Sam Costelow converted Ryan Conbeer’s late try as the Scarlets secured a place in the Challenge Cup semi-finals with a superb 32-30 triumph over 14-man Clermont Auvergne.

The Welsh region got off to an outstanding start, going 15-3 in front through Leigh Halfpenny and Costelow tries before Irae Simone got the visitors back into the contest.

Simone would soon go from hero to zero, however, when he was red carded for connecting with the head of Halfpenny.

To Clermont’s credit, they battled back and levelled matters through Alivereti Raka’s try before Anthony Belleau’s penalty took them in front.

And although Johnny Williams’ effort moved the Scarlets back ahead at the break, Auvergne controlled much of the second period and looked to have won the game as Raka and Giorgi Beria touched down.

Costelow’s three-pointer set up an exciting final 10 minutes, though, and they would claim their place in the last-four of the Challenge Cup thanks to Conbeer’s score, which was converted from out wide by their fly-half.

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Belleau and Halfpenny exchanged early penalties before Scarlets thrilled the home crowd by scoring a wonderful try.

On halfway, the hosts nicked an opposition line-out before swift handling gave Steff Evans the opportunity to show his pace down the right flank. The wing burst away before kicking ahead for Halfpenny to win the race for the touchdown.

Scarlets soon had another try. An under-pressure Baptiste Jauneau threw out a poor pass which resulted in both Costelow and Steff Evans hacking the ball forward before Costelow collected a favourable bounce to score.

Halfpenny converted to give his side a handy 15-3 lead at the end of an entertaining first quarter but Clermont showed their mettle with Damian Penaud chipping over Halfpenny’s head and when the ball bounced loose, Simone picked up to score.

Two minutes later, Simone turned villain as his head-high challenge on Halfpenny saw the Scarlets’ full-back receive lengthy medical attention before leaving the field with the New Zealand centre ordered off.

Costelow took over the goal-kicking but missed with the resulting penalty from 40 metres and his side suffered another setback when lock Vaea Fifita was sin-binned for dragging down a maul.

Clermont capitalised to take the lead for the first time. Their powerful forwards built up a head of steam before a well-judged cross-field kick from Belleau saw Raka gather with Belleau converting before adding a penalty.

Scarlets immediately struck back by taking advantage of another French error when Williams picked off a telegraphed pass from Alex Newsome to run 30 metres with Costelow’s conversion leaving the home side 22-18 ahead at the interval.

By the tips of his fingers 😳@LeighHalfpenny1 gets the opener for @scarlets_rugby 👏#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/IZZnDYSNMc

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) April 7, 2023

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Within four minutes of the restart, Gareth Davies was sin-binned for a trip and Clermont were immediately back in front when Raka bounced off two defenders to score his second try.

Kieran Hardy came on in place of Davies as Scarlets returned to 15 but the third quarter was dominated by the French visitors, who penned their opponents in their own half.

The hosts suffered a major blow when number eight Sione Kalamafoni was helped off with a leg injury before Clermont scored their fourth try when Beria drove over from close range.

Scarlets looked beaten but Costelow kicked a penalty before Conbeer squeezed over in the corner for Costelow to deliver the final blow and set up a home semi-final against Glasgow Warriors or Lions.

Northampton Saints will look to boost their Premiership play-off prospects when they face struggling Newcastle Falcons on Friday.

In team news for the Falcons, Alex Tait is set to make one last appearance at Kingston Park Stadium as Newcastle play their final home game of the season.

Tait is named among the replacements, with the full-back poised to add to his 269 appearances before retiring at the end of the campaign.

Newcastle make three changes to the side which started at Harlequins last weekend – fit-again Argentina international Matias Orlando starting in the centres with Ben Stevenson ruled out by a head knock.

Logovi’i Mulipola packs down at loosehead prop, with Freddie Lockwood added to the back-row after scoring from the bench last time out. Philip van der Walt and Tom Penny are both on the bench after recovering from hand and ankle injuries respectively.

The Falcons were on the wrong end of a 32-31 thriller when they faced Northampton in league action earlier in the season, with another full-blooded encounter expected.

Two changes from Northampton

Meanwhile, Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson has made two changes to his side which will travel to the Falcons.

The men in Black, Green and Gold will be desperate for a second straight victory after last weekend’s win over Saracens, to keep themselves ahead of London Irish in the race for the Premiership play-offs.

Saints have won just once on the road in the league this term, but have lost only one of their last five fixtures against the Falcons in the Premiership, and beat Newcastle by a single point (32-31) earlier this term on home soil.

Tom Collins comes in to start on the wing for Northampton for the 12th time this season, replacing the injured James Ramm in the back three. George Furbank continues at full-back with Tommy Freeman – who has scored in four of his past five Premiership appearances – selected on the other wing.

Dowson opts for an unchanged midfield pairing for Northampton, with Fraser Dingwall (winner of the Club’s Supporters’ Player of the Season Award on Wednesday evening) and Rory Hutchinson named in the centres, while Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell keep their places in the half-back berths.

There’s just one change in the pack as Paul Hill starts at tighthead prop after coming off the bench last weekend, with hooker Sam Matavesi and loosehead Alex Waller rounding off the front-row.

To the North East ↗️

Here are your Saints to play Newcastle.

🎟️ https://t.co/Ah10HhrMLl pic.twitter.com/tFQ8EL6oA7

— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) April 20, 2023

The engine room pairing of David Ribbans and Alex Moon continue for the third straight match, and Courtney Lawes and captain Lewis Ludlam join number eight Juarno Augustus in the back-row.

Northampton opt for a 6-2 split amongst the replacements, with the likes of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Angus Scott-Young, and Sam Graham set to bring some ballast off the bench.

Form: Newcastle Falcons’ only victory in their last six Premiership Rugby matches was 17-12 at home to Gloucester on 24 March. The Falcons’ only defeat at Kingston Park in their last five Premiership matches was 19-34 to London Irish in Round 19. Northampton Saints’ last six encounters in the Premiership have all been won by the home side on the day. The Saints have won just once on the road in the league since Round 5, 19-18 at Leicester on 28 January. Northampton have lost only one of their last five fixtures against Newcastle in Premiership Rugby: 10-18 at Kingston Park in May 2021.

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The teams:

Newcastle: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Matias Orlando, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Michael Young (c), 8 Callum Chick, 7 Freddie Lockwood, 6 Pedro Rubiolo, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 4 Greg Peterson, 3 Mark Tampin, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Logovi’i Mulipola
Replacements: 16 Conrad Cade, 17 Adam Brocklebank, 18 Conor Kenny, 19 Philip van der Walt, 20 Carl Fearns, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Tom Penny, 23 Alex Tait

Northampton: 15 George Furbank, 14 Tom Collins, 13 Fraser Dingwall, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Tommy Freeman, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Lewis Ludlam (c), 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 Alex Moon, 4 David Ribbans, 3 Paul Hill, 2 Sam Matavesi, 1 Alex Waller
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Alfie Petch, 19 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Sam Graham, 22 Tom James, 23 Tom Litchfield

Date: Friday, April 21
Venue: Kingston Park
Kick-off: 19:45 BST (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Luke Pearce, Adam Leal
TMO: Stuart Terheege

Troyes have confirmed the signing of Marseille midfielder Saif-Eddine Khaoui on a season long loan.

The French-born Tunisian, who is more of a left midfielder and winger, joined OM in July of 2016 from Tours for just under €1m, but didn’t make the greatest of impressions last season under Rudi Garcia.

The 22-year-old failed to register a single goal or assist in his nine appearances in Ligue 1 for Marseille, operating as a winger on both the left and the right. However, this loan move to Troyes will be the best chance for him get some game time and rediscover the form that saw him join Marseille in the first place.

For Tours, Khaoui scored four and assisted four goals in 45 appearances, adding to his potential as a top winger, but now back in Ligue 1 with Troyes, this could be a very good move for the player.

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T.S.

Arsenal attacker Alexis Sanchez and his agentFernando Felicevich spent yesterday afternoon with PSG Sporting Director Antero Henrique at theRoyal Monceau in the 8th arrondissement in Paris, according toLe Parisien andThe Guardian.

An agreement concerning personal terms can now be described as a matter of when, not if. As reported yesterday, the two principal areas of disagreement between PSG and Sanchez’s camp at the beginning of the week appear to have been resolved.

PSG wanted to sign the player to a long-term contract, Sanchez’s camp only wanted a 3-year deal with Les Parisiens. A 4-year-deal will likely be the compromise that is reached.

Sanchez’s salary demands, €16m net a year, are also very elevated in PSG’s view, but the capital club are still willing to make Alexis one of the club’s current top three earners. The two main sticking points at the beginning of the week have almost entirely been resolved – a contract agreement between PSG & Sanchez in principle appears agreed, the resolution of the final details appears to be imminent.

Les Parisiens’ first offer, either formal or verbal, to Arsenal for Alexis will almost certainly be made next week.Le Parisien report that PSG will open with a bid worth €40m.

The possible signing of Sanchez by PSG will also aid the club in their pursuit of Neymar. The two players have remained good friends since they crossed each other’s paths briefly at Barcelona.

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Rebels and Australia utility back Reece Hodge has sung the praises of up-and-coming fly-half Carter Gordon and believes the 22-year-old can do a job at Test level.

On Sunday, Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones named a 33-man squad for a three-day camp later this month on the Gold Coast.

In fine form

Gordon was one of several uncapped players included in that squad and his selection was a deserved one as he has been arguably the best Australian fly-half in action during the early part of this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

Hodge said he is delighted to see his Rebels team-mate being rewarded with his Wallabies call up after his fine start to the season.

“I’m really proud of Carter,” Hodge told reporters. “He’s been at the club for a couple years now and to see the strides that he’s made his own game, he’s one of the hardest workers.

“He’s a student of the game and has a really good understanding of the game of where to attack whilst putting his body on the line in defence.

“I think just the intent he has played with both sides of the ball has meant he’s deserved his spot in the squad.

“It’s up to him to continue those performances, keep the consistency up and give them no excuse come Rugby Championship and World Cup time.”

And Hodge is confident the young playmaker can replicate his club form at Test level if given the chance to do so.

“For sure, his performances this year have been awesome,” Hodge said when asked if Gordon can handle a Test call-up.

“He controls the game really well and his option-taking and overall game has been up there with the best playmakers in the competition.

Can make step up to Test level

“If he keeps up that standard of play, the guys around him at the Rebels have massive confidence in the way he’s playing at the moment and there’s no reason why he can’t step to the next level and do the same thing.

“I know he’ll be narrowing his focus to Super Rugby at the moment and will go from there once the next squad is picked.”

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Former England and Newcastle Falcons centre Luther Burrell says he has a “sense of closure” after an independent investigation found he was the victim of racial abuse.

Burrell, who is of Jamaican descent, told the Mail on Sunday last year that he was subjected to comments about slavery, bananas and fried chicken, adding that “racial banter” had become “normalised” among teammates.

The RFU has ruled out taking disciplinary action on those who racially abused Burrell.

‘A tough eight to 10 months’

93 staff members at Newcastle Falcons were interviewed, including players and coaches, after Burrell’s claims.

“Does it provide me with a sense of closure? I believe so, yes,” Burrell told BBC Sport following the conclusion of the investigation.

“It’s been a tough eight to 10 months. I was disappointed initially by the lack of support shown from some of my peers.

“It was as if my comments were being dismissed. It was almost like people needed proof, and now this has come out, people will understand that what I was saying has been deemed to be the truth. 

“And we can all hopefully move on and generate change. I’m proud of what I’ve done, and I’m proud of the support that I’ve had.

“To call anybody a slave is not funny, so it was abhorrent behaviour. It was something that affects my dignity as a player; it affects me as a human and as a father.”

Allegations made are true

Burrell spent two seasons at Newcastle Falcons between 2020 and 2022; shortly afterwards, he made the abuse he faced public.

The investigation concluded that “on the balance of probability, the allegations made in the article are true, but there is insufficient evidence to say whether all the allegations occurred at the club, apart from the WhatsApp message which contained a racist comment”.

In addition, Burrell was subject to a “further two specific incidents of racial abuse – one directed at the player and one witnessed by the player. Therefore, the player was subject to racial abuse verbally and in the WhatsApp group”.

At least two other employees of Newcastle gave evidence in support of Burrell’s allegations.

No disciplinary investigation

While it was recommended that the RFU should consider conducting a disciplinary investigation, it was also acknowledged that this might not help achieve the RFU’s aim of diversifying the game.

All testimonies provided were also all on a confidential basis.

“Individuals who came forward with evidence did so without giving the names of individuals involved, and Luther has been consistent throughout that his aim is not to seek punishment for individuals but rather to bring about change,” an RFU statement read.

“The club, which has co-operated throughout, has made and will continue to implement changes to its policies and procedures based on the recommendations.

“The RFU will also address the wider elements of the inclusion and diversity elite game action plan, all with an aim to drive an inclusive culture and ensure racism has no place in our clubs or our sport.

“Taking all these factors into account, the RFU believes the investigation has fulfilled its objectives and does not intend to pursue a further disciplinary investigation and instead will continue to work with the club to ensure that these processes remain embedded.”

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Ligue 1 side Rennes have submitted a €5m offer to Ludogorets for central midfielder Anicet Abel, according to Foot Mercato.

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The 27-year-old box-to-box midfielder is a Madagascar international who spent his youth football days at Auxerre.

There is ever-increasing optimism at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux that they will have a deal completed for 23-year-old Atletico Paranaense defensive midfielder Otávio by this week.

Sud Ouest report that the player is due in Bordeaux by the end of the week, with Globo Esporte claiming that a €7m transfer is in the final stages of being agreed.

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Leinster head coach Leo Cullen claims the focus from his side is going to be on managing the six-day turnaround for their quarter-final against Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup.

Cullen’s side advanced to the next round after defeating rivals Ulster 30-15 on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.

It was a brilliant performance by the side that was loaded with international stars fresh off their Grand Slam success in the Six Nations.

Tigers challenge

The Dublin men beat the Tigers in the quarter-finals last season, but Cullen insists that things are different this time around.

“We played against Leicester last season, they’ve a couple of changes in personnel. Obviously, George Ford is gone, Handre Pollard is there, so they’ve a tonne of experience in their team,” Cullen said.

“It’s going to be a great test, isn’t it? A really good test but, again, it’s the occasion. The dynamic of the tournament is very unusual but the occasions are still pretty special.

“Hopefully, it’s a slightly drier day so you can see bit more fluid running rugby from both teams. You see the way England played here a couple of weeks ago, that sort of Steve Borthwick template.”

Recovery is key

The coach thought his side did well and commended the forwards for their effort. However, all focus is on recovery for the clash against the Tigers.

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“I thought the forwards did a good job in terms of laying the platform for the team. That’s on the back of a good week’s work.

“We’re pleased to be through. Ulster put it up to us.

“Just talking to the guys in the dressing room, it’s all about recovery and trying to turn the page quickly.

“It’s a very unusual sort of dynamic, isn’t it? In the past, you’d have a couple of weeks’ lead-in into this game. Now it’s a six-day turnaround.”

Meanwhile, Ulster head coach Dan McFarland gave full credit to Leinster for an impressive win but was still proud of how his side approached the game.

“Leinster were certainly the better team today,” he said. “I was proud of the effort that our guys put in. I was proud of the way we approached the game physically.

“I think some of the bits and pieces around our discipline, potentially in the aerial and territory game, we didn’t match up to them so fair play to them – good win.”

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Chiefs flyer Emoni Narawa caught the eye with an outstanding finish in his side’s 20-13 triumph over the Blues in their Super Rugby Pacific derby in Hamilton on Saturday.

Narawa, who used to ply his trade at the Blues, made an immediate impact when he gathered a grubber kick from Damian McKenzie just 26 seconds into the match, and despite being close to the touchline, he managed to stay inside the field of play before diving over the whitewash in acrobatic fashion.

McKenzie held his nerve to slot the difficult conversion from close to the touchline, which meant the home side were leading 7-0 as early as the second minute.

⚫️ The Chiefs make a sensational start in Hamilton against the Blues! Emoni Narawa rounds off in style after just 26 seconds! #SuperRugbyPacific #CHIvBLU pic.twitter.com/WYCNfsIapW

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 1, 2023

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It did not take long for the Blues to respond, and in the ninth minute, they narrowed the gap to two points when Ricky Riccitteli managed to drive over the try-line from close quarters, although Beauden Barrett was off target with the conversion attempt.

McKenzie extended his side’s lead when he landed a penalty in the 12th minute, but the Blues did not panic and drew level five minutes later when Caleb Clarke scored their second try.

Momentum between these sides continued to ebb and flow, and in the 26th minute, Narawa scored his second converted try, which gave the Chiefs a 17-10 lead at half-time.

The second half was a much tighter affair as the teams cancelled each other out with solid defensive efforts. The Chiefs went further ahead in the 46th minute when McKenzie kicked his second penalty before Barrett also succeeded with a three-pointer off the kicking tee five minutes later.

The rest of the match was an arm wrestle as both teams battled to gain the ascendancy, but neither team managed to score points which meant the Chiefs clinched their sixth successive Super Rugby Pacific win, which consolidates their position at the top of the table.

Video credit: Super Rugby Pacific