1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage

Football tournament stage 1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage 1996–97 European Challenge Cup 12 October 1996 – 2 November 1996 FRA Castres Olympique ENG Northampton Saints FRA Bourgoin FRA Agen FRA Montferrand FRA Toulon FRA Narbonne FRA Bordeaux-Bègles 1997–98 1997–98 European Challenge Cup pool stage 1996–97 European Challenge Cup The 1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the first season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. Matches took place between 12 October and 2 November 1996. Twenty-four teams participated in this phase of the competition; they were divided into four pools of six teams each, with each team playing the other teams in their pool once only. Teams were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. The winner and runner-up of each pool progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final at the Stade de la Méditerranée in Béziers, France on 26 January 1997. Results Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts FRA Agen5500209+1115682+7410 FRA Montferrand5401308+2221174+1378 ENG Sale Sharks53021814+4166115+516 WAL Newport52031419−1598158−604 SCO Glasgow51041530−15113202−892 WAL Newbridge50051633−17106219−1130 Source : www.ercrugby.com https://archive.today/20130820235208/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997 2013-08-20 Points breakdown:*2 points for a win*1 point for a draw 12 October 1996 Agen FRA 32–13 Report WAL Newport Stade Armandie 12 October 1996 Newbridge WAL 38–62 Report SCO Glasgow Welfare Ground 12 October 1996 Sale Sharks ENG 12–17 Report FRA Montferrand Heywood Road 16 October 1996 Agen FRA 27–17 Report FRA Montferrand Stade Armandie 16 October 1996 Glasgow SCO 9–29 Report ENG Sale Sharks Hughenden 16 October 1996 Newport WAL 24–9 Report WAL Newbridge Rodney Parade 19 October 1996 Montferrand FRA 76–9 Report SCO Glasgow Stade Marcel-Michelin 19 October 1996 Newbridge WAL 13–30 Report FRA Agen Welfare Ground 19 October 1996 Sale Sharks ENG 52–22 Report WAL Newport Heywood Road 26 October 1996 Agen FRA 33–16 Report ENG Sale Sharks Stade Armandie 26 October 1996 Newbridge WAL 12–46 Report FRA Montferrand Welfare Ground 26 October 1996 Newport WAL 25–10 Report SCO Glasgow Rodney Parade 30 October 1996 Glasgow SCO 23–34 Report FRA Agen Hughenden 2 November 1996 Montferrand FRA 55–14 Report WAL Newport Stade Marcel-Michelin 2 November 1996 Sale Sharks ENG 57–34 Report WAL Newbridge Heywood Road Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts FRA Castres Olympique5500296+2320771+13610 FRA Narbonne5401216+1516190+718 ROM Dinamo-București52121232−20109213−1045 WAL Bridgend41121014−494120−263 ENG Bristol51041112−112899+292 WAL Treorchy40041023−1372178−1060 Source : www.ercrugby.com https://archive.today/20130820235208/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997 2013-08-20 Points breakdown:*2 points for a win*1 point for a draw 12 October 1996 Bridgend WAL 23–36 Report FRA Castres Olympique Brewery Field 12 October 1996 Bristol ENG 53–5 Report WAL Treorchy Memorial Ground 12 October 1996 Narbonne FRA 73–22 Report ROM Dinamo-București Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié 16 October 1996 Bridgend WAL 30–27 ENG Bristol Report Brewery Field 16 October 1996 Castres Olympique FRA 67–6 ROM Dinamo-București Report Stade Pierre-Antoine 16 October 1996 Treorchy WAL 19–26 FRA Narbonne Report The Oval, Treorchy 19 October 1996 Bridgend WAL 24–24 ROM Dinamo-București Report Brewery Field 19 October 1996 Bristol ENG 16–18 FRA Narbonne Report Memorial Ground 19 October 1996 Castres Olympique FRA 61–17 WAL Treorchy Report Stade Pierre-Antoine 26 October 1996 Bristol ENG 14–27 FRA Castres Olympique Report Memorial Ground 26 October 1996 Dinamo-București ROM 38–31 WAL Treorchy Report Steaua Stadium 26 October 1996 Narbonne FRA 33–17 WAL Bridgend Report Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié 2 November 1996 Dinamo-București ROM 19–18 ENG Bristol Report Steaua Stadium 2 November 1996 Narbonne FRA 11–16 FRA Castres Olympique Report Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié 2 November 1996 Treorchy WAL – WAL Bridgend Report The Oval, Treorchy The Treorchy v Bridgend match was not played.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/european/3623793.stm European Challenge Cup 1996/7 BBC 13 April 2004 21 August 2013 Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts ENG Northampton Saints55002812+1620788+11910 FRA Toulon54012210+12164102+628 ENG Orrell52031822−4122173−514 Ireland rugby union Connacht5203917−894131−374 WAL Dunvant51041522−7106169−632 ITA Petrarca51041019−9118148−302 Source : www.ercrugby.com https://archive.today/20130820235208/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997 2013-08-20 Points breakdown:*2 points for a win*1 point for a draw 12 October 1996 Connacht Ireland rugby union 34–12 Report"Connacht start Euro campaign with win", Sunday World, 13 October 1996 ITA Petrarca LeahyMulcahyBarry Elwood (2) Elwood (5) De Marco (4) The Sportsground 12 October 1996 Orrell ENG 32–29 Report WAL Dunvant Edge Hall Road 12 October 1996 Toulon FRA 29–38 Report ENG Northampton Saints Stade Mayol 16 October 1996 Dunvant WAL 26–9 Ireland rugby union Connacht Report"Late tries finish off Connacht", Irish Independent, 17 October 1996 SpenderEvans Thomas (2) Thomas (4) Elwood (3) Broadacre, Dunvant 16 October 1996 Northampton Saints ENG 61–7 ENG Orrell Report Franklin's Gardens 16 October 1996 Toulon FRA 32–23 ITA Petrarca Report Stade Mayol 19 October 1996 Connacht Ireland rugby union 11–31 ENG Northampton Saints ReportGerry Doherty, "Connacht held as Northampton finally get combination right", Sunday Tribune, 20 October 1996 Carey ElwoodCarey Beal (2)GraysonDawsonTownsend Grayson (3) The Sportsground 19 October 1996 Orrell ENG 23–28 FRA Toulon Report Edge Hall Road 19 October 1996 Petrarca ITA 49–11 WAL Dunvant Report Stadio Plebiscito 26 October 1996 Northampton Saints ENG 48–32 WAL Dunvant Report Franklin's Gardens 26 October 1996 Orrell ENG 42–25 ITA Petrarca Report Edge Hall Road 27 October 1996 Toulon FRA 44–10 Ireland rugby union Connacht Report Stade Mayol 2 November 1996 Connacht Ireland rugby union 30–18 ENG Orrell "Elwood leads the way as Connacht hit top form", Sunday Independent. 3 November 1996 KearinHeaslipPenalty try Elwood (3) Elwood (3) Smith (2)Turner Hitchmough The Sportsground 2 November 1996 Dunvant WAL 8–31 FRA Toulon Report Broadacre, Dunvant 2 November 1996 Petrarca ITA 9–29 ENG Northampton Saints Report Stadio Plebiscito Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts FRA Bourgoin5500274+2319666+13010 FRA Bordeaux-Bègles53112913+1619599+967 WAL Swansea53112819+9207138+697 ENG Gloucester520317170119123−44 WAL Ebbw Vale5104636−3048243−1952 ENG London Irish50051230−1890186−960 Source : www.ercrugby.com https://archive.today/20130820235208/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997 2013-08-20 Points breakdown:*2 points for a win*1 point for a draw 12 October 1996 Bourgoin FRA 45–22 Report FRA Bordeaux-Bègles Stade Pierre Rajon 12 October 1996 Gloucester ENG 59–7 Report WAL Ebbw Vale Kingsholm 12 October 1996 Swansea WAL 63–38 Report ENG London Irish St. Helen's 16 October 1996 Ebbw Vale WAL 3–32 WAL Swansea Report Eugene Cross Park 16 October 1996 Gloucester ENG 10–17 FRA Bordeaux-Bègles Report Kingsholm 16 October 1996 London Irish ENG 13–34 FRA Bourgoin Report The Avenue 19 October 1996 Bordeaux-Bègles FRA 32–6 ENG London Irish Report Stade André Moga 19 October 1996 Bourgoin FRA 39–3 WAL Ebbw Vale Report Stade Pierre Rajon 19 October 1996 Swansea WAL 62–12 ENG Gloucester Report St. Helen's 26 October 1996 Ebbw Vale WAL 28–20 ENG London Irish Report Eugene Cross Park 26 October 1996 Swansea WAL 31–31 FRA Bordeaux-Bègles Report St. Helen's 27 October 1996 Gloucester ENG 9–24 FRA Bourgoin Report Kingsholm 2 November 1996 Bordeaux-Bègles FRA 93–7 WAL Ebbw Vale Report Stade André Moga 2 November 1996 Bourgoin FRA 54–19 WAL Swansea Report Stade Pierre Rajon 2 November 1996 London Irish ENG 13–29 ENG Gloucester Report The Avenue Qualifiers SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/−1 FRA Castres Olympique1029+1362 ENG Northampton Saints1028+1193 FRA Bourgoin1027+1304 FRA Agen1020+74SeedRunners-upPtsTF+/−5 FRA Montferrand830+1376 FRA Toulon822+627 FRA Narbonne821+718 FRA Bordeaux-Bègles729+96 See also European Challenge Cup 1996–97 Heineken Cup References pool stage 1996-97