2008–09 EDF Energy Cup

The 2008–09 Anglo-Welsh Cup, known as the EDF Energy Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 38th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the fourth to follow the recently adopted Anglo-Welsh format.

2008–09 EDF Energy Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
DateOctober 2008 - April 2009
Tournament statistics
Teams16
Final
VenueTwickenham
Attendance54,899
Champions Cardiff Blues (1st title)
Runners-up Gloucester
Gloucester and the Cardiff Blues in the final of the 2008-09 EDF Energy Cup

As in the previous two years, the competition is contested between the twelve teams of the Guinness Premiership and the four Welsh regions from the Celtic League. The sixteen teams are arranged into four pools, with one Welsh and three English teams in each. Teams are randomly drawn into groups, as opposed to previous years when English sides were grouped according to proximity to one another. Each team plays the other team from their group only once, meaning that two teams in each group face two away games, whereas the other two teams have two home games.

Group stage

In the pool matches, teams receive:

  • Four points for a win
  • Two points for a draw
  • A bonus point for scoring four or more tries, regardless of the match result
  • A bonus point for losing by seven or fewer points

The winner of each pool advances to the semi-finals, at which stage a draw takes place to determine the teams that will play each other. The winners of the semi-final advance to the final to determine the competition winner; no "third place final" is played.

Group A

Team Pld W D L F A BP Pts
Gloucester 33006049113
London Wasps 32016647210
Newport Gwent Dragons 3102556015
Newcastle Falcons 3003376211
3 October 2008
19:05
Newport Gwent Dragons 25 14 Newcastle Falcons
Tries: Stcherbina 20' c
Isaacs 60' c
Tovey 69' m
Con: Tovey (2)
Pen: Tovey (2) 6', 40'
Report Tries: Penalty try 36' c
Phillips 44' c
Con: Clegg (2)
Rodney Parade, Newport
Attendance: 4,683
Referee: Rob Debney

4 October 2008
14:30
Gloucester 24 19 London Wasps
Vainikolo 23' m
Walker 47' c
Con: Walker
Pen: Walker (3) 17', 31', 70'
Drop: Lamb 20'
Report Tries: Robinson 5' m
Haskell 38' m
Pen: Staunton (2) 29', 51'
Walder 77'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 7,864

24 October 2008
20:00
Newcastle Falcons 13 26 London Wasps
Try: Vickers 73' c
Con: Clegg
Pen: Clegg (2) 2', 27'
Report Tries: Sackey 12' m
Rees 37' c
Voyce 49' c
Simpson 78' c
Con: Cipriani (3)
Kingston Park, Newcastle
Attendance: 5,202
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

25 October 2008
15:00
Gloucester 25 20 Newport Gwent Dragons
Tries: Vainikolo 17' c, 65' m
Lawson 34' m
Balshaw 67' m
Con: Barkley
Pen: Barkley 78'
Report Tries: Fussell 20' m
Webb 28' c
Tovey 80' m
Con: Connor
Pen: Connor 46'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 8,057

2 November 2008
15:00
London Wasps 21 10 Newport Gwent Dragons
Report
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 7,980
Referee: Chris White

2 November 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 10 11 Gloucester
Report
Kingston Park, Newcastle
Attendance: 3,614

Group B

Team Pld W D L F A BP Pts
Cardiff Blues 33006544012
Leicester Tigers 3201585808
Bath 3102576426
Sale Sharks 3003587222
4 October 2008
14:15
Bath 15 19 Leicester Tigers
Tries: Higgins (2) 5' c, 33' m
Con: Kydd
Pen: Kydd 52'
Report Try: Youngs 18' c
Con: Hougaard
Pen: Hougaard (3) 7', 15', 60'
Drop: Hougaard 70'
Recreation Ground, Bath
Attendance: 10,600

4 October 2008
15:00
Sale Sharks 17 18 Cardiff Blues
Try: Keil 16' m
Pen: Macleod (4) 2', 32', 44', 53'
Report Tries: Halfpenny 12' c
Mustoe 74' m
Con: Blair
Pen: Blair 29'
Sweeney 58'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 7,485

24 October 2008
19:45
Sale Sharks 21 24 Bath
Tries: Bell (2) 24' c, 73' m
Con: Hodgson
Pen: Hodgson (3) 2', 9', 49'
Report Tries: Hooper 40' c
Hape 52' c
Stephenson 56' c
Con: Cuthbert (3)
Pen: Cuthbert 47'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 7,659
Referee: Peter Allan

25 October 2008
14:35
Cardiff Blues 23 9 Leicester Tigers
Tries: Robinson 44' c
Spice 79' c
Con: Blair (2)
Pen: Blair (3) 6', 14', 73'
Report Pen: Hougaard (3) 40+1', 49', 67'
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 9,815
Referee: Dave Pearson

31 October 2008
19:35
Cardiff Blues 24 18 Bath
Tries: Molitika 4' c
Filise 69' m
Con: Blair
Pen: Blair (4) 10', 20', 55', 80'
Tries: Maddock 60' m
Higgins 74' c
Con: Berne
Pen: Cuthbert 3'
Maddock 53'
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 10,139
Referee: Nigel Owens

31 October 2008
19:35
Leicester Tigers 30 20 Sale Sharks
Tries: Penalty try 19' c
Youngs 57' c
Crane 80' c
Con: Hougaard (2)
Newby
Pen: Hougaard (3) 11', 14', 77'
Tries: Bell (2) 50' c, 70' c
Con: Macleod (2)
Pen: Macleod (2) 45', 48'
Welford Road, Leicester
Attendance: 16,550
Referee: James Jones

Group C

Team Pld W D L F A BP Pts
Ospreys 32018068210
London Irish 3201605819
Harlequins 3102677015
Worcester Warriors 3102586915
5 October 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 22 5 London Irish
Tries: Benjamin (2) 16' c, 61' m
Kitchener 30' m
Crichton 76' m
Con: Jones
Report Try: Richards 54'
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 7,433

5 October 2008
15:05
Ospreys 24 23 Harlequins
Tries: Williams 35' m
Bowe 78' c
Con: Hook
Pen: Hook (4) 13', 23', 33', 62'
Report Tries: de Wet Barry 44' c
Fuga 54' c
Con: Luveniyali (2)
Pen: Luveniyali (3) 29', 60', 65'
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Attendance: 8,057
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

25 October 2008
15:00
Harlequins 17 32 London Irish
Tries: Davies 7' m
Amesbury 13' c
McMillan 46' m
Con: Jewell
Report Tries: Thorpe 36' m
Hewat (2) 49' c, 78' c
Thompstone 54' m
Bailey 58' m
Con: Hewat
Hickey
Pen: Geraghty 62'
Twickenham Stoop, Twickenham
Attendance: 11,473

26 October 2008
15:05
Ospreys 37 22 Worcester Warriors
Tries: Walker 31' m
Henson 39' m
Williams 44' c
Bowe 80+2' m
Con: Hook
Pen: Hook (5) 18', 28', 59', 63', 75'
Report Try: Tuitupou 56' c
Con: Jones
Pen: Jones (5) 14', 34', 42', 48', 70'
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Attendance: 7,025

2 November 2008
15:00
London Irish 23 19 Ospreys
Report
Madejski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 9,293

2 November 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 14 27 Harlequins
Report
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 8,113

Group D

Team Pld W D L F A BP Pts
Northampton Saints 32018270210
Scarlets 3201735008
Saracens 3201746708
Bristol 3003398111
4 October 2008
15:00
Northampton Saints 30 17 Bristol
Tries: Diggin 8' m
Dickson 23' m
Ashton 48' c
Mayor 55' c
Con: Everitt (2)
Pen: Everitt (2) 35', 79'
Report Tries: Turner (2) 3' m, 21' m
Lilo 71' c
Con: Ashwin
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 11,301
Referee: Nigel Owens

5 October 2008
15:00
Saracens 17 26 Scarlets
Tries: Leonelli 12' c
Cato 18' c
Con: Ross (2)
Pen: Ross 43'
Report Tries: Lyons 8' c
Meeuws 48' c
Con: S. Jones (2)
Pen: S. Jones (4) 24', 32', 40', 63'
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 6,068

24 October 2008
19:05
Scarlets 27 0 Bristol
Tries: Stoddart 3' c
Easterby 37' c
Higgitt 63' c
Con: S. Jones (3)
Pen: S. Jones (2) 15', 49'
Report
Stradey Park, Llanelli
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: David Bodilly
  • This was the Scarlets' last competitive match at Stradey Park, home to Llanelli RFC since 1879. The new Parc y Scarlets opened in November.

26 October 2008
15:00
Saracens 33 19 Northampton Saints
Tries: Cato 12' m
Rauluni 23' c
Con: Ross
Pen: Ross (6) 17', 26', 49', 61', 68', 80'
Drop: Ross 40'
Report Tries: Foden 24' m
Wilson 30' m
Pen: Myler (3) 14', 20', 56'
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 6,984
Referee: Martin Fox

1 November 2008
14:30
Bristol 22 24 Saracens
Report
Memorial Stadium, Bristol
Attendance: 5,025

1 November 2008
14:30
Northampton Saints 33 20 Scarlets
Tries: Ashton (2) 11' m, 29' m
Reihana 45' c
Sean Lamont
Con: Myler
Pen: Myler (2) 23' 61'
Tries: King 5' m
Stoddart 8' m
Davies
Pen: C. Thomas 17'

Semi-finals

28 March 2009
14:30
Gloucester 17 0 Ospreys
Try: Balshaw 76' m
Pen: Lamb (3) 5', 45', 72'
Drop: Lamb 67'
Report
Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Attendance: 26,744
Referee: Nigel Owens

28 March 2009
17:15
Cardiff Blues 11 5 Northampton Saints
Try: Spice 33' m
Pen: Blair (2) 2', 72'
Report Try: Ansbro 42' m
Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Attendance: 26,744
Referee: George Clancy

Final

18 April 2009
14:30
Gloucester 12 50 Cardiff Blues
Tries: Foster 29' m
Penalty try 73' c
Con: Barkley
Report Tries: Halfpenny (2) 11' c, 20' c
James 37' m
Blair (2) 66' c, 77' c
Sweeney 68' c
Shanklin 80' c
Con: Blair (6)
Pen: Blair 19'
Twickenham, London
Attendance: 54,899
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
FB15 Olly Morgan
RW14 Matthew Watkins
OC13 James Simpson-Daniel
IC12 Anthony Allen
LW11 Mark Foster
FH10 Ryan Lamb
SH9 Rory Lawson
N88 Gareth Delve (c)
OF7 Akapusi Qera
BF6 Luke Narraway
RL5 Alex Brown
LL4 Will James
TP3 Greg Somerville
HK2 Olivier Azam
LP1 Nick Wood
Replacements:
HK16 Scott Lawson
PR17 Carlos Nieto
LK18 Marco Bortolami
FL19 Andy Hazell
SH20 Gareth Cooper
FH21 Olly Barkley
WG22 Charlie Sharples
Coach:
Dean Ryan
FB15 Ben Blair
RW14 Leigh Halfpenny
OC13 Tom Shanklin
IC12 Jamie Roberts
LW11 Tom James
FH10 Nicky Robinson
SH9 Jason Spice
N88 Xavier Rush
OF7 Martyn Williams
BF6 Maama Molitika
RL5 Paul Tito (c)
LL4 Bradley Davies
TP3 Taufa'ao Filise
HK2 Gareth Williams
LP1 Gethin Jenkins
Replacements:
PR16 John Yapp
HK17 Rhys Thomas
LK18 Deiniol Jones
FL19 Andy Powell
SH20 Richie Rees
FH21 Ceri Sweeney
FB22 Gareth Thomas
Coach:
Dai Young
gollark: None are safe.
gollark: I have memetic irony shields.
gollark: ++delete palaiologos (imperative heresy)?
gollark: Um.
gollark: ++delete <@356107472269869058> (imperative heresy?)

See also

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