Their four tries at Ashton Gate on Saturday came from Luke Morahan, Harry Thacker, Charles Piutau and Toby Fricker, who crossed in the last minute to take the Bears’ tally to 17 in their three games.

However, it is not only their try-scoring that has been prolific. Their goalkicking has also been outstanding, Ian Madigan, Ioan Lloyd and Callum Sheedy succeeding with 21 out of 22 attempts. On Saturday it was Madigan’s turn to prove lethal with the boot, notching 13 points.

They are now nine points clear at the top of Pool 4 – the biggest gap in the competition – after Zebre Rugby Club edged Brive 27-24 in Italy for their first Challenge Cup win of the season to climb into second place.

In stark contrast, the Pool 3 leadership couldn’t be tighter, with Bordeaux-Begles and Edinburgh Rugby locked on 12 points – seven clear of Wasps, who went down 31-20 in the Scottish capital on Friday, when two-try DTH van der Merwe and Simon Hickey, with 11 points, were Edinburgh’s match-winners.

On the same night, Bordeaux-Begles romped to a 73-3 win at TOP 14 rivals Agen, Geoffrey Cros spearheading an 11-try bonanza with a hat-trick and Matthieu Jalibert contributing 17 points.

There is little to choose between Dragons and Worcester Warriors at the head of Pool 1 either, with Dragons ahead by one point, after losing their 100 per cent record to the English club on Saturday in a 34-28 thriller at Sixways Stadium following the 18th-minute red card for Dragons' Taine Basham.

Jamie Shillcock’s 14 points for Worcester were also crucial – as was Jono Kitto’s 72nd minute try, which earned the Warriors a vital bonus point, as well as setting up this Friday’s return at Rodney Parade nicely.

It is all to play for in Pool 5 as well, after Leicester Tigers retained their 100 per cent record in their debut Challenge Cup campaign with a 59-7 home drubbing of Rugby Calvisano and Cardiff Blues overwhelmed Pau 54-22 at home to stay three points behind.

Jonny May led Leicester’s 11-try spree with a double, while Josh Adams marked his debut for the Blues with three of his team’s eight tries and Jarrod Evans scored 22 points.

RC Toulon are the third team with three wins from three in the Challenge Cup. They top Pool 2 by five points from Scarlets, after defeating London Irish 37-17 at Stade Felix Mayol, while the Welsh region squeezed home 19-11 at Bayonne with the aid of 14 points from Leigh Halfpenny.

Bristol Bears are now the sole team with maximum points in the European Rugby Challenge Cup after following their five-points successes in Rounds 1 and 2 with another full house in the third round in their 37-11 home victory against Stade Francais Paris.