Warriors crash out in semis

Bourgoin will face Northampton in the final of the European Challenge Cup following a hard-fought 22-11 victory over Worcester Warriors.

Worcester wing Miles Benjamin scored a late try but French scrum-half Morgan Parra booted 17 points to add to Coenraad Basson's second-half try and deny Mike Ruddock's men the prospect of an all-English final.

The French side caused a shock in the quarter-final by beating tournament favourites London Irish and the 1997 champions produced another excellent performance at a sun-kissed Stade Pierre Rajon.

Bourgoin dominated the early possession and held a clear edge in the scrum. And that front-five power at the set-piece laid the platform for scrum-half Parra to convert a ninth-minute penalty.

Worcester levelled the tie in the 28th minute through Joe Carlisle's close-range penalty after Irish official Peter Fitzgibbon deemed the home side to be offside. Then Ruddock's men took the lead six minutes later through Carlisle's second penalty from just inside his own half.

Worcester lost Greg Rawlinson through injury after 36 minutes but wasted a rare chance to attack a minute later when New Zealand international Rico Gear fumbled the ball following Netani Talei's rampaging run.

But the Guinness Premiership outfit weathered another period of Bourgoin danger in the final few minutes of the half to gain a narrow 6-3 advantage at the break.

Parra handed Bourgoin the perfect riposte two minutes after the restart with a 40-metre penalty before he claimed a hat-trick of penalty goals in the 51st minute to regain the lead for the hosts. They inched further ahead with Parra's fourth successful penalty before Benjamin Boyet added a superb 47-metre drop goal.

Bourgoin sealed victory when lock Basson touched down in the left corner after excellent approach play by Rudi Coetzee while Parra added the conversion.

Benjamin grabbed a late consolation for Worcester but the damage had already been done by the French side's 19 unanswered points in 21 second-half minutes.