2013–14 Heineken Cup

The 2013–14 Heineken Cup was the 19th and final season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.

2013–14 Heineken Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date11 October 2013 – 24 May 2014
Tournament statistics
Teams24
Matches played79
Attendance1,127,926 (14,278 per match)
Tries scored308 (3.9 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon) (100 points)[1]
Top try scorer(s)Chris Ashton (Saracens) (11 tries)[2]
Final
VenueMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance67,578
Champions Toulon (2nd title)
Runners-up Saracens

The pool stage began on 11 October 2013 and ran through to 17–19 January 2014,[3] followed by the knockout stages culminating in the final. The final was originally to be held in France in May 2014,[4] however the Federation Française de Rugby subsequently announced that they had withdrawn their application to host due to uncertainty over the availability of Stade de France.[5] ERC invited the Heineken Cup participating countries to submit tenders for the right to host the Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup finals and three – England, Scotland and Wales – submitted bids.[6] Cardiff was selected with the Heineken Cup Final to be held in the Millennium Stadium on Saturday 24 May 2014 and the Challenge Cup Final to be held the previous day in the Cardiff Arms Park.[7]

Toulon — the defending champions — beat Saracens 23–6 in the final.

On 10 April 2014, following nearly two years of negotiations, an agreement for a new European club competition structure was reached. ERC will be wound up and replaced by a new Swiss-based organising body known as European Professional Club Rugby. The Heineken Cup will be replaced by a new top-tier competition, the European Rugby Champions Cup, It will continue to involve clubs from all of the top six European nations, but will feature 20 clubs instead of the 24 in the Heineken Cup. The second-tier European Challenge Cup will have a minor name change and become the European Rugby Challenge Cup, and will continue to involve 20 teams. A new third-tier competition, to be known as the Qualifying Competition, will feature clubs from second-tier European rugby nations, plus Italian clubs that do not play in Pro12.[8]

Teams

The default allocation of teams was as follows:[9]

  • England: 6 teams, based on performance in the Aviva Premiership and Anglo–Welsh Cup[10]
  • France: 6 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Top 14[11]
  • Ireland: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in Pro12[12]
  • Wales: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in Pro12[12]
  • Italy and Scotland: 2 teams each, based on participation in Pro12 (as there are only 2 from each nation)[12]

The remaining two places were filled by the winners of the previous year's Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup. If the cup winners were already qualified through their domestic league, an additional team from their country would claim a Heineken Cup place (assuming another team was available). Accordingly, since Heineken Cup winners Toulon were already qualified through the Top 14, the extra French berth went to Perpignan. Also, since Amlin Cup winners Leinster were already qualified through the Pro12, the extra Irish berth went to Connacht.

Teams are listed in the order they were presented to Heineken Cup organiser European Rugby Cup by their respective leagues.

England France Ireland Italy Scotland Wales

Seeding

The seeding system was the same as in the 2012–13 tournament. The 24 competing teams were 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 applied (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team, Racing Métro 92).[13]

The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking at the end of the 2012–13 season.

Tier 1 Leinster (1) Toulon (2) Toulouse (3) Clermont Auvergne (4) Munster (6) Ulster (7)
Tier 2 Northampton Saints (9) Cardiff Blues (10) Harlequins (11) Saracens (12) Leicester Tigers (13) Perpignan (14)
Tier 3 Edinburgh (15) Ospreys (17) Scarlets (18) Glasgow Warriors (19) Montpellier (20) Connacht (21)
Tier 4 Gloucester (23) Castres (25) Racing Métro 92 (26) Exeter Chiefs (28) Benetton Treviso (29) Zebre (35)

Pool stage
Main article: 2013–14 Heineken Cup pool stage

The draw for the pool stage took place on 5 June 2013 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.[13] The dates and times of the first 4 rounds were announced on 20 July 2013.[14]

Under the rules of the competition organiser, European Rugby Cup, tie–breakers within each pool were as follows.[15]

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

ERC had 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
     Winner of each pool, advance to quarter-finals.
     Two highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarter-finals.
     Third- through fifth- highest-scoring second-place teams parachute into the knockout stage
of the European Challenge Cup.

Pool 1
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Leinster (6) 650115266+861672022
Northampton Saints (5C) 6402107104+311100117
Castres Olympique 620478104−2656019
Ospreys 610575138−63312015

Pool 2
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Toulon (3) 6501170104+6615103124
Cardiff Blues 6303119148−2910141114
Exeter Chiefs 6204118123−511141312
Glasgow Warriors 620498130−3212101211

Pool 3
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Toulouse (5) 650114363+801642123
Saracens (8) 640221774+1432953120
Connacht 6303101147−467200113
Zebre 600633210−177225000

Pool 4
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Clermont (2) 650113969+701753124
Harlequins (6C) 6303126103+2312121316
Scarlets 6213122150−2811160111
Racing Métro 92 611466131−65512017

Pool 5
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Ulster (1) 660017962+1171742026
Leicester Tigers (7) 6402159112+471693221
Montpellier 6204121124−314112111
Benetton Treviso 600641202−161225000

Pool 6
Team P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Munster (4) 650116177+841962123
Gloucester (7C) 6303113114−113101114
Edinburgh 6303104141−3710170012
Perpignan 6105112158−461019127

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 Ulster2617+117
2 Clermont2417+70
3 Toulon2415+66
4 Munster2319+84
5 Toulouse2316+80
6 Leinster2216+86
Seed Pool Runners–up Pts TF +/−
7 Leicester Tigers2116+47
8 Saracens2029+143
5C Northampton Saints1711+3
6C Harlequins1612+23
7C Gloucester1413−1
- Cardiff Blues1410−29

Knock-out stages

All kickoff times are local to the match location.

Quarter-finals
5 April 2014
13:30
Munster 47–23 Toulouse
Try: Earls 4' c
Kilcoyne 41' c
Stander 45' c
Laulala 63' m
Zebo 73' m
O'Connell 79' c
Con: Keatley (4/6)
Pen: Keatley (3/4) 15', 22', 61'
 Report[16] Try: Gear 53' c
Tekori 71' c
Con: Beauxis (2/2)
Pen: McAlister (3/3) 7', 29', 33'
Thomond Park
Attendance: 26,200
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
5 April 2014
17:00
Clermont 22–16 Leicester Tigers
Try: Fofana 21' c
Con: Parra (1/1)
Pen: Parra (5/6) 14', 26', 34', 40', 65'
 Report[17] Try: Crane 36' c
Con: Williams (1/1)
Pen: Williams (3/4) 43', 51', 60'
5 April 2014
18:30
Ulster 15–17 Saracens
Pen: Pienaar (3/5) 15', 29', 39'
Jackson (2/3) 69, 72'
 Report[18] Try: Ashton (2) 22' m, 67' c
Botha 48' m
Con: Farrell (1/3)
Ravenhill
Attendance: 16,853
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (FFR)
6 April 2014
17:30
Toulon 29–14 Leinster
Try: Chiocci 45' c
Mitchell 61' c
Con: Giteau (2/2)
Pen: Wilkinson (2/2) 3', 16'
Giteau (2/3) 42', 78'
D. Armitage (1/1) 66'
 Report[19] Try: Murphy 69' m
Pen: Gopperth (3/4) 19', 28', 54'
Stade Mayol
Attendance: 15,252
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Semi-finals
26 April 2014
15:40
Saracens 46–6 Clermont
Try: Ashton (2) 7' c, 64' m
penalty try 12' c
Farrell 31' c
Wyles 72' c
Streather 78' c
Con: Goode (5/6)
Pen: Goode (1/1) 37'
Bosch (1/1) 53'
 Report[20] Pen: Parra (2/2) 11', 28'
Twickenham
Attendance: 25,942
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU)
27 April 2014
16:30
Toulon 24–16 Munster
Pen: Wilkinson (6/7) 5', 18', 26', 35', 64', 79'
D. Armitage (1/1) 39'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/2) 30'
 Report[21] Try: Zebo 52' c
Con: Keatley (1/1)
Pen: Keatley (3/4) 7', 29', 33'
Stade Vélodrome
Attendance: 37,043
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Final
Main article: 2014 Heineken Cup Final
24 May 2014
17:00 BST
Toulon 23–6 Saracens
Try: Giteau 29' c
Smith 59' c
Con: Wilkinson (2/2)
Pen: Wilkinson (2/2) 53', 63'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/1) 37'
 Report[22] Pen: Farrell (2/3) 3', 45'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 67,578
Referee: Alain Rolland (IRFU)

See also

References
  1. "Heineken Cup: Points Scorers". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  2. "Heineken Cup: Try Scorers". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  3. "Toulon target defence of Heineken Cup title". European Rugby Cup. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  4. "Staging of 2014 Heineken and Amlin Cup finals awarded to France". www.guardian.co.uk. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  5. "2014 Finals Announcement". European Rugby Cup. 8 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  6. "Three bids for ERC European Club Rugby Finals". European Rugby Cup. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  7. "ERC 2014 finals set to return to Cardiff". European Rugby Cup. 15 July 2013. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  8. "Future of European Rugby resolved" (Press release). Rugby Football Union. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  9. "ERC : Heineken Cup : Rules : Qualification Process". European Rugby Cup. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  10. "ERC : European Qualification : England". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  11. "ERC : European Qualification : France". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  12. "ERC : European Qualification : Celtic Countries". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  13. "Pool draws for 2013/14 ERC tournaments". European Rugby Cup. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  14. "Toulon and Wilkinson open title defence at home". European Rugby Cup. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  15. "Key Tournament Rules". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  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. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  20. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  21. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  22. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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