Round-up: Sharks win

Sale Sharks cruised to a 54-0 victory over 14-man Petrarca but it was not enough to keep them in the race for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

The Sharks impressed as they ran in eight tries at Edgeley Park to secure a comfortable bonus-point over the Italian minnows in Pool Two.

However, Brive's victory against Cetransa El Salvador meant the Sharks will miss out on the last eight of Europe's second tier competition for the first time since 2001.

Fly-half Rob Miller ran the show for Sale, scored 17 points including six conversions and a try, as well as playing a hand in four more.

Newcastle Falcons are still waiting for their first win of 2011 after crashing out of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

The Falcons were defeated 6-0 by Montpellier at Kingston Park, their third defeat of the campaign in Pool Three.

Falcons coach Alan Tait fielded a second-string side though the squad players pushed the high-flying French outfit, who are third in the Top 14, in a closely-fought contest. Two penalties in the first half by Benoit Paillaugue were all that separated the teams.

However, Montpellier's failure to pick up a bonus point has left the door for qualification open for Exeter Chiefs, who they meet in the final round at Stade Yves du Manoir next week.

Brive ended Sale Sharks' interest in the European Challenge Cup with a crushing 52-3 victory over Spanish side Cetransa El Salvador at the Stade Pelouse Amedee-Domenech.

The French side ran in eight tries, securing the bonus point when Welshman Alix Popham crossed for the fourth.

Cetransa El Salvador had held on valiantly to contain the hosts to a 7-3 scoreline at the interval, but Brive ran riot in the second half.