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:2011–12 Heineken Cup

{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{more citations needed|date=May 2011}}

{{Infobox European Rugby Cup season

| name = 2011–12 Heineken Cup

| image =

| imagesize = 200px

| caption = Official Logo

| countries = {{flag|England}}
{{flag|France}}
{{flag|Ireland|rugby union}}
{{flag|Italy}}
{{flag|Scotland}}
{{flag|Wales}}

| tournament format = Round-robin and Knockout

| date = 11 November 2011 – 19 May 2012

| teams = 24

| matches = 79

| attendance = {{#expr: +11856 + 9125 + 8151 + 6712 + 20182 + 7860 + 7732 + 9385 + 26500 + 4208 + 5077 + 18500 + 10358 + 5200 + 17589 + 13475 + 4500 + 9782 + 12320 + 13500 + 21473 + 9120 + 17924 + 11785 + 6102 + 7494 + 14282 + 5000 + 4000 + 5115 + 13183 + 41063 + 12152 + 5287 + 12200 + 18000 + 4384 + 7098 + 7513 + 7011 + 7917 + 46365 + 20202 + 5000 + 10786 + 25600 + 11670 + 32000 + 5411 + 6113 + 11900 + 9869 + 10106 + 4921 + 25600 + 9923 + 18508 + 12772 + 6479 + 6789 + 5420 + 13077 + 22220 + 6500 + 8091 + 10892 + 11015 + 18500 + 19652 + 17633 + 4500 + 9412 + 37881 + 50340 + 26500 + 11047 + 45147 + 32397 + 81774}}

| tries = 320

| top point scorer = Johnny Sexton (Leinster)
(103 points)

| top try scorer = Timoci Matanavou (Toulouse)
(8 tries)

| venue = Twickenham, London

| attendance2 = 81,774

| champions = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Leinster

| count = 3

| runner-up = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Ulster

| website = https://web.archive.org/web/20080506141030/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/

| previous year = 2010–11

| previous tournament = 2010–11 Heineken Cup

| next year = 2012–13

| next tournament = 2012–13 Heineken Cup

}}

The 2011–12 Heineken Cup was the 17th season of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. The final was held at Twickenham{{cite web|url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/finals/twickenham2012.php |title=ERC : Finals : Twickenham 2012 |publisher=Ercrugby.com |date=18 May 2011 |access-date=30 March 2012}} on Saturday, 19 May 2012, kicking off at 5 pm (16:00 UTC).{{cite web|url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/1136.php |title=ERC : News : Heineken Cup 2011 and 2012 Finals |publisher=Ercrugby.com |date=17 May 2010 |access-date=30 March 2012}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/13679220.stm|title=Teams learn 2011/2012 Heineken Cup pool stages fate|date=7 June 2011|work=BBC Sport|access-date=9 June 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110610023826/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/13679220.stm| archive-date= 10 June 2011 | url-status= live}}

Leinster lifted the Heineken Cup by defeating fellow Pro12 and Irish side Ulster 42–14. The victory gave Leinster their third Heineken Cup title in four years – a run of success unprecedented in the competition's history.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18051349| title=Heineken Cup final: Leinster beat Ulster to retain trophy |first=Bryn |last=Palmer |work=BBC Sport|date=19 May 2012 |access-date=20 May 2012}}

Teams

The default allocation of teams is as follows:{{cite web |url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/heinekencup/rules/qualification_process.php |title=ERC : Heineken Cup : Rules : Qualification Process |publisher=Ercrugby.com |date=13 August 2010 |access-date=30 March 2012 |archive-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121218034339/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/heinekencup/rules/qualification_process.php |url-status=dead }}

  • England: 6 teams, based on performance in the Aviva Premiership and Anglo-Welsh Cup{{cite web |url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/qualification/england.php |title=ERC : European Qualification : England |publisher=Ercrugby.com |access-date=30 March 2012 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806155448/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/qualification/england.php |url-status=dead }}
  • France: 6 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Top 14{{cite web |url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/qualification/france.php |title=ERC : European Qualification : France |publisher=Ercrugby.com |access-date=30 March 2012 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806155459/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/qualification/france.php |url-status=dead }}
  • Ireland: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Celtic League{{cite web |url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/qualification/celtic_countries.php |title=ERC : European Qualification : Celtic Countries |publisher=Ercrugby.com |access-date=30 March 2012 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806155513/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/qualification/celtic_countries.php |url-status=dead }}
  • Wales: 3 teams, based on regular-season finish in the Celtic League
  • Italy and Scotland: 2 teams each, based on participation in the Celtic League (although there are only 2 from each nation)

The remaining two places are filled by the winners of the previous year's Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup. If the cup winners are already qualified through their domestic league, an additional team from their country will claim a Heineken Cup place (assuming another team is available). Accordingly, Harlequins claimed the Challenge Cup winner's berth, and since Heineken Cup winners Leinster were already domestically qualified, the extra Irish berth went to Connacht.

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
width=16%|England

!width=16%|France

!width=16%| Ireland

!width=16%| Wales

!width=16%| Italy

!width=16%| Scotland

valign=top

|

|

|

|

|

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Seeding

The seeding system was the same as in the 2010–11 tournament. The 24 competing teams are 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 applies (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh English team).{{cite video|date=7 June 2011 |title=Heineken Cup Pool Draw |url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchdaytv/play/media/id/8618 |publisher=European Rugby Cup |access-date=22 July 2011}}

The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking at the end of the 2010–11 season.

class="wikitable"
width=5%| Tier 1

|width=16%| {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Leinster (1)

|width=16%| {{flagicon|FRA}} Toulouse (2)

|width=16%| {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Munster (3)

|width=16%| {{flagicon|WAL}} Cardiff Blues (4)

|width=16%| {{flagicon|FRA}} Biarritz (5)

|width=16%| {{flagicon|ENG}} Leicester Tigers (6)

Tier 2

| {{flagicon|ENG}} Northampton (7)

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Clermont Auvergne (10)

| {{flagicon|WAL}} Ospreys (11)

| {{flagicon|ENG}} Bath (12)

| {{flagicon|ENG}} Harlequins (13)

| {{flagicon|ENG}} London Irish (15)

Tier 3

| {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Ulster (16)

| {{flagicon|ENG}} Saracens (17)

| {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester (18)

| {{flagicon|SCO}} Glasgow (20)

| {{flagicon|WAL}} Scarlets (21)

| {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh (24)

Tier 4

| {{flagicon|Ireland|rugby union}} Connacht (25)

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Benetton Treviso (30)

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Castres (31)

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Montpellier (32)

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Racing Métro (33)

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Aironi (37)

Pool stage

{{details|2011–12 Heineken Cup pool stage}}

The draw for the pool stage took place on 7 June 2011.

Under rules of the competition organiser, European Rugby Cup, tiebreakers within each pool are as follows.{{cite web|url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/heinekencup/rules/index.php |title=Key Tournament Rules |publisher=European Rugby Cup |access-date=10 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008183601/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/heinekencup/rules/index.php |archive-date=8 October 2010 |url-status=dead}}

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

ERC has four additional tiebreakers, 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

class="wikitable"

|+ Key to colours

style="background:#cfc;"|    

|Pool winners, and the two best pool runners-up, advance to quarterfinals.

style="background:#ffc;"|    

|Third-, fourth- and fifth-highest-scoring second-place teams parachute into the knockout stage
of the European Challenge Cup.

=Pool 1=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="width:200px;"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|TB

!width="20"|LB

!width="20"|Pts

style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Munster

| 6

6001410+4163118+451025
style="background:#ffc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|WAL}} Scarlets

| 6

303129+3119124−51215
align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} Northampton Saints

| 6

2041816+2176160+162212
align=left|{{flagicon|FRA}} Castres

| 6

1051019−9111167−56127

=Pool 2=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="width:200px;"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|TB

!width="20"|LB

!width="20"|Pts

style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

| 6

5011711+6156138+182022
style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|WAL}} Cardiff Blues

| 6

50195+4145110+350121
align=left|{{flagicon|FRA}} Racing Métro

| 6

1051319−6160190−30149
align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} London Irish

| 6

105711−4116139−23149

=Pool 3=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="width:200px;"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|TB

!width="20"|LB

!width="20"|Pts

style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Leinster

| 6

510187+1117288+842024
align=left|{{flagicon|SCO}} Glasgow Warriors

| 6

213812−4106133−270212
align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} Bath

| 6

2041115−4122151−290311
align=left|{{flagicon|FRA}} Montpellier

| 6

123811−384112−280210

=Pool 4=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="width:200px;"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|TB

!width="20"|LB

!width="20"|Pts

style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|FRA}} Clermont Auvergne

| 6

402265+2121569+1462220
style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Ulster

| 6

402168+815887+713120
align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} Leicester Tigers

| 6

402138+5123117+61017
align=left|{{flagicon|ITA}} Aironi

| 6

006438−3451274−223000

=Pool 5=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="width:200px;"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|TB

!width="20"|LB

!width="20"|Pts

style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} Saracens

| 6

5011310+3145107+381122
style="background:#ffc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|FRA}} Biarritz

| 6

303187+11143105+383318
align=left|{{flagicon|WAL}} Ospreys

| 6

2131316−3142147−51213
align=left|{{flagicon|ITA}} Benetton Treviso

| 6

1141223−11122193−71006

=Pool 6=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
style="width:200px;"|Team

!width="20"|P

!width="20"|W

!width="20"|D

!width="20"|L

!width="20"|Tries for

!width="20"|Tries against

!width="20"|Try diff

!width="20"|Points for

!width="20"|Points against

!width="25"|Points diff

!width="20"|TB

!width="20"|LB

!width="20"|Pts

style="background:#cfc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|FRA}} Toulouse

| 6

4021611+5150105+451118
style="background:#ffc;"

|align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} Harlequins

| 6

402117+412294+280117
align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester

| 6

3031012−2111122−111215
align=left|{{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Connacht

| 6

105512−768130−62026

=Seeding and runners-up=

  • Bare numbers indicate Heineken Cup quarterfinal seeding.
  • Numbers with "C" indicate Challenge Cup quarterfinal seeding.

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Seed

!Pool Winners

!Pts

!TF

!+/−

1

|align=left| {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Munster

|25

14+45
2

|align=left| {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Leinster

|24

18+84
3

|align=left| {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

|22

17+18
4

|align=left| {{flagicon|ENG}} Saracens

|22

13+38
5

|align=left| {{flagicon|FRA}} Clermont Auvergne

|20

26+146
6

|align=left| {{flagicon|FRA}} Toulouse

|18

16+45
Seed

!Pool Runners-up

!Pts

!TF

!+/−

7

|align=left| {{flagicon|WAL}} Cardiff Blues

|21

9+35
8

|align=left| {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Ulster

|20

16+71
5C

|align=left| {{flagicon|FRA}} Biarritz

|18

18+42
6C

|align=left| {{flagicon|ENG}} Harlequins

|17

11+28
7C

|align=left| {{flagicon|WAL}} Scarlets

|15

12−5
-

|align=left| {{flagicon|SCO}} Glasgow Warriors

|12

12−27

Knock-out stages

=Quarter-finals=

{{rugbybox

|date = 7 April 2012

|time = 15:00 BST

|home = Edinburgh {{flagicon|SCO}}

|score = 19–14

|report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/16447.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|FRA}} Toulouse

|try1 = Blair 1' c

|con1 = Laidlaw (1/1)

|pen1 = Laidlaw (3/4) 46', 51', 80'

|drop1 = Laidlaw (1/1) 38'

|try2 = Matanavou 30' m

|con2 =

|pen2 = Beauxis (3/5) 5', 19', 28'

|stadium = Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

|attendance = 37,881

|referee = Nigel Owens (Wales) }}

----

{{rugbybox

|date = 7 April 2012

|time = 17:45 IST

|home = Leinster {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}}

|score = 34–3

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20120729234930/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/16451.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|WAL}} Cardiff Blues

|try1 = Nacewa 12' c
Kearney (2) 30' c, 41' c
O'Driscoll 34' c

|con1 = Sexton (4/4)

|pen1 = Sexton (2/3) 8', 23'

|pen2 = Halfpenny (1/1) 2'

|drop2 =

|stadium = Aviva Stadium, Dublin

|attendance = 50,340

|referee = Dave Pearson (England) }}

----

{{rugbybox

|date = 8 April 2012

|time = 13:45 IST

|home = Munster {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}}

|score = 16–22

|report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/16457.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Ulster

|try1 = Zebo 34' c

|con1 = O'Gara (1/1)

|pen1 = O'Gara (3/4) 40', 49', 61'

|try2 = Gilroy 16' c

|con2 = Pienaar (1/1)

|pen2 = Pienaar (4/5) 5', 11', 20', 59'

|drop2 = Humphreys (1/1) 32'

|stadium = Thomond Park, Limerick

|attendance = 26,500

|referee = Romain Poite (France) }}

----

{{rugbybox

|date = 8 April 2012

|time = 16:30 BST

|home = Saracens {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 3–22

|report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/16463.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|FRA}} Clermont Auvergne

|pen1 = Farrell (1/2) 16'

|try2 = Byrne 43' c

|con2 = James (1/1)

|pen2 = James (4/6) 7', 11', 13', 55'

|drop2 = James (1/1) 49'

|stadium = Vicarage Road, Watford

|attendance = 11,047

|referee = Alain Rolland (Ireland) }}

=Semi-finals=

{{rugbybox

|date = 28 April 2012

|time = 17:45 IST

|home = Ulster {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}}

|score = 22–19

|report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/16623.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

|try1 = Wannenburg 15' c

|con1 = Pienaar (1/1)

|pen1 = Pienaar (5/5) 5', 38', 58', 63', 75'

|try2 = Thompson 80' c

|con2 = Laidlaw (1/1)

|pen2 = Laidlaw (4/4) 9', 11', 40', 45'

|stadium = Aviva Stadium, Dublin

|attendance = 45,147

|referee = Romain Poite (France) }}

----

{{rugbybox

|date = 29 April 2012

|time = 16:00 HAEC

|home = Clermont Auvergne {{flagicon|FRA}}

|score = 15–19

|report = [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/16627.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Leinster

|pen1 = James (5/6) 17', 31', 36', 39', 52'

|try2 = Healy 41' c

|con2 = Sexton (1/1)

|pen2 = Sexton (3/4) 7', 34', 62'

|drop2 = Kearney (1/1) 46'
Sexton (0/1)

|stadium = Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

|attendance = 32,397

|referee = Wayne Barnes (England) }}

=Final=

{{Main|2012 Heineken Cup Final}}

{{rugbybox

|date = 19 May 2012

|time = 17:00 BST

|home = Leinster {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}}

|score = 42–14

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20120916214234/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre/18304.php Report]

|away = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Ulster

|try1 = O'Brien 12' c
Healy 31' c
penalty try 44' c
van der Merwe 76' m
Cronin 80' c

|con1 = Sexton (3/3)
McFadden (1/2)

|pen1 = Sexton (3/4) 51', 67', 73'

|try2 = Tuohy 60' m

|con2 =

|pen2 = Pienaar (3/3) 7', 40', 49'

|drop2 =

|stadium = Twickenham Stadium, London

|attendance = 81,774

|referee = Nigel Owens (Wales) }}

References

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{European Rugby Champions Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-12 Heineken Cup}}

Category:Heineken Cup seasons

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