WORCESTER Warriors showed plenty of savoir faire in an excellent display of free-flowing attacking rugby that saw them run in five tries to beat French challengers Mont-pellier 36-26 in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final at Sixways.

All Black wing Rico Gear bagged a brace of tries to take his tally for this season's competition to seven, while Miles Benjamin, Sam Tuitupou and Craig Gillies also crossed as Mike Ruddock's men booked themselves a semi-final date with Newcastle.

In typical French style, though, the visitors played with plenty of flare, responding to Worcester's scores with four tries of their own through French international flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo, Alessandro Stoica, Fabien Rofes and Warren Britz.

Japan-bound Australian fly-half Shane Drahm began proceedings with an excellent defensive kick that went 70 metres before rolling into touch.

The French side claimed the line-out ball, but Worcester came back strongly with the impressive Dale Ras-mussen breaking the line before setting up Benjamin for an easy run-in under the posts. Drahm added the extras to give Warriors a 7-0 third-minute advantage.

It was a short-lived lead, though, as Mont-pellier captain Ouedraogo popped up on the right wing to dive over in the corner before Argentinian stand-off Federico Todeschini completed the tough conversion.

Rasmussen again broke through the Montpellier defence as Warriors attacked, but the ball broke loose for the French side to clear. However, Worcester full-back Thinus Delport made some good yards before feeding Benjamin. The pacey youngster was stopped in his tracks, but the ball was recycled down the line to Pat Sanderson, who committed two defenders before finding Gear to run in from 15 yards out. Drahm split the posts again.

Two minutes later, Gear should have had his second score of the day after Drahm had broken through the visitor's defence. The Kiwi wing was in acres of space, but the Aussie stand-off wrongly opted to take the ball into contact.

From the ensuing ruck, Montpellier went off-side and Worcester's front row put their opponents under huge pressure at a series of scrums. The ball was then span down the line to All Black centre Tuitupou, who scorched over for the hosts' third try, but Drahm was this time off target.

The see-saw nature of the match continued five minutes later as Montpellier scrum-half Sebastien Buada picked up at the breakdown and raced through a gap before his grubber kick almost found Stoica.

The centre, though, was not to be denied and another break from Ouedraogo saw him race in. Full-back Regis Lespinas pulled his effort wide of the target.

Gear then grabbed his second and Worcester's fourth try of the match four minutes later following more good work by Rasmussen before Drahm hit the target to make it 26-12 to the men from Sixways.

Second row Gillies then got in on the try-scoring act, diving over in the corner after a powerful run from Tuitupou into the heart of Montpellier's 22. With the wind picking up, Drahm did well to drive his conversion between the posts.

Worcester began the second-half looking to maintain their positive, go-forward rugby, but their first attack was undermined by a Rasmussen knock-on. However, the hosts soon had possession again after securing turn-over ball at a ruck. Tuitupou and Drahm linked up well in a training ground switch move, but the latter's next pass was blocked - and knocked forward - by Montpellier centre Murphy Taele.

Worcester were awarded a penalty, which Drahm kicked to the corner, after a high tackle on Tuitupou. Hooker Aleki Lutui's crooked throw gave a put-in to Montpellier, but Buada was guilty of feeding at the scrum so the ball was given to Worcester.

The ball was fired long to Gear, but the All Black could not hold on to score his hat-trick and knocked-on.

Montpellier began to turn the screw with a sustained period of pressure camped on the Warriors' try-line, but the home forwards stole the ball, allowing scrum-half Matt Powell to find touch with a box kick. Gillies then snared hooker Rofes' throw-in to relieve the pressure further.

Wing Sebastien Kuzbik nearly got on the end of his chip-and-chase into the Warriors' in-goal area, but Delport was on hand to gather the ball and save the try.

As Montpellier continued to attack, Sanderson was sent to the cooler for deliberately killing the ball on the hour mark. The visitors immediately made the most of their numerical advantage with Rofes burrowing over for a try under the posts, which was improved by Lespinas.

Drahm handed the visitors a good attacking platform with a kick direct into touch from just outside the 22. From the line-out, replacement number eight Warren Britz claimed the ball and charged through unchallenged to, with the help of Lespinas' successful conversion, make the score 33-26.

With the game taking place at the same time as the Grand National, the home side were then home and hosed in the 72nd minute, when Drahm restored their lead to 10 points with a penalty to book a semi-final berth.

12:26pm Tuesday 8th April 2008

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