogan said. 'Excited to keep growing that relationship with those interior guys.' More: 'I've watched it countless times': Indiana football not done learning from CFP loss to Notre Dame Baldwin is doing all the right things to earn early playing time. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder looks the part, but his off the field approach is similar to the one Ponds relied on to win a starting role as a true freshman for Cignetti's staff at JMU in 2023. 'He brings a lot of energy,' Ponds said. 'He's a young guy, he's wanting to learn. He reminds me of myself kind of, he asks questions about everything, and he wants to learn. I see he's got a lot of potential in himself. I definitely see a little bit of myself in him.' He's in the mix at safety where the Hoosiers are trying to build around returning starter Amare Ferrell. Baldwin is looking to jump over some experienced names in the secondary that include Bryson Bonds along with sixth-year transfers Devan Boykin (NC State) and Louis Moore (Ole Miss). Bonds has played in 47 career games, but he's had a more prominent role on special teams than on defense, but Boykin and Moore both have starting experience. More: 'We are really playing for postseason opportunities': Indiana football's recent scheduling moves explained Coogan offered an interesting perspective on what helps Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad get the most from his players. The fifth-year senior played for three different offensive line coaches (Jeff Quinn, Harry Hiestand and Joe Rudolph) during his time at Notre Dame. 'He's very intentional with his work,' Coogan said. 'He's very intentional with what he wants to see out of his guys. There's no real gray area. He's detailed, he's very detail-orientated, his meetings are set up that way.' Bostad helped IU's offense make major strides over the past two seasons. The Hoosiers only gave up 21 sacks last year and averaged more than 150 rushing yards per game for the first time since 2018. They lost an expected starter (Nick Kidwell) before the season even started and had to replace Evans just days before facing Michigan. 'He knows how to work guys on the field as well,' Coogan said. 'The drills we do are very purposeful and they translate directly into how the defense is going to play in practice or a game. Everything has a purpose, I think that's why we see success at the line of scrimmage.' Bostad rivals defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz as the most vocal of IU's assistant coaches at practice. He doesn't hesitate to stop the proceedings if he sees something he doesn't like, and a sternly-worded message is sure to follow. More: Indiana football announces first sell out for 2025 season


USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame and UConn set to renew women's basketball rivalry in 2025-26
The Notre Dame women's basketball schedule just became a little juicier. Defending national champion UConn announced its non-conference schedule for its 2025-26 slate on Friday morning, and it includes the Fighting Irish. The Huskies conclude their non-conference schedule by hosting two of their most historic rivals: Notre Dame on January 19 at Gampel Pavilion and Tennessee on February 1 at PeoplesBank Arena. Per a UConn spokesperson, the Huskies and Notre Dame have extended their current series (which ended last season in South Bend) for another two years with the Huskies planning on playing at ND in 2026-27. UConn is 39-16 all-time against Notre Dame but lost to the Irish last year on the road. Certainly this is a marquee matchup for defending ACC player of the year Hannah Hidalgo and the Irish, as big games like this one are great for the sport. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave


New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Fever vs. Wings prediction: WNBA odds, picks, best bets for Friday
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. It looks as though fans will be deprived yet again of seeing Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers face each other in the WNBA. Clark is expected to miss her 15th game this season due to injury when the Indiana Fever visit the Dallas Wings on Friday. She also missed the July meeting. Clark and Bueckers last met in the 2024 Final Four with Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes outlasting UConn in a game that came down to the final seconds. WNBA fans are eager to see the first pro chapter of what is expected to be a long-standing rivalry. The All-Star guards have been chosen with the top draft pick in consecutive years. The Fever are three-point road favorites with a total of 169 points. As a handicapper, the key is to analyze the Fever in games that Clark has missed, as only those apply to this matchup. Indy has won three straight games and is 7-7 without its star guard, compared to 8-5 with her. The Fever are a better and more explosive team with Clark. However, they still maintain their high pace with Aari McDonald running the point in Clark's place. For example, they just scored 107 points in their last game. Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Dallas has shown improvement recently, but ultimately, this team is lottery-bound because of its bad defense. The Wings allow 86.4 points per game, which ranks fourth-worst. Injuries have also played a role, but Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale are now healthy, and Dallas is making some noise. The Wings just beat the reigning champion Liberty by scoring 92 points and lost in the final seconds to the Atlanta Dream. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps I expect another competitive, back-and-forth game. Additionally, I anticipate a high-scoring showdown because both teams identify with their high-octane offense. That is furthered by Dallas recently incorporating a smaller starting lineup with the 6-foot-1 Haley Jones replacing 6-7 Li Yueru. I have a 58-47-1 ATS record in this Post sports section, and my next play is Over 169 points. Why Trust New York Post Betting Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He's also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.