2009–10 European Challenge Cup

The 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup was the 14th season of the European Challenge Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from six nations in European rugby. It started on 8 October 2009 at Sixways Stadium in Worcester with Worcester Warriors hosting Montpellier, and ended with the final at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille on 23 May 2010. The reigning champions were Northampton Saints, who did not defend their title as they qualified for the 2009–10 Heineken Cup. Cardiff Blues won the trophy after a 28–21 win against Toulon.[2]

2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Spain
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date9 October 2009 to 23 May 2010
Tournament statistics
Teams20
Matches played67
Top point scorer(s)Jimmy Gopperth (Newcastle)
(74 points)
Top try scorer(s)Tom Varndell (Wasps)
(10 tries)
Final
VenueStade Vélodrome, Marseille
Attendance48,990[1]
Champions Cardiff Blues (1st title)
Runners-up Toulon

Teams

Five English teams and eight French teams competed because an English team – Leicester Tigers – progressed farther in the 2008–09 Heineken Cup than any French or Italian team.

Other countries will have their usual number of teams: Ireland one, Romania one and one from Spain.[3]

France England Italy Ireland Romania Spain
  • București Oaks

Pool stage
Main article: 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup pool stage

The draw for the pool stages took place on 15 June 2009. The seeding system was the same as for the 2008–09 tournament. The 20 competing teams were ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each pool receiving one team from each Tier.[5] The requirement to have only one team per country in each pool was, however, still apply (with the exception of the inclusion of the sixth, seventh and eight French teams).

Beginning with this season's competition, only the pool winners advanced to the knockout stage. They were joined by three clubs from the 2009–10 Heineken Cup, specifically the third through fifth highest-ranking teams that finished second in their pool (the top two second-place teams entered the Heineken Cup knockout stage).[6]

Team seedings

Seeding was determined by the teams' position in the ERC Rankings at the time of the pool draw in June 2009.

Rank Team Total points 2008–09 points 2007–08 points 2006–07 points 2005–06 points
7 London Wasps 19 3 2 11 3
12 Saracens 14 2 7 2 3
19 Bourgoin 8 3 2 1 2
22 Worcester 7 2 3 0 2
25 Newcastle 6 1 2 1 2
27 Castres 5 1 1 2 1
30 Leeds 4 0 1 0 3
31 Calvisano 3 1 0 1 1
34 Connacht 2 1 0 0 1
35 Montauban 1 1 0 0 0
37 Montpellier 1 0 1 0 0
38 Overmach Parma 1 0 0 1 0
39 Bayonne 1 0 0 0 1
Key to colours
     Winner of each pool, advanced to quarterfinals
Along with 3rd, 4th and 5th best runners up in the Heineken Cup group stages.
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
Bourgoin 6501166+1014186+552123
Leeds Carnegie 6402196+1316082+783019
Overmach Parma 6204517−1278145−67008
București Oaks 6105516−1170136−66037

Pool 2
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Connacht 6600285+2319963+1362026
Montpellier 64021810+815892+662119
Worcester Warriors 6204188+1014083+572313
Olympus Madrid 6006445−4144303−269000

Pool 3
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Toulon 6501277+2021888+1303023
Saracens 6501176+1118483+1012022
Castres Olympique 62042412+12173127+462111
Rovigo 6006346−4341318−277000

Pool 4
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
London Wasps 6501213+1817669+1072123
Bayonne 6402234−1918473+1112119
Racing Métro 6303227+1517785+922216
Rugby Roma Olimpic 6006153−5228338−310000

Pool 5
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Newcastle Falcons 6501166+1014677+692123
Montauban 6501139+413296+361021
Albi 62041314−1117137−202212
Petrarca Padova 6006922−1395180−85011

Seeding
  • Bare numbers indicate Challenge quarterfinal seeding.
  • Numbers with "HC" indicate Heineken Cup 3rd-5th Runners-Up.
Seeds Top 4 Pool Winners Pts TF +/−
1 Connacht 2628+136
2 Toulon 2327+130
3 London Wasps 2321+108
4 Newcastle Falcons 2316+69
Non-Seeds (Worst Pool Winner and HC Runners-up) Pts TF +/−
5HC Cardiff Blues 1814+45
6HC Gloucester 1712-10
7HC Scarlets 1712-31
8 Bourgoin 2315+55

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals
10 April 2010
13:00
Connacht 23–20 Bourgoin
Try: Swift 17' c
Muldoon 36' c
Con: Keatley (2/2)
Pen: Nikora (2/2) 66', 73'
Drop: Nikora (1/1) 79'
 Report[7] Try: Kopelani 30' c
Senio 59' c
Con: Boyet (2/2)
Pen: Boyet (2/5) 39', 44'
Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway
Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
10 April 2010
21:00
Toulon 38–12 Scarlets
Try: Marienval (2) 29' c, 41' c
Sinzelle 72' m
Williams 76' m
Missoup 80'+1' m
Con: Wilkinson (2/3)
Pen: Wilkinson (3/3) 9', 36', 40'
 Report[8] Pen: S. Jones (4/6) 11', 23', 44', 47'
Stade Mayol, Toulon
Attendance: 12'600
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
11 April 2010
14:00
London Wasps 42–26 Gloucester
Try: Jacobs 6' c
Betsen 22' c
Varndell (3) 33' c, 72' m, 80' c
Con: Cipriani (4/5)
Pen: Cipriani (3/3) 18', 40', 43'
 Report[9] Try: Eustace 25' c
Sharples 77' c
Con: Robinson (2/2)
Pen: Robinson (4/4) 5', 10', 38', 56'
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 6,289
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
11 April 2010
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 20–55 Cardiff Blues
Try: Amesbury 15' c
Young 66' c
Con: Gopperth (2/2)
Pen: Gopperth (2/3) 11', 18'
 Report[10] Try: Laulala 9' c
M. Williams 13' c
Filise (2) 42' c, 57' c
Blair 52'
Roberts 55' c
Sweeney 74' c
Con: Blair (7/7)
Pen: Blair (2/2) 32', 46'
Kingston Park, Newcastle
Attendance: 4,346
Referee: Jérôme Garces (France)

Semi-finals
30 April 2010
19:45
Connacht 12–19 Toulon
Pen: Keatley (4/4) 2', 21', 37', 44'
Nikora (0/1)
Drop: Keatley (0/1)
 Report[11] Try: Kefu 40'+10' c
Con: Wilkinson (1/1)
Pen: Wilkinson (3/3) 10', 19', 35'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/3) 26'
Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
1 May 2010
18:00
London Wasps 15–18 Cardiff Blues
Pen: Walder (5/6) 20', 32', 35', 41', 62'
 Report[12] Try: Halfpenny 27' m
Jenkins 59' c
Con: Blair (1/2)
Pen: Blair (2/5) 38', 52'
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 8,413
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Final

On 28 April 2010, the competition organiser, European Rugby Cup, announced that the final would be held on 23 May. The time was set at 13:00 UTC (14:00 BST, 15:00 CEST), but the location would depend on the result of the Connacht–Toulon semi-final. Since Toulon won, the final was held at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.[13]

Cardiff Blues were designated as the home team for the final. However, it was an effective home game for Toulon; Stade Vélodrome hosted two of that club's matches in their domestic season. Cardiff Blues won the final against Toulon by 28–21.[14]

23 May 2010
15:00
Cardiff Blues 28–21 Toulon
Try: Roberts 50' c
Halfpenny 65' m
Davies 69' c
Con: Blair (2/3)
Pen: Halfpenny (1/2) 6'
Blair (2/2) 22', 60'
 Report[15] Try: Williams 37' c
Sourice 77' m
Con: Wilkinson (1/1)
Pen: Wilkinson (2/3) 12', 32'
May (1/1) 55'
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Attendance: 48,990
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

See also

Notes and references
  1. "Cardiff Blues 28-21 Toulon". 23 May 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2017 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  2. "Cardiff Blues 28-21 Toulon". BBC Sport. 23 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  3. "European Challenge Cup Pool Draw 2009/10". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  4. Rome replaced Calvisano Archived 2009-07-04 at the Wayback Machine in Rugbyrama
  5. "ERC European Rankings". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
  6. "Format and qualification changes for Europe" (Press release). European Rugby Cup. 15 June 2009. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  7. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  9. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  11. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  12. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  13. "Amlin Challenge Cup Final Set for Sunday, 23 May" (Press release). European Rugby Cup. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  14. Rees, Paul (23 May 2010). "Cardiff Blues seize on Jonny Wilkinson injury to overcome Toulon". Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  15. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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