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Someone's 100 per cent start to the Amlin Challenge Cup has got to go on Saturday when Stade Francais Paris host Grenoble at Stade Océane. - 19/10/2012 11:15
Stade Francais Paris aim to take a firm grip on Pool 5 qualification by extending their unbeaten start to the group at the expense of I Cavalieri Prato.
Sergio Parisse's side have struggled in the French Top 14 and have won just one of their seven games on the road, including last weekend's Paris derby against Racing-Metro.
But they have found their form in Europe this season after wracking up their biggest away score in 15 years at London Welsh and then defeating French rivals Grenoble.
Hooker Remi Bonfils already has three tries to his name but top-scorer Felipe Contepomi is injured.
Stade have never lost to Italian opponents in the Challenge Cup though they face a stiff challenge at Stadio Enrico Chersoni.
Prato came within four minutes of defeating London Welsh in the last round after Nicolo Tempestini and lock Giacomo Bemini scored.
But it was to prove an unlucky 13th defeat in a row after a late penalty condemned Prato to a 32-31 loss.
Match Facts
– I Cavalieri Prato have lost all of their eight games in the Amlin Challenge Cup. Three of these losses came against French sides.
– Stade Francais have only lost once in their last eight away games in Amlin Challenge Cup (W7).
– Stade Francais have won all of their six encounters against Italian sides in this competition, scoring an average of 56 points per game.
– Only Joe Carlisle (50) has scored more points than Felipe Contepomi (31) in the Amlin Challenge Cup this season.
Longtemps accrochés par leurs adversaires
Stade Francais Paris made it three from three with a 37-23 victory over I Cavalieri Prato at Stadio Enrico Chersoni – left wing Francis Fainifo striking with a try hat-trick to take the Paris club four points clear at the top of Pool 5.
The star-studded Parisian side – who have contested finals of both the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup – came roaring out of the blocks and were 14 points clear after just nine minutes.
That whirlwind start came with tries from Fainifo and scrum-half Jerome Fillol, Nicolas Bezy converting both.
It all caught I Cavalieri Prato flat-footed and barely with time to raise a sweat but to their credit they hit back with a couple of tries of their own to remind the glamour French club they had a game on their hands.
Flanker Edoarde Ruffolo and full back Michele Sepe both breached the Stade defence in the space of 10 minutes and a couple of Bezy penalty goals to one from Marco Frati meant the Italian club were just five points adrift at the break.
They cut that to just two points with another Frati penalty but then Stade Francais showed their class.
Fainifo got his second, the Italians conceded a penalty try and Fainifo completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute, although the home side did have the last word with a Niccolo Cannone try at the death.
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