2008–09 Heineken Cup

Annual rugby union competition 2008–09 Heineken Cup 200px Official logo EnglandFranceIreland rugby unionItalyScotlandWales Round-robin and Knockout 10 October 2008 – 23 May 2009 24 79 1177064 Ben Blair (Cardiff)(99 points) Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)(5 tries) Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 66,523 IRE rugby union Leinster 1 ENG Leicester Tigers https://web.archive.org/web/20080506141030/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/ 2007–08 2007–08 Heineken Cup 2009–10 2009–10 Heineken Cup The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. Irish side Leinster became the champions, defeating Leicester Tigers 19–16 in the final.http://www.irishtimes.com/leinster-rugby/leinster-soar-highest-in-bluest-of-blue-days// The Irish Times Leinster soar highest in bluest of blue days Gerry Thornley 10 August 2011 Teams Seven French teams competed, as a French team, Toulouse, progressed further in the previous year's tournament than any English or Italian team. Four Welsh teams competed, as Italy forfeited its place in the Italo-Celtic playoffhttp://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5019_10266.php Fourth team for Ireland or Wales in 2008/2009 European Rugby Cup 8 May 2008 6 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080513103306/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5019_10266.php 13 May 2008 dead and a Welsh team were the highest-placed team in the previous year's Celtic league not to qualify otherwise.http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_10267.php Newport Gwent Dragons Secure 4th Heineken Cup Spot for Wales European Rugby Cup 8 May 2008 7 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080512180708/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_10267.php 12 May 2008 dead Other nations had their usual number of participants: England six, Ireland three, Italy two and Scotland two.http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/31_264.php Heineken Cup – Key Tournament Rules European Rugby Cup 8 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080517050633/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/31_264.php 17 May 2008 dead EnglandFranceWalesIrelandScotlandItaly Gloucester London Wasps Bath Leicester Tigers Sale Sharks Harlequins Toulouse Biarritz Stade Français Clermont Perpignan Castres Montauban Cardiff Blues Scarlets Ospreys Newport Gwent Dragons Leinster Munster Ulster Edinburgh Glasgow Warriors Calvisano Benetton Treviso Seeding The seeding system for participating teams changed from previous editions of the Heineken Cup. Previously, each participating nation would seed one of their teams and these six teams would be drawn in different groups at the group stage.http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5018_7099.php Heineken Cup Pool Draw Confirmed European Rugby Cup 8 May 2008 11 June 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071214203957/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5018_7099.php 14 December 2007 live Starting with the 2008–09 edition, the 24 competing teams were ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each group receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier.http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/121_9900.php ERC European Rankings (May 2008) European Rugby Cup 8 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080511192313/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/121_9900.php 11 May 2008 dead The requirement to have only one team per country in each group however, still applied (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team).http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_10454.php ERC Draw Regulations (June 2008) European Rugby Cup 16 June 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080620091737/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_10454.php 20 June 2008 dead The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking before the start of the 2008–09 season. Tier 1 IRE rugby union Munster (1) FRA Toulouse (2) FRA Biarritz (3) ENG Leicester Tigers (4) FRA Stade Français (5) ENG London Wasps (6) Tier 2 IRE rugby union Leinster (7) ENG Bath (8) ENG Gloucester (9) FRA Perpignan (10) ENG Sale Sharks (12) WAL Scarlets (13) Tier 3 WAL Ospreys (15) WAL Cardiff Blues (17) FRA Clermont (18) WAL Newport Gwent Dragons (20) IRE rugby union Ulster (21) FRA Castres (22) Tier 4 SCO Glasgow Warriors (24) ITA Benetton Treviso (25) SCO Edinburgh (28) ITA Calvisano (32) ENG Harlequins (35) FRA Montauban Pool stage 2008–09 Heineken Cup pool stage The draw for the pool stages took place on 17 June 2008 in Dublin. {| class="wikitable" |+ Key to colours |- | bgcolor="#ccffcc" |      | Winner of each pool, and two best runners-up,advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses |} Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts IRE rugby union Munster (2)65011861216198632123 ENG Sale630314113136115212115 FRA Clermont63031413113712981013 FRA Montauban6105521−1681173−92026 Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts IRE rugby union Leinster (6)64021531214070702220 ENG Wasps6402912−311411220117 SCO Edinburgh620488091103−12109 FRA Castres6204615−973133−60019 Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG Leicester Tigers (4)640223617191901013221 WAL Ospreys (7)64021731415571842220 FRA Perpignan640217107154120341118 ITA Benetton Treviso6006543−3872291−219000 Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG Harlequins (3)650116124144115292022 FRA Stade Français630313112131109221215 IRE rugby union Ulster621313130113134−210111 WAL Scarlets61141218−6124154−30028 Pool 5 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts ENG Bath (5)6411138510792152121 FRA Toulouse (8)6411128412188331120 SCO Glasgow62041417−3134150−161312 WAL Newport Gwent Dragons6105814−683115−32037 Pool 6 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts WAL Cardiff Blues (1)660023914202991033027 FRA Biarritz63031441012188331215 ENG Gloucester630317125156109472115 ITA Calvisano6006837−2987270−183000 Seeding and runners-up SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/−1 WAL Cardiff Blues2723+1032 IRE rugby union Munster2318+633 ENG Harlequins2216+294 ENG Leicester Tigers2123+1015 ENG Bath2113+156 IRE rugby union Leinster2015+70SeedPool Runners-upPtsTF+/−7 WAL Ospreys2017+848 FRA Toulouse2012+33 – ENG Sale1914+21 – ENG Wasps177+8 – FRA Biarritz1514+33 – FRA Stade Français1513+22 Knockout stage The draw for the quarter-finals took place on 27 January at Murrayfield Stadium.http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_12201.php Heineken Cup semi-final draw completed European Rugby Cup 27 January 2009 27 January 2009 https://archive.today/20090131102230/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_12201.php January 31, 2009 dead Quarter-finals 11 April 2009 15:30 Cardiff Blues WAL 9–6 Report FRA Toulouse Blair (3/3) 1', 30', 57' Michalak (1/1) 5'Skrela (1/1) 64' Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 36,728 Chris White (England) 11 April 2009 18:00 Leicester Tigers ENG 20–15 Report ENG Bath Dupuy 80' m Vesty (5/5) 20', 22', 51', 55', 67' Berne 35' cMaddock 64' m James (1/2) James (1/2) 45' Walkers Stadium, Leicester 26,100 Alan Lewis (Ireland) 12 April 2009 13:00 Munster IRE rugby union 43–9 Report WAL Ospreys Warwick 34' cO'Connell 55' cEarls (2) 63' c, 65' c O'Gara (4/4) O'Gara (3/3) 14', 20', 50' Warwick (2) 39', 58' Hook (3/6) 16', 30', 45' Thomond Park, Limerick 26,000 Wayne Barnes (England) 12 April 2009 15:30 Harlequins ENG 5–6 Report IRE rugby union Leinster Brown 65' m Contepomi (2/2) 15', 39' Twickenham Stoop, London 12,638 Nigel Owens (Wales) This match became notorious for the "Bloodgate" scandal. Quins coach Dean Richards was banned from rugby for three years for his role in faking an injury to wing Tom Williams so that Quins could send in a blood replacement. Williams himself was initially banned for a year, but after he revealed the full extent of the scheme, the ban was reduced to four months.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/6047832/Dean-Richards-ban-how-Bloodgate-saga-unfolded.html Dean Richards ban: how 'Bloodgate' saga unfolded Emily Benammar The Daily Telegraph 2009-08-18 2009-08-18 London Semi-finals 2 May 2009 17:30 Munster IRE rugby union 6–25 Report Report IRE rugby union Leinster O'Gara (2/2) 18', 36' D'Arcy 30' mFitzgerald 42' cB. O'Driscoll 61' c Sexton (2/3) Sexton (1/1) 26' Contepomi (1/1) 15' Croke Park, Dublin 82,208 Nigel Owens (Wales) Cardiff Blues vs Leicester Tigers (2008–09 Heineken Cup) 3 May 2009 15:00 Cardiff Blues WAL 26–26 (a.e.t.) Report ENG Leicester Tigers Roberts 73' cJames 74' c Blair (2/2) Blair (2/2) 14', 33'Halfpenny 27', 35' Hamilton 21' cG. Murphy 45' c Dupuy (2/2) Dupuy (4/7) 24', 38', 54', 56' Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 44,212 Alain Rolland (Ireland) Blair 13N. Robinson 13Halfpenny 13Sweeney 13James 13Shanklin 13Rees 13M. Williams 13 6–7 13 Dupuy13 Vesty13 G. Murphy13 J. Murphy13 Hamilton13 Mauger13 Newby13 Crane Final 2009 Heineken Cup Final 23 May 2009 17:00 Leicester Tigers ENG 16–19 (Report) IRE rugby union Leinster Woods 38' c Dupuy (1/1) Dupuy (3/3) 8', 33', 42' Heaslip 49' c Sexton (1/1) Sexton (2/3) 24', 70' O'Driscoll (1/1) 5'Sexton (1/1) 17' Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 66,523 Nigel Owens (Wales) Notes and references Category:Heineken Cup seasons Heineken Heineken Heineken Heineken Heineken Heineken