European Cup round-up: Pisi inspires stirring Saints’ comeback while Sharks put bite on sloppy Blues

The Warriors, who are yet to earn an away win against an English side, powered into a 15-0 at Franklin’s Gardens as Josh Strauss and Sean Lamont scored tries in a dominant opening half hour.

But Saints hit back before half-time through George Pisi’s brace of tries.

Stephen Myler and Vasily Artemyev clinched a bonus-point win with further home tries after the break.

Premiership strugglers Sale Sharks also got off the mark with a win as Danny Cipriani inspired them to a thrilling 34-30 win over Cardiff Blues.

The Blues looked to be coasting as they took control with a ruthless attacking display and three Alex Cuthbert tries, but a sublime try from Cipriani got the hosts back into it with 25 minutes left.

Late scores from Mark Jennings and Tony Buckley, plus solid kicking from Rob Miller secured an unlikely win for the Sharks, who have endured a miserable domestic season thus far.

Yesterday, Edinburgh got their European Cup campaign off to a miserable start as they were comprehensively beaten 0-45 by Saracens at Murrayfield.

Charlie Hodgson was the stand-out performer for the visitors, bagging 25 points during the Pool A whitewash.

Hodgson scored one of five tries as well as kicking four penalties and four conversions as the hosts were swept aside.

The rout was began by Joel Tomkins when he crossed in the 16th minute and tries by Owen Farrell, Chris Ashton and Alex Goode followed.

In Pool Five defending champions Leinster sneaked past competition debutants Exeter 9-6 in a nervy display.

Argentina international Ignacio Mieres missed an injury-time penalty to earn a draw for the visitors as Jonathan Sexton’s nine-point haul proved to be just enough for the 2009, 2011 and 2012 winners.

And in the pool’s other contest, Morgan Stoddart’s first-half red card proved decisive as Clermont Auvergne saw off Scarlets 49-16.

The Welsh side were more than competitive for the first 37 minutes at the Stade Marcel Michelin, but Stoddart’s dismissal for a second yellow effectively ended their hopes of an heroic European Cup upset.

The scores were level at 13-13 when the Wales wing saw red, prompting last term’s beaten semi-finalists to run away with the match.

Harlequins fared much better in their first game of the campaign, racking up a 40-13 win over Biarritz.

Despite losing fly-half Nick Evans to an ankle injury in the 17th minute, the Premiership champions rallied to see off the visitors as his replacement Ben Botica kicked 18 points to add to tries from Danny Care,
Rob Buchanan, Jordan Turner Hall and Seb Stegmann.

Elsewhere Racing Metro scored a couple of late penalties to claim an unlikely 22-17 victors over two-time European Cup winners Munster and Connacht recorded their first ever away win in the competition with a 19-10 win over Italian newboys Zebre in Parma.