2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage

May 2026 2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage 2008–09 European Challenge Cup 9 October 2008 – 25 January 2009 ENG London Irish ENG Northampton Saints ENG Saracens ENG Worcester Warriors FRA Brive ENG Newcastle Falcons Ireland rugby union Connacht FRA Bourgoin 2007–08 2007–08 European Challenge Cup pool stage 2009–10 2009–10 Amlin Challenge Cup pool stage 2008–09 European Challenge Cup The 2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the 13th season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began on 9 October 2008 when RC Toulon hosted Northampton Saints and ended with two games on 25 January 2009. Twenty teams participated in this phase of the competition; they were divided into five pools of four teams each, with each team playing the others home and away. Competition points were earned using the standard bonus point system. The five pool winners and the best three runners-up advanced to the knockout stage. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final at the Twickenham Stoop in London on 22 May 2009. Results The draw for the pool stages took place on 23 June 2008. The draw was conducted using the ERC European Ranking system which was based on the qualified teams' performances and participation in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup over the past four seasons. All times are local to the game location. {| class="wikitable" |+ Key to colours |- | style="background: #ccffcc;" |      | Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses |- | style="background: #ccccff;" |      | Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses |} Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG London Irish (1) 6 6 0 0 44 3 +41 300 34 +266 5 0 29 Ireland rugby union Connacht (7) 6 4 0 2 20 19 +1 159 140 +19 3 0 19 ITA Rovigo 6 1 0 5 7 25 −18 79 199 –120 0 1 5 FRA Dax 6 1 0 5 5 29 −24 55 220 –165 0 0 4 10 October 2008 19:00 Dax FRA 12–30 Ireland rugby unionConnacht Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax 11 October 2008 15:00 London Irish ENG 78–3 ITA Rovigo Madejski Stadium, Reading 17 October 2008 19:00 Connacht Ireland rugby union 10–27 ENG London Irish Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway 18 October 2008 15:00 Rovigo ITA 24–11 FRA Dax Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo 5 December 2008 19:00 Dax FRA 0–38 ENG London Irish Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax 6 December 2008 15:00 Rovigo ITA 20–35 Ireland rugby union Connacht Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo 11 December 2008 19:45 London Irish ENG 59–7 FRA Dax Madejski Stadium, Reading 12 December 2008 18:30 Connacht Ireland rugby union 30–3 ITA Rovigo Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway 16 January 2009 19:00 Dax FRA 22–20 ITA Rovigo Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax 17 January 2009 15:00 London Irish ENG 75–5 Ireland rugby union Connacht Madejski Stadium, Reading 23 January 2009 18:30 Connacht Ireland rugby union 49–3 FRA Dax Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway 24 January 2009 15:00 Rovigo ITA 9–23 ENG London Irish Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG Northampton Saints (2) 6 6 0 0 37 7 +30 278 69 +209 5 0 29 ENG Bristol 6 3 0 3 14 21 −7 140 168 −28 1 1 14 FRA Montpellier 6 2 0 4 10 18 −8 101 159 −58 0 1 9 FRA RC Toulon 6 1 0 5 7 22 −15 84 207 −123 0 1 5 9 October 2008 20:45 Toulon FRA 3–56 ENG Northampton Saints Stade Mayol, Toulon 10 October 2008 19:00 Montpellier FRA 33–15 ENG Bristol Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier 17 October 2008 19:45 Bristol ENG 39–11 FRA Toulon Memorial Ground, Bristol 18 October 2008 19:45 Northampton Saints ENG 51–7 FRA Montpellier Franklin's Gardens, Northampton 4 December 2008 20:45 Montpellier FRA 14–10 FRA Toulon Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier 6 December 2008 15:00 Northampton Saints ENG 66–3 ENG Bristol Franklin's Gardens, Northampton 13 December 2008 20:45 Toulon FRA 30–9 FRA Montpellier Stade Mayol, Toulon 14 December 2008 15:00 Bristol ENG 21–25 ENG Northampton Saints Memorial Ground, Bristol 15 January 2009 20:45 Montpellier FRA 24–28 ENG Northampton Saints Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier 16 January 2009 18:30 Toulon FRA 19–37 ENG Bristol Stade Mayol, Toulon 24 January 2009 15:00 Northampton Saints ENG 52–11 FRA Toulon Franklin's Gardens, Northampton 25 January 2009 15:00 Bristol ENG 25–14 FRA Montpellier Memorial Ground, Bristol Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG Worcester Warriors (4) 6 5 0 1 36 8 +28 255 94 +161 4 0 24 FRA Bourgoin (8) 6 3 0 3 18 11 +7 158 115 +43 1 2 15 ITA Petrarca Padova 6 3 0 3 11 28 −17 112 206 −94 0 1 13 ROM București Oaks 6 1 0 5 8 26 −18 87 197 −110 0 1 5 11 October 2008 15:00 Petrarca Padova ITA 6–55 ENG Worcester Warriors Stadio Plebiscito, Padua 12 October 2008 16:30 București Oaks ROM 10–21 FRA Bourgoin Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest 17 October 2008 20:30 Bourgoin FRA 28–29 ITA Petrarca Padova Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin 19 October 2008 16:30 București Oaks ROM 17–53 ENG Worcester Warriors Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest 5 December 2008 20:30 Bourgoin FRA 29–14 ENG Worcester Warriors Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin 7 December 2008 13:00 București Oaks ROM 14–20 ITA Petrarca Padova Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest 13 December 2008 13:00 Petrarca Padova ITA 15–17 ROM București Oaks Stadio Plebiscito, Padua 13 December 2008 15:00 Worcester Warriors ENG 27–6 FRA Bourgoin Sixways Stadium, Worcester 17 January 2009 15:00 Petrarca Padova ITA 25–24 FRA Bourgoin Stadio Plebiscito, Padua 17 January 2009 15:00 Worcester Warriors ENG 38–19 ROM București Oaks Sixways Stadium, Worcester 23 January 2009 20:30 Bourgoin FRA 50–10 ROM București Oaks Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin 24 January 2009 15:00 Worcester Warriors ENG 68–17 ITA Petrarca Padova Sixways Stadium, Worcester Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts FRA Brive (5) 6 5 0 1 33 8 +25 243 89 +154 3 1 24 ENG Newcastle Falcons (6) 6 4 0 2 24 8 +16 178 90 +88 2 1 19 ITA Overmach Parma 6 3 0 3 19 13 +6 165 120 +45 2 2 16 ESP El Salvador 6 0 0 6 5 52 −47 46 333 −287 0 0 0 11 October 2008 18:30 Newcastle Falcons ENG 63–0 ESP El Salvador Kingston Park, Newcastle 12 October 2008 14:30 Overmach Parma ITA 34–29 FRA Brive Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma 16 October 2008 20:45 Brive FRA 36–22 ENG Newcastle Falcons Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive 19 October 2008 12:30 El Salvador ESP 21–59 ITA Overmach Parma Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid 5 December 2008 19:30 Brive FRA 84–6 ESP El Salvador Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive 6 December 2008 14:30 Overmach Parma ITA 14–20 ENG Newcastle Falcons Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma 14 December 2008 12:30 El Salvador ESP 5–55 FRA Brive Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid 14 December 2008 15:00 Newcastle Falcons ENG 21–16 ITA Overmach Parma Kingston Park, Newcastle 17 January 2009 14:30 Overmach Parma ITA 29–0 ESP El Salvador Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma 17 January 2009 19:40 Newcastle Falcons ENG 9–10 FRA Brive Kingston Park, Newcastle 22 January 2009 20:45 Brive FRA 29–13 ITA Overmach Parma Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive 25 January 2009 12:00 El Salvador ESP 14–43 ENG Newcastle Falcons Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid Pool 5 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG Saracens (3) 6 6 0 0 20 1 +19 200 43 +157 2 0 26 ITA Viadana 6 3 0 3 8 11 −3 120 126 −6 0 1 13 FRA Bayonne 6 3 0 3 9 11 −2 99 122 −23 0 0 12 FRA Mont-de-Marsan 6 0 0 0 4 18 −14 54 182 −128 0 1 1 10 October 2008 19:30 Bayonne FRA 10–21 ITA Viadana Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne 12 October 2008 15:00 Saracens ENG 53–3 FRA Mont-de-Marsan Vicarage Road, Watford 17 October 2008 19:00 Mont-de-Marsan FRA 8–26 FRA Bayonne Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan 18 October 2008 19:00 Viadana ITA 12–35 ENG Saracens Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana 6 December 2008 15:30 Mont-de-Marsan FRA 15–21 ITA Viadana Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan 6 December 2008 20:45 Bayonne FRA 6–16 ENG Saracens Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne 13 December 2008 19:00 Viadana ITA 25–6 FRA Mont-de-Marsan Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana 14 December 2008 15:00 Saracens ENG 36–0 FRA Bayonne Vicarage Road, Watford 16 January 2009 Bayonne FRA 33–19 19:30 FRA Mont-de-Marsan Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne 18 January 2009 15:00 Saracens ENG 36–19 ITA Viadana Vicarage Road, Watford 23 January 2009 19:00 Mont-de-Marsan FRA 3–24 ENG Saracens Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan 24 January 2009 19:00 Viadana ITA 22–24 FRA Bayonne Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana Seeding and runners-up SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/-1 ENG London Irish2944+2662 ENG Northampton Saints2937+2093 ENG Saracens2620+1574 ENG Worcester Warriors2436+1615 FRA Brive2433+154SeedPool Runners-upPtsTF+/-6 ENG Newcastle Falcons1924+887 Ireland rugby union Connacht1920+198 FRA Bourgoin1518+43 – ENG Bristol1414−28 – ITA Viadana138−6 See also European Challenge Cup 2008–09 Heineken Cup References pool stage 2008-09