Exeter Chiefs bounce back in European Rugby Challenge Cup

The Premiership outfit lost 30-24 in France last Saturday, but ran in five tries on their way to a 33-13 victory over previous group leaders Connacht a week later.

Bayonne's defeat to fellow Top 14 side La Rochelle on Friday had cleared the way for Exeter to make a charge for the summit and, after Craig Ronaldson had put Connacht in front with a long-range effort from the tee, Chiefs scrum-half Will Chudley made the first real breakthrough by touching down under the posts.

Henry Slade's fourth try in as many matches extended the hosts' advantage at Sandy Park, before Ronaldson did his best to keep Connacht in touch by adding another three points with the boot.

Exeter took a 19-6 lead into the interval after Damian Welch added his name to the list of try scorers and Gareth Steenson delivered his second conversion of the half.

It was more of the same from the home side in the second period.

Dave Ewers made sure of the bonus point as he capped off a break down the right, before Ben White added a fifth try 10 minutes later.

Steenson added the extras to both scores to take his Exeter tally to 1,500 points.

Fionn Carr secured a late consolation for the visitors, but it is Exeter who now sit atop Pool Two, which looks set to be one of the most hotly contested in the competition.

Cardiff Blues joined London Irish in making it 10 points from a possible 10 in Pool One as they secured a 33-18 win at Rovigo.

The Italian semi-professional outfit, who Blues director of rugby Mark Hammett described as "a team that doesn't have a lot of strategy but has a lot of passion", gave a good account of themselves as they remained firmly in the encounter for the most part.

However, second-half tries from Manoa Vosawai and Macauley Cook effectively put the game to bed for the Blues, who made eight changes following their win against Grenoble last weekend.

Gloucester moved into a commanding position in Pool Five with a 25-15 victory at Oyonnax.

Having thumped Brive 55-0 last weekend, Gloucester arrived in France in confident mood, but saw Greg Laidlaw engage in a kicking battle with Riaan Smit in a first half that ended 9-9.

However, Matt Kvesic celebrated his new contract with the Premiership club by going over five minutes into the second half, and Laidlaw took his match tally to 20 as his side opened up a five-point lead at the top of the group.

In the day's other encounter, Stade Francais moved off the foot of Pool Three with a 13-9 victory over Romania side Bucuresti Wolves.