2012–13 European Challenge Cup

2012–13 Amlin Challenge Cup 100px Official logo EnglandFranceIreland rugby unionItalyRomaniaSpainWales Round-robin and knockout 11 October 2012 to 17 May 2013 23 67 {{#expr: + 4160 + 6000 + 5550 + 1000 + 1500 + 3748 + 1000 + 1100 + 4186 + 4200 + 9576 + 4576 + 1500 + 5720 + 6147 + 1012 + 7182 + 4054 + 11548 + 1950 + 2468 + 7801 + 5800 + 885 + 1200 + 11445 + 7309 + 1100 + 600 + 9658 + 4040 + 12186 + 2194 + 2107 + 1630 + 800 + 10535 + 600 + 10135 + 4473 + 2678 + 1922 + 3500 + 1580 + 9131 + 1200 + 500 + 5744 + 500 + 6209 + 4089 + 5278 + 1170 + 1332 + 350 + 9873 + 8955 + 1800 + 2424 + 9972 + 10273 + 9654 + 12452 + 11155 + 12242 + 18500 + 20396 | tries = {{#expr: + 1 + 9 + 12 + 11 + 7 + 10 + 14 + 9 + 7 + 7 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 13 + 14 + 9 + 14 + 2 + 2 + 11 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 8 + 11 + 5 + 6 + 1 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 8 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 9 + 2 + 6 + 14 + 12 + 10 + 0 + 3 + 9 + 3 + 8 + 7 + 10 + 6 + 3 + 12 + 8 + 8 + 9 + 4 + 7 + 3 + 6 + 5 }} | top point scorer = Freddie Burns (Gloucester)(86 points)http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/statistics/player_v_player.php?preset871=2012 Amlin Challenge Cup: Points Scorers 11 October 2013 12 December 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191212141106/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/statistics/player_v_player.php?preset871=2012 dead | top try scorer = Horacio Agulla (Bath)Francis Fainifo (Stade Français)Adrien Planté (Perpignan)Andy Short (Worcester)(6 tries)http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/statistics/player_records_tries.php?preset882=2012 Amlin Challenge Cup: Try Scorers 5 April 2013 12 December 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191212141110/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/statistics/player_records_tries.php?preset882=2012 dead | venue = RDS Arena | attendance2 = 20,396 | champions = IRE rugby union Leinster | count = 1 | runner-up = FRA Stade Français | website = http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/ | previous year = 2011–12 | previous tournament = 2011–12 European Challenge Cup | next year = 2013–14 | next tournament = 2013–14 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 countries, with a seventh country represented by one of the three teams transferring from the Heineken Cup. 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,http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/18520.php London Welsh begin campaign with glamour tie 31 July 2012 31 July 2012 European Rugby Cup https://web.archive.org/web/20130527164452/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/18520.php 27 May 2013 dead followed by the knockout stages culminating in the final at the RDS Arena in Dublin on 17 May 2013. 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. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/22530590 Leinster 34-13 Stade Francais 17 March 2013 BBC Sport 20 May 2013 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/17/stade-francais-leinster-amlin-challenge-cup Leinster's Jonathan Sexton tames Stade Français to secure Amlin Cup 17 March 2013 Guardian 20 May 2013 http://www.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/story/182896.html Ruthless Leinster win Challenge Cup 17 March 2013 ESPN 20 May 2013 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.http://www.valladolidrac.com/contenido.php?art_id=5476 El VRAC Quesos Entrepinares no disputará la Amlin Challenge Cup Valladolid RAC 12 June 2012 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. https://web.archive.org/web/20160811160434/http://www.valladolidrac.com/contenido.php?art_id=5476 11 August 2016 dead As runners up in the championship playoff, Gernika qualified in their place. England France Italy Romania Spain WalesLondon Wasps Bath Gloucester London Irish Worcester Warriors London WelshLondon Welsh will directly replace Newcastle Falcons. http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/18471.php London Welsh confirmed for Amlin Challenge Cup European Rugby Cup 5 July 2012 5 July 2012 August 2026 InternetArchiveBot Stade Français Perpignan Bayonne Agen Bordeaux-Bègles Mont-de-Marsan GrenobleCalvisano Rovigo Cavalieri Prato MoglianoBucurești WolvesGernikaNewport Gwent Dragons 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 FRA Stade Français (10) ENG London Wasps (15) FRA Perpignan (16) ENG Bath (17) ENG Gloucester (22) Tier 2ENG London Irish (23)WAL Newport Gwent Dragons (31)ENG London WelshENG Worcester Warriors (35)ITA Calvisano (39) Tier 3FRA Bayonne (40)ITA Rovigo (41)FRA Agen (42)ITA Cavalieri Prato (43)FRA Bordeaux-Bègles (44) Tier 4FRA Mont de Marsan (45)FRA Grenoble (46)ITA Mogliano (47)ROM București WolvesESP Gernika Pool stage 2012–13 European Challenge Cup pool stage {| class="wikitable" |+ Key to colours |- | style="background:#cfc;"|     |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 https://web.archive.org/web/20140203163922/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=2012-2013 2014-02-03 Pool 1 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPtsENG Gloucester (2) 6 6 0 0 179 86 +93 19 7 3 0 27ENG London Irish 6 4 0 2 174 139 +35 24 14 2 1 19FRA Mont-de-Marsan 6 2 0 4 100 156 −56 9 21 0 2 10FRA Bordeaux-Bègles 6 0 0 6 82 154 −72 7 17 0 2 2 Pool 2 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPtsFRA Perpignan (3) 6 5 0 1 293 89 +204 42 5 4 1 25ENG Worcester Warriors 6 5 0 1 354 78 +276 51 7 4 1 25ESP Gernika 6 2 0 4 80 309 −229 6 47 0 0 8ITA Rovigo 6 0 0 6 67 318 −251 6 46 0 1 1 Per the Competition Rules,http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/rules/index.php Rules European Rugby Cup 19 January 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130123065630/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/rules/index.php 23 January 2013 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 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPtsENG London Wasps (4) 6 5 1 0 231 92 +139 30 9 3 0 25FRA Bayonne 6 4 1 1 201 91 +110 25 7 2 0 20WAL Newport Gwent Dragons 6 2 0 4 171 108 +63 19 10 2 3 13ITA Mogliano 6 0 0 6 29 341 −312 4 52 0 0 0 Pool 4 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPtsENG Bath (1) 6 6 0 0 245 79 +166 36 7 5 0 29FRA Agen 6 3 0 3 154 120 +34 18 12 2 3 17ROM București Wolves 6 2 0 4 121 215 −94 14 29 1 0 9ITA Calvisano 6 1 0 5 117 223 −106 13 33 2 1 7 Pool 5 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPtsFRA Stade Français (8) 6 5 0 1 210 105 +105 25 7 4 1 25FRA Grenoble 6 4 0 2 173 81 +92 21 6 3 1 20ENG London Welsh 6 3 0 3 171 170 +1 20 24 2 0 14ITA Cavalieri Prato 6 0 0 6 68 266 −198 8 37 1 1 2 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,http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/amlin_challenge_cup_fixtures.php?includeref=480&season=2012-2013&round=3 Amlin Challenge Cup Fixtures European Rugby Cup 15 December 2012 15 December 2012August 2026 InternetArchiveBot after Grenoble admitted fielding an ineligible player, Lotu Taukeiaho,https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/20728702 London Welsh get Amlin Challenge Cup points boost BBC 14 December 2012 15 December 2012 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. SeedTeamPtsTF+/−1 ENG Bath 29 36 +1662 ENG Gloucester 27 19 +933 FRA Perpignan 25 42 +2044 ENG London Wasps 25 30 +1395 (HC) IRE rugby union Leinster 20 12 +286 (HC) FRA Toulouse 19 15 +487 (HC) FRA Biarritz 15 14 +228 FRA Stade Français 25 25 +105 Knockout stage All kickoff times are local to the match location. Quarter-finals 4 April 2013 20:00 Gloucester ENG 31–41 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20726.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017 11 April 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130411005953/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20726.php dead FRA Biarritz Tindall 13' mMonahan 78' cEdmonds 80' c F. Burns (2/3) F. Burns (4/5) 10', 26', 34', 47' Thomas (2) 22' c, 31' cHéguy 36' cBaby 56' cBurotu 73' c Yachvili (5/5) Yachvili (1/3) 18' Traille (1/1) 11' Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester 10,273 John Lacey (Ireland) 5 April 2013 20:00 London Wasps ENG 28–48 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20748.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017August 2026 InternetArchiveBot IRE rugby union Leinster Wade (2) 1' m, 14' cVarndell (2) 65' m, 70' m Robinson (1/4) Robinson (2/3) 35', 48' D'Arcy 5' cMadigan 22' cRoss 45' cR. Kearney 59' mNacewa 67' c Madigan (4/5) Madigan (5/6) 26', 38', 44', 52', 76' Adams Park, High Wycombe 9,654 Pascal Gaüzère (France) 5 April 2013 21:00 Perpignan FRA 30–19 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20749.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017 13 April 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130413033611/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20749.php dead FRA Toulouse Taofifenua 6' cSid 37' cVahaamahina 46' c Hook (3/3) Hook (3/3) 1', 71', 75' Maka 58' c Beauxis (1/1) Beauxis (4/5) 10', 19', 22', 24' Stade Aimé Giral, Perpignan 12,452 Alain Rolland (Ireland) 6 April 2013 13:00 Bath ENG 20–36 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20758.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017August 2026 InternetArchiveBot FRA Stade Français penalty try 46' cClaassens 65' mCuthbert 77' m Donald (1/1) Donald (1/1) 25' Vuidravuwalu (2) 19' c, 29' cBonneval (2) 57' m, 59' m Fillol (2/2) Plisson (1/1) 15'Fillol (1/2) 23'Porical (1/1) 80' Plisson (1/2) 69' Recreation Ground, Bath 11,155 Nigel Owens (Wales) Semi-finals 26 April 2013 21:00 Perpignan FRA 22–25 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20944.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017August 2026 InternetArchiveBot FRA Stade Français Guirado 10' mHook 22' m Hook (4/5) 29', 43', 47', 66' Lyons 44' c Porical (1/1) Porical (6/7) 8', 26', 35', 52', 73', 76' Stade Aimé Giral, Perpignan 12,242 George Clancy (Ireland) 27 April 2013 14:30 Leinster IRE rugby union 44–16 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20945.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017 22 May 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130522071440/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/20945.php dead FRA Biarritz Heaslip (2) 3' c, 40' cJ. Sexton 38' cNacewa 49' cO'Driscoll 63' c J. Sexton (3/3)Madigan (2/2) J. Sexton (2/2) 27', 45'Madigan (1/1) 55' Héguy 67' c Yachvili (1/1) Yachvili (3/3) 18', 23', 36' RDS Arena, Dublin 18,500 Wayne Barnes (England) Final 17 May 2013http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/18386.php 2012/13 Heineken Cup Pool Draw European Rugby Cup 12 June 2012 6 July 2012 15 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120615200901/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/news/18386.php dead 20:00 IST Leinster IRE rugby union 34–13 Reporthttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/21055.php Home www.ercrugby.com 14 September 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20130607180321/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/21055.php 7 June 2013 dead FRA Stade Français Madigan 2' cCronin 19' cR. Kearney 27' cHealy 78' c J. Sexton (4/4) J. Sexton (2/2) 53', 62' Sinzelle 65' c Plisson (1/1) Porical (2/2) 25', 40' RDS Arena, Dublin 20,396 Nigel Owens (Wales) 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 Sports 2012–13 Heineken Cup References Category:2012–13 rugby union tournaments for clubs Category:2012–13 in European rugby union Category:2012–13 in Irish rugby union Category:2012–13 in English rugby union Category:2012–13 in French rugby union Category:2012–13 in Italian rugby union Category:2012–13 in Romanian rugby union Category:2012–13 in Spanish rugby union Category:2012–13 in Welsh rugby union 2012