Perpignan secured a  bonus-point win at home to Calvisano, but failed to score enough tries to get a home quarter-final in the Heineken Cup.

The French heavyweights needed nine tries at Stade Aime Giral to sneak past Munster in the last-eight rankings, but managed only six against the Italians in front of 11,500 fans. The win was enough for Perpignan to top Pool 2, but the club’s plans to hold a quarter-final in Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium were dashed by Calvisano’s second-half comeback.

Young backs Mathieu Bourret and David Marty bagged tries as Perpignan threw the ball wide from the opening whistle, and flanker Bernard Goutta added a third as Calvisano scrum-half Pablo Canavosio found himself in the sin-bin.

Right winger Christophe Manas secured the bonus point on the half-hour mark and Perpignan took a 31-0 lead into the halftime break.

Replacement fullback Frederic Cermeno kept his side on track with a try early in the second spell, but Calvisano dug deep and kept the home side try-less until Manas scored his second try in the last move of the match.