By Jason Harris
May 31 2005

Saracens exited the European Challenge Cup in the most cruel of circumstances after Brive overturned a 13 point first leg defecit to win the second 31-16 and in doing so take the tie 37-35 on aggregate. A Taine Randell try and three penalties and a conversion from Nicky Little weren't enough to save the Men in Black from going out against former team mate Alain Penaud and his men after two heartbreaking moments finally ended Sarries' hopes of a semi-final meeting with Pau.

A try by wing Yves Donguy - the side's second after Penaud had given Brive an early lead - in the fifth minute of second half injury time took his side to within two points of Saracens and it was up to replacement scrum half Valentin Courrent to take the pressure kick from the right hand touchline. Courrent duly obliged and an extra, nail-biting, twenty minutes of rugby was to follow.

Brive took the lead in the tie for the first time five minutes into the first period of extra time from a try by replacement flanker Alexandre Maleyrie, but Courrent's conversion from in front of the posts was charged down to give Sarries a lifeline with their hosts just five points ahead.

Little reduced the arrears shortly afterwards with his third penalty of the match as Sarries battled the home side and a hostile home crowd to sneak a win at the death.

The pressure on Brive mounted and in stoppage time at the end of the second extra period, Richard Haughton crossed the line and seemingly grounded the football for what would have been an historic Saracens victory with the very last play of the match.

However, referee Simon McDowell, who had ruled out two Brive scores late in normal time for failing to get the ball to terra firma, once agian decided that a try had not been scored. But time had run out for the Men in Black as the Irishman blew the final whistle to deny them a place in the last four.