Connacht miss out on home tie after defeat

Connacht have missed out on a home fixture in the round of 16 of the Heineken Challenge Cup after they went down 35-21 to Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.

A bonus point win would have ensured Connacht home advantage all the way through to the May's final at the Aviva Stadium, but they will instead now travel to Italy to take on Benetton Rugby in their last 16 clash.

Newcastle came into the game off the back of three straight defeats in Pool A but they raced into an early lead with converted tries from Micky Young, Matias Orlando and Mateo Carreras leaving the away supporters stunned as their side trailed 21-0 with less that 20 minutes on the clock.

Connacht rallied however and Finlay Bealham helped to reduce the deficit with two tries in quick succession.

Bealham first bundled his way over after the hosts capitalised on a defensive error and he then found a gap to drive through nine minutes later. Conor Fitzgerald converted both tries and at half-time the hosts had cut the gap to seven points.

However, Connacht again hit the self-destruct button just after the restart when a series of weak tackles allowed Josh Barton space he should never have been able to find, and he gleefully darted through for his side's fourth try, which Tian Schoeman again converted.

Bealham completed his hat-trick on 57 minutes which Fitzgerald again converted to make the score 28-21, but just when it looked as if Connacht had set things up for a grand-stand finish, centre Pete Lucock found another gap in the host's creaky defence and there was no way back for the Westerners.

Newcastle Falcons: A Tait (A Radwan 60); B Stevenson, M Orlando, P Lucock, M Carreras; T Schoeman (J Thomas 67), M Young (J Barton 22); L Mulipola (A Brocklebank 55), J Blamire,