Ulster got off to the perfect start at the Stadio Comunale di Monigio when Maxwell stole in for a try after just two minutes and Paul Steinmetz converted. Maxwell, who has played on the Ireland Sevens team, crossed the line again 10 minutes later and added the conversion himself to give the away side a comfortable lead. When the number 11 completed his firsthalf hat trick - and with nothing other than pride on the line for Trevis - Ulster looked to be coasting. And that may have been the problem.

Two injury time tries by Treviso's Alvaro Tejeda - both converted by Marius Goosen - meant that the home side were only seven points in arrears at the interval despite being dominated for long periods in the opening half.

Steinmetz scored a penalty soon after the restart, but a try by Treviso's Brendan Williams seemed to ensure that Ulster would have a battle on their hands to escape with all the points. However, when Irish international Andrew Trimble touched down after 51 minutes he settled his side's nerves while also securing the bonus point.

Paddy Wallace crossed the line soon after before Treviso's Scott Palmer's broke through to get the four-try bonus point for Treviso.In injury time Trimble put a better gloss on the scoreline when he again broke free, and Steinmetz's conversion left the final score at 26-43.

In the other game in pool four, Saracens went to Biarritz with hopes high before the winner-takes-all clash.

But the home side was not in a generous mood and cruised into the last eight with a clinical demolition of the English team 43-13.

Biarritz ran in six tries in an impressive all-round display, capped by the assured running of their backs. Tries from Martin Arramburu, Jean-Baptiste Gobelet and Benoit August gave the French side a 19-13 lead at the break. Nicolas Brusque, Phillippe Bidabe and Julien Peyrelongue added further tries, while Saracens scored a solitary first-half try from prop Kevin Yates. Biarritz scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili slotted four conversions. The result saw Biarritz clinch the group with 24 points and sank Saracens' hopes of qualifying as a best runner-up.

In pool six, four tries by Vincent Clerc secured a vital home quarter-final draw for Toulouse after a 49-42 win against the Llanelli Scarlets.

But it was Gareth Jenkins' men who made the best possible start when Davies crossed the tryline after just 49 seconds following a blunder by Florian Fritz, and outhalf Mike Hercus converted.

Toulouse eventually made an imprint on the scoresheet through Jean-Baptiste Elissalde's penalty but Llanelli were quick to reply with one of their own. In a nonstop opening period Toulouse equalised when Clerc finished a flowing move, an impressive 40-metre Hercus penalty then edged Llanelli ahead again in the 18th minute but the Frenchmen hit back once more when Isitolo Maka crossed. The away side claimed their third try in style when Clerc chipped over Barry Davies. Llanelli went 23-22 ahead when Martyn Madden charged over but Toulouse secured their bonus point when Fritz scored underneath the post. After a breathless first half, Toulouse began the second with gusto and Clerc claimed his hattrick with a 42nd-minute try which Ellissalde converted and he then added a penalty.

But they could not keep Llanelli down and they rallied to make it 30-39 when King crossed. However it was no surprise when Toulouse raced back with another try through Clerc before Peel gave the home side some hope and Hercus made it 3749. Davies then scored his second to set up a grandstand finish but Toulouse clung on for victory.