2008–09 European Challenge Cup

The 2008–09 European Challenge Cup was the 13th season of the European Challenge Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended with the final at the Twickenham Stoop in London on 22 May 2009, in which Northampton Saints defeated Bourgoin 15–3. With the win, the Saints not only claimed the trophy, but also won a berth in the 2009–10 Heineken Cup.

2008–09 European Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Spain
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date9 October 2008 to 22 May 2009
Tournament statistics
Teams20
Matches played67
Top point scorer(s)Stephen Myler (Northampton)
(133 points)
Top try scorer(s)Chris Ashton (Northampton)
(7 tries)
Final
VenueTwickenham Stoop
Attendance9,260
Champions Northampton Saints (1st title)
Runners-up Bourgoin

Teams

Seven French teams competed instead of the normal eight, as a French team, Toulouse, progressed farther in the previous year's Heineken Cup than any English or Italian team.

Other nations had their usual number of participants: England six, Italy four, Ireland one, Spain one and Romania one.[1]

England France Ireland Italy Romania Spain
Bristol
London Irish
Newcastle Falcons
Northampton Saints
Saracens
Worcester Warriors
Bayonne
Brive
Bourgoin
Montpellier
Toulon
Mont-de-Marsan
Dax
Connacht
Overmach Parma
Petrarca Padova
Rovigo
Viadana
București Oaks
El Salvador

Pool stage
Main article: 2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The draw for the pool stages took place on 23 June 2008. The draw was conducted using the ERC European Ranking system which was based on the qualified teams' performances and participation in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup over the past four seasons.

Key to colours
     Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
     Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

Pool 1
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
London Irish (1) 6600443+4130034+2665029
Connacht (7) 64022019+1159140+193019
Rovigo 6105725−1879199–120015
Dax 6105529−2455220–165004

Pool 2
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Northampton Saints (2) 6600377+3027869+2095029
Bristol 63031421−7140168−281114
Montpellier 62041018−8101159−58019
RC Toulon 6105722−1584207−123015

Pool 3
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Worcester Warriors (4) 6501368+2825594+1614024
Bourgoin (8) 63031811+7158115+431215
Petrarca Padova 63031128−17112206−940113
București Oaks 6105826−1887197−110015

Pool 4
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Brive (5) 6501338+2524389+1543124
Newcastle Falcons (6) 6402248+1617890+882119
Overmach Parma 63031913+6165120+452216
El Salvador 6006552−4746333−287000

Pool 5
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Saracens (3) 6600201+1920043+1572026
Viadana 6303811−3120126−60113
Bayonne 6303911−299122−230012
Mont-de-Marsan 6000418−1454182−128011

Seeding and runners-up
Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/-
1 London Irish 2944+266
2 Northampton Saints 2937+209
3 Saracens 2620+157
4 Worcester Warriors 2436+161
5 Brive 2433+154
Seed Pool Runners-up Pts TF +/-
6 Newcastle Falcons 1924+88
7 Connacht 1920+19
8 Bourgoin 1518+43
– Bristol 1414−28
– Viadana 138−6

Knockout stage

Unlike the Heineken Cup, the Challenge Cup did not conduct a semi-final draw at the time (such a draw would be instituted for the 2009–10 edition). The top half of the draw matched the 1 and 8 seeds in one quarter-final, and the 4 and 5 seeds in the other, and the bottom half matched 2 against 7 and 3 against 6; the higher (lower-numbered) seeds all play at home. The knockout stage was not reseeded after the quarter-finals. Home advantage for the semi-finals was awarded to the highest remaining seed in each half of the draw. Home advantage in the final went to the top remaining seed.

Quarter-finals
9 April 2009
19:30
London Irish 30–32 Bourgoin
Tries: Mapusua 56' c
S. Armitage 80+2' m
Con: D. Armitage (1/2)
Pen: D. Armitage (5/6) 11', 16', 31', 40', 71'
Drop: Kennedy (1/1) 79'		 Report Tries: Forest 42' c
Nicolas 77' c
Con: Parra (2/2)
Pen: Parra (4/5) 6', 37', 59', 63'
Drop: Boyet (2/4) 28', 72'
Madejski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 6,455
Referee: Peter Allen (Scotland)
11 April 2009
13:00
Worcester Warriors 29–18 Brive
Tries: Garvey (2) 11' c, 72' c
Sanderson 22' c
Grove 52' m
Con: Jones (3/4)
Pen: Jones (1/1) 9'		 Report Tries: Cooke (2) 35' m, 44' c
Con: Palisson (1/2)
Pen: Goode (1/1) 17'
Palisson (1/1) 66'
11 April 2009
15:00
Northampton Saints 42–13 Connacht
Tries: Best 71' c
Ansbro 74' m
Reihana 79' c
Mayor 80' m
Con: Myler (1/2)
Everitt (1/2)
Pen: Myler (6/6) 16', 24', 37', 45', 55', 65'		 Report Try: Ofisa 52' c
Con: Keatley (1/1)
Pen: Keatley (1/1) 19'
Drop: Keatley (1/1) 29'
12 April 2009
15:00
Saracens 32–13 Newcastle Falcons
Tries: Johnston 26' c
Barritt 30' c
Con: Jackson (2/2)
Pen: Jackson (5/5) 15', 23', 53', 65', 68'
Drop: Jackson (1/1) 38'		 Report Tries: Williams 58' m
Dowson 79' m
Pen: May (1/1) 9'
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 7,711
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)

Semi-finals
1 May 2009
19:45
Northampton Saints 16–13 Saracens
Try: Reihana 30' c
Con: Myler (1/1)
Pen: Myler (2/2) 7', 13'
Drop: Myler (1/1) 74'		 Report Try: Penney 73' c
Con: Jackson (1/1)
Pen: Jackson (2/2) 5', 52'
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 11,073
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
2 May 2009
13:30
Bourgoin 22–11 Worcester Warriors
Try: Levast 62' c
Con: Parra (1/1)
Pen: Parra (4/4) 10', 43', 52', 58'
Drop: Boyet (1/1) 60'		 Report Try: Benjamin 78' m
Pen: Carlisle (2/2) 28', 35'

Final
22 May 2009
19:45
Northampton Saints 15–3 Bourgoin
Pen: Myler (5/5) 9', 20', 38', 48', 69' Report Pen: Parra (1/1) 33'
Twickenham Stoop, London
Attendance: 9,260
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
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See also

Notes and references
  1. "European Challenge Cup – Key Tournament Rules". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
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