2011–12 LV Cup

2011–12 LV Cup
Tournament details
Countries  England
 Wales
Tournament format(s) Round-robin and knockout
Date 15 October 2011 – 18 March 2012
Tournament statistics
Teams 16
Matches played 35
Attendance 273,097 (7,803 per match)
Tries scored 179 (5.11 per match)
Final
Venue Sixways Stadium
Attendance 11,895
Champions Leicester Tigers (7th title)
Runners-up Northampton Saints

The 2011–12 LV Cup (styled as the LV= Cup) was the 41st season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the seventh to follow the Anglo-Welsh format.

The competition consisted of the four Welsh Pro12 teams and the 12 English Premiership clubs arranged into pools consisting of three English and one Welsh team. Teams were guaranteed two home and two away pool matches, with teams in Pools 1 and 4 playing each other and teams in Pools 2 and 3 playing each other, with the top team from each pool qualifying for the semi finals.[1] The competition took place during the autumn soon after the World Cup and on international fixture dates during the Six Nations, thus allowing teams to develop their squad players.

The defending champions were Gloucester, who this season failed to progress from the pool stage.

Pool stages

Points system

The points scoring system for the pool stages will be as follows:[2]

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match (TB)
  • 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less (LB)

Pool 1 v Pool 4

Tables

Pool 1
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
England Bath 440016946123244020
England Saracens 421190702092012
Wales Ospreys 410371112−417105
England London Wasps 400474137−638123
Pool 4
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
England Northampton Saints 43011398455183015
England Exeter Chiefs 42028899−119109
England Worcester Warriors 420271120−498008
Wales Newport Gwent Dragons 411267101−345017

Round 1

15 October 2011
14:30
Newport Gwent Dragons Wales 16–46 England Bath
Report
Rodney Parade
Attendance: 4,646
15 October 2011
15:00
Northampton Saints England 36–6 England Saracens
Report
Franklin's Gardens
Attendance: 11,513
15 October 2011
15:00
Worcester Warriors England 20–19 England London Wasps
Report
Sixways Stadium
Attendance: 6,250
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU)
15 October 2011
19:45
Exeter Chiefs England 35–9 Wales Ospreys
Report
Sandy Park
Attendance: 6,368

Round 2

22 October 2011
14:15
Bath England 46–13 England Worcester Warriors
Report
Recreation Ground
Attendance: 11,576
22 October 2011
18:00
Ospreys Wales 22–32 England Northampton Saints
Report
Brewery Field
Attendance: 4,463
22 October 2011
19:45
London Wasps England 29–30 Wales Newport Gwent Dragons
Report
Adams Park
Attendance: 4,492
23 October 2011
15:00
Saracens England 43–20 England Exeter Chiefs
Report
Vicarage Road
Attendance: 4,507
Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)

Round 3

27 January 2012
19:00
Ospreys Wales 26–21 Wales Newport Gwent Dragons
Report
Brewery Field
Attendance: 4,896
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)
28 January 2012
14:30
Bath England 46–14 England Northampton Saints
Report
Recreation Ground
Attendance: 11,994
Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)
28 January 2012
15:00
London Wasps England 16–30 England Exeter Chiefs
Report
Adams Park
Attendance: 4,877
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU)
29 January 2012
15:00
Saracens England 41–14 England Worcester Warriors
Report
Vicarage Road
Attendance: 4,970

Round 4

3 February 2012
19:30
Newport Gwent Dragons Wales P–P England Saracens

This match was postponed due to a frozen pitch at Rodney Parade.[3] The LV= Organising Committee subsequently awarded the match to Saracens by 20 points to nil (a bonus point win). Dragons were also fined £10,000 (suspended) for their failure under LV= Cup Regulation 6.7 (that the pitch was unplayable and no suitable alternative arrangements were in place).[4] Dragons appealed this decision and their appeal was upheld. The decision was quashed, with the match instead being recorded as a 0–0 draw and the suspended fine reduced from £10,000 to £5,000.[5]

4 February 2012
15:00
Northampton Saints England 57–10 England London Wasps
Report
Franklin's Gardens
Attendance: 12,128
Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)
4 February 2012
15:00
Worcester Warriors England 24–14 Wales Ospreys
Report
Sixways Stadium
Attendance: 5,856
5 February 2012
17:00
Exeter Chiefs England 3–31 England Bath
Report
Sandy Park
Attendance: 5,557

Pool 2 v Pool 3

Tables

Pool 2
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
England Leicester Tigers 430186671991013
England London Irish 420210091971110
Wales Cardiff Blues 410354143−896105
England Sale Sharks 410378146−688004
Pool 3
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
Wales Scarlets 43011024458132115
England Harlequins 42021121084122111
England Gloucester 42021279334162010
England Newcastle Falcons 42021067333132010

Round 1

15 October 2011
15:00
Gloucester England 58–27 England Sale Sharks
Report
Kingsholm
Attendance: 9,934
15 October 2011
15:00
Harlequins England 26–19 England London Irish
Report
The Stoop
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts (RFU)
15 October 2011
18:00
Scarlets Wales 31–3 England Leicester Tigers
Report
Parc y Scarlets
Attendance: 6,314
Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)
15 October 2011
18:30
Newcastle Falcons England 33–3 Wales Cardiff Blues
Report
Kingston Park
Attendance: 3,176
Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)

Round 2

21 October 2011
19:45
Leicester Tigers England 40–14 England Gloucester
Report
Welford Road
Attendance: 16,408
Referee: James Jones (WRU)
21 October 2011
19:45
Sale Sharks England 25–37 England Harlequins
Report
Edgeley Park
Attendance: 4,629
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU)
23 October 2011
14:30
Cardiff Blues Wales 3–30 Wales Scarlets
Report
Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 6,913
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)
23 October 2011
15:00
London Irish England 39–23 England Newcastle Falcons
Report
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 5,469
Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)

Round 3

28 January 2012
15:00
Gloucester England 40–3 Wales Cardiff Blues
Report
Kingsholm
Attendance: 13,099
Referee: Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts (RFU)
28 January 2012
15:00
Harlequins England 9–19 England Leicester Tigers
Report
The Stoop
Attendance: 13,780
28 January 2012
18:30
Scarlets Wales 27–19 England London Irish
Report
Parc y Scarlets
Attendance: 8,117
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
29 January 2012
15:30
Newcastle Falcons England 37–7 England Sale Sharks
Report
Kingston Park
Attendance: 4,095

Round 4

4 February 2012
15:00
Leicester Tigers England 24–13 England Newcastle Falcons
Report
Welford Road
Attendance: 19,767
4 February 2012
15:00
London Irish England 23–15 England Gloucester
Report
Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 9,221
Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)
4 February 2012
15:00
Sale Sharks England 19–14 Wales Scarlets
Report
Edgeley Park
Attendance: 3,012
5 February 2012
13:00
Cardiff Blues Wales 45–40 England Harlequins
Report
Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 2,093
Referee: James Jones (WRU)

Knockout stage

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
9 March 2012 – Recreation Ground
 
 
England Bath16
 
18 March 2012 – Sixways Stadium
 
England Leicester Tigers17
 
England Leicester Tigers26
 
11 March 2012 – Franklin's Gardens
 
England Northampton Saints14
 
England Northampton Saints27
 
 
Wales Scarlets12
 

Qualification criteria

The top teams from each pool qualify for the knockout stages. The pool winners will be decided by the following criteria:[2]

1. The pool winner will be the club with the highest number of match points in each pool. The pool winners will be ranked 1 to 4 by reference to the number of match points earned in the pools.
2. If two or more clubs in the same pool end the pool stage equal on match points, then the order in which they have finished will be determined by:
i. the greater number of matches won by the club and
ii. if the number of matches won is equal, the club with the greater total number of tries scored and
iii. if the total number of tries scored is equal, the club with the greater points difference (points scored for, less points scored against) and
iv. if the points difference is equal, the club with the fewer number of red cards and
v. if the number of red cards is the same, by the toss a coin.

Each of the four qualifying clubs shall be ranked as above and shall play each other as follows:

Semi-final 1 – 1st ranked club v 4th ranked club
Semi-final 2 – 2nd ranked club v 3rd ranked club

The first club listed in each of the semi-final matches shall be the home club.

Qualifiers
Rank Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TB LB Pts
1England Bath 440016946123244020
2England Northampton Saints 43011398455183015
3Wales Scarlets 43011024458132115
4England Leicester Tigers 430186671991013

Semi-finals

9 March 2012
19:30
Bath England 16–17 England Leicester Tigers
Try: Mears 31' c
Con: Heathcote (1/1) 31
Pen: Heathcote 24', 51', 60'
 Report Try: Kitchener 21' m
Pen: Ford (4/4) 18', 49', 53', 72'
Recreation Ground, Bath
Attendance: 10,205
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)
11 March 2012
13:00
Northampton Saints England 27–12 Wales Scarlets
Try: Waller 15' c
Armstrong 47' m
Con: Myler (1/2) 15'
Pen: Myler (4/4) 21', 35', 48', 62'
Lamb (1/1) 76'
 Report Pen: S. Jones (4/4) 23', 36', 42', 53'
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 10,377
Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)

Final

18 March 2012
15:00
Leicester Tigers England 26–14 England Northampton Saints
Try: Mafi 25' c
Hamilton 49' c
Con: Ford (2/2) 25', 49'
Pen: Ford (4/4) 14', 18', 24', 45'
 Report Try: Day 74' m
Pen: Myler (3/3) 5', 11', 21'
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 11,895
Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)
FB15Ireland Geordan Murphy (c)
RW14Argentina Horacio Agulla
OC13England Matt Smith
IC12England Billy Twelvetrees
LW11New Zealand Scott Hamilton
FH10England George Ford
SH9England James Grindal
N88England Thomas Waldrom
OF7New Zealand Craig Newby
BF6Tonga Steve Mafi
RL5England Graham Kitchener
LL4England George Skivington
TP3Samoa Logovi'i Mulipola
HK2England Rob Hawkins
LP1England Boris Stankovich
Replacements:
HK16England Tom Youngs
PR17Argentina Marcos Ayerza
PR18England Julian White
LK19England Calum Green
FL20Australia Julian Salvi
SH21Scotland Scott Steele
FH22England Toby Flood
CE23England Andy Forsyth
Coach:
England Richard Cockerill
FB15England Paul Diggin
RW14Russia Vasily Artemyev
OC13Samoa George Pisi
IC12Ireland James Downey
LW11England Scott Armstrong
FH10England Stephen Myler
SH9Wales Martin Roberts
N88Ireland Roger Wilson
OF7England Tom Wood
BF6England Calum Clark (c)
RL5England Christian Day
LL4England James Craig
TP3England Paul Doran-Jones
HK2England Andy Long
LP1Tonga Soane Tonga'uiha
Replacements:
HK16England Ross McMillan
PR17England Alex Waller
PR18South Africa Brian Mujati
LK19New Zealand Mark Sorenson
FL20England Ben Nutley
SH21England Ryan Glynn
FH22England Ryan Lamb
CE23England Tom May
Coach:
England Jim Mallinder

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.lv.com
  2. 1 2 "About the LV= Cup". LV=. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "LV= Cup: Newport Gwent Dragons P-P Saracens (Fri)". BBC. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Dragons forfeit LV= Cup game with Saracens and receive suspended £10,000 fine". Daily Mail. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "Dragons appeal over LV= Cup clash with Saracens upheld". WalesOnline. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
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