ASM Clermont Auvergne’s season goes from strength to strength. Currently leaders of the TOP 14, they qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Rugby Challenge Cup as the top-ranked club after winning all six of their Pool 1 games. The French club’s 49-7 victory at Dragons on Friday night enabled them to equal Ospreys’ competition record of a maximum 30 match points from the pool stage, which was set in 2016-17. Paul Jedrasiak and Remi Grosso led the way in their seven-try spree at Rodney Parade with doubles, while Pato Fernandez racked up 19 points with seven conversions and a try. In the quarter-finals at the end of March Clermont face a rerun of their Round 5 game against Northampton Saints, who qualified as the third-best pool runner-up after a 111-3 home win over Timisoara Saracens on Friday. Clermont edged their last home meeting with Northampton 48-40. https://twitter.com/ASMOfficiel/status/1086674254719012864 Northampton, for whom Ollie Sleightholme scored four tries and Alex Mitchell three at the weekend, make up a strong English contingent in the quarter-finals, with five qualifying from the Premiership for the first time since 2013/14. At least one English semi-finalist is assured, with Pool 2 winners Worcester Warriors hosting Pool 5 leaders Harlequins in the last eight. In Round 6 Worcester won a thriller against Stade Français Paris 36-31 at Sixways with a try in added time from Dean Hammond, after trailing 28-14 at the break, and Harlequins eased to a 33-17 victory at Agen. https://twitter.com/WorcsWarriors/status/1086677166140600322 Sale Sharks are the leading English quarter-finalist at No.3 after winning Pool 3 ahead of Connacht Rugby on a head-to-head basis (6-4), with both deadlocked on 22 points. They also meet again in the last eight, at the AJ Bell Stadium, where Sale triumphed 34-13 in Round 2. Both sides won their Round 6 matches on Saturday, with Sale defeating Perpignan 39-10 at home and Connacht winning 33-27 at Bordeaux-Bègles. England back Chris Ashton scored his seventh try in five pool games this season as Sale crossed the whitewash five times, while Matt Healy spearheaded Connacht’s victory with two of their five tries. https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1086694325700964353 Quarter-final 4 is the third last-eight meeting where acquaintances will be renewed from the pool stage, with Pool 4 qualifiers La Rochelle and Bristol Bears facing each other again at the Stade Marcel Deflandre, where the French club will bid to avenge their 13-3 loss to the Bears in Round 4. On Saturday La Rochelle triumphed 22-10 at Zebre Rugby Club thanks largely to 17 points from Ihaia West, while Bristol defeated Enisei-STM 107-19 at Ashton Gate Stadium, with Andy Uren scoring five tries, Ryan Edwards notching three and Callum Sheedy kicking 11 conversions.