2012–13 Heineken Cup

The 2012–13 Heineken Cup was the 18th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. The tournament began with two pool matches on 12 October 2012 and ended with the final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 18 May 2013.[3]

2012–13 Heineken Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date12 October 2012 – 18 May 2013
Tournament statistics
Teams24
Matches played79
Attendance1,063,218 (13,458 per match)
Tries scored293 (3.71 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Morgan Parra (Clermont)
(113 points)[1]
Top try scorer(s)Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont)
(8 tries)[2]
Final
VenueAviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance50,148
Champions Toulon (1st title)
Runners-up Clermont

Leinster, who became one of only two clubs ever to win two consecutive Heineken Cups in 2012,[4] attempted to become the first club ever to win the competition three straight years. However they were eliminated at the pool stages,[5] the first defending champions to do so since London Wasps in 2007–08.[5] Toulon won an all-French final 16–15 against Clermont.[6][7]

Teams

The default allocation of teams is as follows:[8]

  • England: 6 teams, based on performance in the Aviva Premiership and Anglo–Welsh Cup[9]
  • France: 6 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Top 14[10]
  • Ireland: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in Pro12[11]
  • Wales: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in Pro12[11]
  • Italy and Scotland: 2 teams each, based on participation in Pro12 (as there are only 2 from each nation)[11]

The remaining two places are filled by the winners of the previous year's Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup. If the cup winners are already qualified through their domestic league, an additional team from their country will claim a Heineken Cup place (assuming another team is available). Accordingly, Biarritz claimed the Challenge Cup winner's berth, and since Heineken Cup winners Leinster were already qualified through Pro12, the extra Irish berth went to Connacht.

Teams are listed in the order they are presented to Heineken Cup organiser European Rugby Cup by their respective leagues. In the cases of England and France, this does not necessarily match the teams' placement in their national leagues in the preceding season.

England France Ireland Wales Italy Scotland

Seeding

The seeding system was the same as in the 2011–12 tournament. The 24 competing teams are ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each pool receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier. The requirement to have only one team per country in each pool, however, still applies (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team).[12]

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

Tier 1 Leinster (1) Toulouse (2) Biarritz (3) Munster (4) Cardiff Blues (5) Northampton (6)
Tier 2 Clermont Auvergne (7) Ulster (8) Leicester Tigers (9) Harlequins (11) Toulon (12) Edinburgh (13)
Tier 3 Ospreys (14) Scarlets (18) Glasgow (19) Saracens (20) Connacht (24) Sale Sharks (25)
Tier 4 Benetton Treviso (27) Castres (28) Racing Métro (29) Montpellier (30) Exeter Chiefs (34) Zebre (NR)

Pool stage
Further information: 2012–13 Heineken Cup pool stage

The draw for the pool stage took place on 12 June 2012 at the Aviva Stadium.

Under the rules of the competition organiser, European Rugby Cup, tie–breakers within each pool are as follows.[13]

  • Competition points earned in head–to–head matches
  • Total tries scored in head–to–head matches
  • Point differential in head–to–head matches

ERC has four additional tie–breakers, used if tied teams are in different pools, or if the above steps cannot break a tie between teams in the same pool:

  • Tries scored in all pool matches
  • Point differential in all pool matches
  • Best disciplinary record (fewest players receiving red or yellow cards in all pool matches)
  • Coin toss
Key to colours
     Pool winners, and the two best pool runners–up, advance to quarter–finals.
     Third–, fourth– and fifth–highest scoring second–place teams parachute into the knock–out stage
of the 2012–13 European Challenge Cup.

Pool 1
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Saracens [4] 650118076+1041562123
Munster [8] 640213373+601442220
Racing Métro 6303103125−227110012
Edinburgh 600636178−142318000

Pool 2
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Leicester Tigers [6] 6411119103+161392020
Toulouse 640213284+481542119
Ospreys 6213120124−411151112
Benetton Treviso 6105107167−60920015

Pool 3
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Harlequins [1] 660024371+1722864028
Biarritz 6303123101+221472115
Connacht 630396138−425130012
Zebre 600672224−152627011

Pool 4
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Ulster [5] 650112655+711252123
Northampton Saints 630394109−159111215
Castres 63037798−21660214
Glasgow Warriors 610570105−35712026

Pool 5
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Clermont [2] 660021364+1492334028
Leinster 640212496+281252220
Exeter Chiefs 620493166−73619019
Scarlets 600679183−104620022

Pool 6
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Toulon [3] 650118684+1022383023
Montpellier [7] 6501168109+591792022
Cardiff Blues 6105143184−411220116
Sale Sharks 610578198−120722004

Seeding and runners–up
  • Bare numbers indicate Heineken Cup quarter–final seeding.
  • Numbers with "C" indicate Challenge Cup quarter–final seeding.
Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/−
1 Harlequins 2828+172
2 Clermont 2823+149
3 Toulon 2323+102
4 Saracens 2315+104
5 Ulster 2312+71
6 Leicester Tigers 2013+16
Seed Pool Runners–up Pts TF +/−
7 Montpellier 2217+59
8 Munster 2014+60
5C Leinster 2012+28
6C Toulouse 1915+48
7C Biarritz 1514+22
– Northampton Saints 159−15

Knock–out stages

All kick–off times are local to the match location.

Quarter–finals
6 April 2013
16:40
Clermont 36–14 Montpellier
Try: Fofana 27' m
Rougerie 32' c
Sivivatu 52' c
Byrne 66' c
Nalaga 75' c
Con: Parra (2/3)
Skrela (2/2)
Pen: Parra (1/2) 20'
 Report Try: Nagusa 80' m
Pen: Paillaugue (3/4) 5', 12', 23'
6 April 2013
18:30
Saracens 27–16 Ulster
Try: Fraser 32' c
Ashton 62' m
Con: Farrell (1/2)
Pen: Farrell (5/5) 1', 28', 36', 49', 59'
 Report Try: Henderson 78' c
Con: Pienaar (1/1)
Pen: Pienaar (3/5) 26', 30', 56'
Twickenham, London[14]
Attendance: 37,888
Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)
7 April 2013
14:00
Harlequins 12–18 Munster
Pen: Evans (4/5) 3', 18', 28', 65'
 Report Pen: O'Gara (6/8) 24', 33', 42', 46', 48', 56'
The Stoop, London[15]
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (FFR)
7 April 2013
17:30
Toulon 21–15 Leicester Tigers
Pen: Wilkinson (6/6) 29', 34', 43', 46', 59', 64'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/2) 79'
 Report Pen: Flood (5/6) 10', 14', 18', 57', 65'
Stade Mayol, Toulon
Attendance: 15,263
Referee: George Clancy (IRFU)

Semi–finals
27 April 2013
18:00
Clermont 16–10 Munster
Try: Nalaga 8' c
Con: Parra (1/1)
Pen: Parra (3/4) 13', 17', 47'
 Report Try: Hurley 59' c
Con: O'Gara (1/1)
Pen: O'Gara (1/1) 5'
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier[16]
Attendance: 31,259
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
28 April 2013
15:00
Saracens 12–24 Toulon
Pen: Farrell (4/5) 2', 21', 34', 49'
 Report Pen: Wilkinson (7/7) 4', 12', 17', 24', 46', 55', 76'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/2) 73'
Twickenham, London[16]
Attendance: 25,584
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU)

Final
Main article: 2013 Heineken Cup Final
18 May 2013
17:00 IST
Clermont 15–16 Toulon
Try: Nalaga 41' m
James 47' c
Con: Parra (1/2)
Pen: Parra (1/1) 3'
 Report Try: D. Armitage 63' c
Con: Wilkinson (1/1)
Pen: Wilkinson (3/3) 13', 45', 60'
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance: 50,148
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU)

See also

References
  1. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers". Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  2. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers". Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  3. "2012/13 Heineken Cup Pool Draw" (Press release). European Rugby Cup. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  4. Palmer, Bryn (19 May 2012). "Heineken Cup final: Leinster beat Ulster to retain trophy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  5. "Confirmed: Defending champions Leinster out at pool stage". TheScore.ie. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  6. "Toulon claim Heineken Cup glory". ESPN. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  7. "Clermont 15 Toulon 16". Sporting Life. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  8. "ERC : Heineken Cup : Rules : Qualification Process". Ercrugby.com. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  9. "ERC : European Qualification : England". Ercrugby.com. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  10. "ERC : European Qualification : France". Ercrugby.com. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  11. "ERC : European Qualification : Celtic Countries". Ercrugby.com. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  12. Heineken Cup Pool Draw. European Rugby Cup. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  13. "Key Tournament Rules". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  14. "Saracens take euro quarter to Twickenham". 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  15. "Harlequins confirm Heineken Cup quarter-final will be played at The Twickenham Stoop". 22 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  16. "Semi-final venues confirm route to Dublin 2013".
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