2012–13 European Challenge Cup

The 2012–13 Amlin Challenge Cup was the 17th season of the European Challenge Cup, Europe's second-tier club rugby union competition. A total of 23 teams participated — 20 in the pool stage, plus three teams parachuting into the knockout stages from the Heineken Cup. The original 20 teams represented six different countries.

2012–13 Amlin Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Spain
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
Date11 October 2012 to 17 May 2013
Tournament statistics
Teams23
Matches played67
Attendance355,554 (5,307 per match)
Tries scored438 (6.54 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Freddie Burns (Gloucester)
(86 points)[1]
Top try scorer(s)Horacio Agulla (Bath)
Francis Fainifo (Stade Français)
Adrien Planté (Perpignan)
Andy Short (Worcester)
(6 tries)[2]
Final
VenueRDS Arena
Attendance20,396
Champions Leinster (1st title)
Runners-up Stade Français

The pool stage began in Mont-de-Marsan on 11 October 2012, with Stade Montois hosting Gloucester. It ended on 19 January 2013 when Stade Français hosted competition newcomers London Welsh,[3] followed by the knockout stages culminating in the final at the RDS Arena in Dublin on 17 May 2013.[4]

The defending Challenge Cup champions, France's Biarritz Olympique, did not initially have a chance to defend their crown because they earned an automatic berth in the Heineken Cup. However, having finish 2nd in their pool, and failing to reach the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup, they were one of three teams parachuted into the Challenge Cup knockout stages. They were knocked out of the competition by Leinster at the semi-final stage. Leinster went on to win the competition, defeating Stade Français 34–13 in the final.[5][6][7]

Teams

Gernika Rugby Taldea represented Spain despite finishing just 5th in the División de Honor. Valladolid won the División de Honor, and the championship playoff, but turned down the opportunity to play in the Challenge Cup due to economic factors.[8] As runners up in the championship playoff, Gernika qualified in their place.

England France Italy Romania Spain Wales

Seeding

Teams that did not qualify for the 2012–13 Heineken Cup were ordered into four tiers according to the European Rugby Club Ranking. Five pools of four teams were drawn comprising one team from each tier.

The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking at the end of the 2011–12 season.

Tier 1 Stade Français (10) London Wasps (15) Perpignan (16) Bath (17) Gloucester (22)
Tier 2 London Irish (23) Newport Gwent Dragons (31) London Welsh[9] Worcester Warriors (35) Calvisano (39)
Tier 3 Bayonne (40) Rovigo (41) Agen (42) Cavalieri Prato (43) Bordeaux-Bègles (44)
Tier 4 Mont de Marsan (45) Grenoble (46) Mogliano (47) București Wolves Gernika

Pool stage
Main article: 2012–13 European Challenge Cup pool stage
Key to colours
     Winner of each pool advances to quarterfinals.
Seed # in parentheses.

Points breakdown:

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)

Source: www.ercrugby.com

Pool 1
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Gloucester (2) 660017986+931973027
London Irish 6402174139+3524142119
Mont-de-Marsan 6204100156−569210210
Bordeaux-Bègles 600682154−72717022

Pool 2
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Perpignan (3) 650129389+2044254125
Worcester Warriors 650135478+2765174125
Gernika 620480309−229647008
Rovigo 600667318−251646011
  • Per the Competition Rules,[10] Perpignan and Worcester were level on the first tiebreaker of head-to-head competition points (5–5); Perpignan topped the pool on the second tiebreaker of head-to-head try count (3–1).

Pool 3
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
London Wasps (4) 651023192+1393093025
Bayonne 641120191+1102572020
Newport Gwent Dragons 6204171108+6319102313
Mogliano 600629341−312452000

Pool 4
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Bath (1) 660024579+1663675029
Agen 6303154120+3418122317
București Wolves 6204121215−941429109
Calvisano 6105117223−1061333217

Pool 5
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Stade Français (8) 6501210105+1052574125
Grenoble 640217381+922163120
London Welsh 6303171170+120242014
Cavalieri Prato 600668266−198837112
  • The result of the Grenoble / London Welsh match on 7 December 2012 was 20–9 to Grenoble, but London Welsh were retroactively awarded a 28–0 victory and five match points,[11] after Grenoble admitted fielding an ineligible player, Lotu Taukeiaho,[12] during the match.

Seeding for knockout stage

Following the end of the pool stage, the 5 pool winners were seeded alongside the 3 2012–13 Heineken Cup pool runners-up who failed to qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals – designated (HC). Teams are ranked by total number of Competition Points earned (4 for a win, 2 for a draw, etc.) in the pool stages. If this does not separate the teams, qualification/ranking will be based on:

(a) the number of tries scored in all Pool matches.
(b) aggregate points difference from all Pool matches.
(c) the Club with the fewest players sent off and / or suspended in all Pool matches.
(d) toss of a coin.[10]
Seed Team Pts TF +/−
1 Bath2936+166
2 Gloucester2719+93
3 Perpignan2542+204
4 London Wasps2530+139
5 (HC) Leinster2012+28
6 (HC) Toulouse1915+48
7 (HC) Biarritz1514+22
8 Stade Français2525+105

Knock-out stages

All kickoff times are local to the match location.

Quarter-finals
4 April 2013
20:00
Gloucester 31–41 Biarritz
Try: Tindall 13' m
Monahan 78' c
Edmonds 80' c
Con: F. Burns (2/3)
Pen: F. Burns (4/5) 10', 26', 34', 47'
 Report[13] Try: Thomas (2) 22' c, 31' c
Héguy 36' c
Baby 56' c
Burotu 73' c
Con: Yachvili (5/5)
Pen: Yachvili (1/3) 18'
Drop: Traille (1/1) 11'
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
Attendance: 10,273
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)
5 April 2013
20:00
London Wasps 28–48 Leinster
Try: Wade (2) 1' m, 14' c
Varndell (2) 65' m, 70' m
Con: Robinson (1/4)
Pen: Robinson (2/3) 35', 48'
 Report[14] Try: D'Arcy 5' c
Madigan 22' c
Ross 45' c
R. Kearney 59' m
Nacewa 67' c
Con: Madigan (4/5)
Pen: Madigan (5/6) 26', 38', 44', 52', 76'
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 9,654
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (FFR)
5 April 2013
21:00
Perpignan 30–19 Toulouse
Try: Taofifenua 6' c
Sid 37' c
Vahaamahina 46' c
Con: Hook (3/3)
Pen: Hook (3/3) 1', 71', 75'
 Report[15] Try: Maka 58' c
Con: Beauxis (1/1)
Pen: Beauxis (4/5) 10', 19', 22', 24'
Stade Aimé Giral, Perpignan
Attendance: 12,452
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU)
6 April 2013
13:00
Bath 20–36 Stade Français
Try: penalty try 46' c
Claassens 65' m
Cuthbert 77' m
Con: Donald (1/1)
Pen: Donald (1/1) 25'
 Report[16] Try: Vuidravuwalu (2) 19' c, 29' c
Bonneval (2) 57' m, 59' m
Con: Fillol (2/2)
Pen: Plisson (1/1) 15'
Fillol (1/2) 23'
Porical (1/1) 80'
Drop: Plisson (1/2) 69'
The Rec, Bath
Attendance: 11,155
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)

Semi-finals
26 April 2013
21:00
Perpignan 22–25 Stade Français
Try: Guirado 10' m
Hook 22' m
Pen: Hook (4/5) 29', 43', 47', 66'
 Report[17] Try: Lyons 44' c
Con: Porical (1/1)
Pen: Porical (6/7) 8', 26', 35', 52', 73', 76'
Stade Aimé Giral, Perpignan
Attendance: 12,242
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU)
27 April 2013
14:30
Leinster 44–16 Biarritz
Try: Heaslip (2) 3' c, 40' c
J. Sexton 38' c
Nacewa 49' c
O'Driscoll 63' c
Con: J. Sexton (3/3)
Madigan (2/2)
Pen: J. Sexton (2/2) 27', 45'
Madigan (1/1) 55'
 Report[18] Try: Héguy 67' c
Con: Yachvili (1/1)
Pen: Yachvili (3/3) 18', 23', 36'
RDS Arena, Dublin
Attendance: 18,500
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Final
17 May 2013[4]
20:00 IST
Leinster 34–13 Stade Français
Try: Madigan 2' c
Cronin 19' c
R. Kearney 27' c
Healy 78' c
Con: J. Sexton (4/4)
Pen: J. Sexton (2/2) 53', 62'
 Report[19] Try: Sinzelle 65' c
Con: Plisson (1/1)
Pen: Porical (2/2) 25', 40'
RDS Arena, Dublin
Attendance: 20,396
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
  • Under European Rugby Cup rules, the winner of the Challenge Cup was automatically entered into the following season's Heineken Cup. If the Challenge Cup winner had already domestically qualified, the Cup winner's berth passed to another team from its country. As Leinster qualified for the 2013–14 Heineken Cup through their performance in the Pro 12, Connacht qualified for the Heineken Cup.

See also

References
  1. "Amlin Challenge Cup: Points Scorers". Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  2. "Amlin Challenge Cup: Try Scorers". Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  3. "London Welsh begin campaign with glamour tie". European Rugby Cup. 31 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  4. "2012/13 Heineken Cup Pool Draw" (Press release). European Rugby Cup. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  5. "Leinster 34-13 Stade Francais". BBC Sport. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  6. "Leinster's Jonathan Sexton tames Stade Français to secure Amlin Cup". Guardian. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  7. "Ruthless Leinster win Challenge Cup". ESPN. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  8. "El VRAC Quesos Entrepinares no disputará la Amlin Challenge Cup". Valladolid RAC. 12 June 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2012. These are difficult times. The poor economic situation greatly complicates find sponsors who will assist the VRAC Cheese Entrepinares again leave their mark in Europe ten years after the last time you did.
  9. London Welsh will directly replace Newcastle Falcons. "London Welsh confirmed for Amlin Challenge Cup". European Rugby Cup. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  10. "Rules". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  11. "Amlin Challenge Cup Fixtures". European Rugby Cup. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  12. "London Welsh get Amlin Challenge Cup points boost". BBC. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  13. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  14. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  15. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  16. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  17. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  18. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  19. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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