2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup#Final

Twenty teams qualified for the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup, based on their performance in their respective domestic leagues the previous season. The distribution of teams is as follows:

• England: 5 teams
• Any teams finishing between 8th-11th position in the Aviva Premiership. (4 Teams)
• The champion of the 2013–14 Greene King IPA Championship.{{cite press release |url=http://www.rfu.com/news/2014/may/news-articles/090514_msc_championship |title=Minimum Standards Criteria audit results |publisher=Rugby Football Union |date=9 May 2014 |access-date=9 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512215259/http://www.rfu.com/news/2014/may/news-articles/090514_msc_championship |archive-date=2014-05-12 |url-status=dead }} (1 Team)
• France: 8 teams
• Any teams finishing between 8th-12th position in the Top 14. (5 Teams)
• The champion, and the winner of the promotion play-off, from the Pro D2. (2 Teams)
• There will be an 8th team from France, as Stade Français lost the 7th-place play-off for entry into the European Rugby Champions Cup. (1 team)
• Ireland, Italy, Scotland & Wales: 5 teams
• Any teams that did not qualify for the European Rugby Champions Cup through the 2013–14 RaboDirect Pro12
• Other European Nations: 2 teams
• Two teams will qualify through the Qualifying Competition, which will take place in September.

So far, the following 18 teams have qualified.

{{main|2014–15 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs}}

The following teams took part in the play-off to decide the final team in the Champions Cup. The play-off was held between the seventh-placed teams in the English Premiership and the Top 14. The loser of this play-off entered the Challenge Cup.

On 29 April 2014, it was announced that this play-off would take place over two legs, on the weekends of 17/18 May and 24/25 May, with a draw being used to determine home advantage for each leg.{{Cite web |url=http://www.afp.com/en/node/2338991 |title=Rugby Union - Anglo-French play-off dates announced, AFP 29/5/2014 |access-date=2014-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430050339/http://www.afp.com/en/node/2338991 |archive-date=2014-04-30 |url-status=dead }}

The draw took place in Heathrow on 6 May 2014. Following the draw, the fixtures were announced as follows:[http://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/31547.php#.U2jd_ldnBbw European Rugby Champions Cup play-off draw, Premiership Rugby]

{{Rugbybox

|date = 18 May 2014

|time = 15:00 BST

|home = Wasps {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 30–29

|away = {{flagicon|FRA}} Stade Français

|stadium = Adams Park, High Wycombe

|referee = John Lacey (Ireland)

}}

{{Rugbybox

|date = 24 May 2014

|time = 14:45 CEST

|home = Stade Français {{flagicon|FRA}}

|score = 6–20

|away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Wasps

|stadium = Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris

|referee = Nigel Owens (Wales)

}}

Stade Français lost the play-off 35–50 on aggregate, and will play in the Challenge Cup.

{{Further|European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition#2013–14}}

On 14 August 2014, EPCR announced the format for the first Qualifying Competition.{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28897.php |title = High-quality contests herald a new European chapter |access-date=14 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814175018/http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28897.php |archive-date=14 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Given the amount of time until the start of the Challenge Cup, it was announced that this first competition will consist of two ties, played over two legs, with the aggregate winner of each taking a place in either pool. The first legs took place on 20 September, with the return legs taking place on 27 September

{{Rugbybox

|date = 20 September 2014

|time = 16:00 CEST

|home = Rovigo Delta {{flagicon|ITA}}

|score = 22–18

|report =

|away = {{flagicon|GEO}} Tbilisi Caucasians

|stadium = Stadio Mario Battaglini

|attendance =

|referee = Lloyd Lynton (Scotland)

}}

{{Rugbybox

|date = 27 September 2014

|time = 17:00 GET

|home = Tbilisi Caucasians {{flagicon|GEO}}

|score = 21–24

|report =

|away = {{flagicon|ITA}} Rovigo Delta

|stadium = Stadium Avchala

|attendance =

|referee = Matthew Carley (England)

}}

• Rovigo Delta won the play-off 46–39 on aggregate, and qualify for Pool 1.

{{Rugbybox

|date = 20 September 2014

|time = 21:00 EEST

|home = București Wolves {{flagicon|ROM}}

|score = 18–13

|report =

|away = {{flagicon|ITA}} Calvisano

|stadium = Stadium Arcul de Triumf

|attendance =

|referee = Gary Conway (Ireland)

}}

{{Rugbybox

|date = 27 September 2014

|time = 19:30 CEST

|home = Calvisano {{flagicon|ITA}}

|score = 13–10

|report =

|away = {{flagicon|ROM}} București Wolves

|stadium = Peroni Stadium

|attendance =

|referee = Alexandre Ruiz (France)

}}

• București Wolves won the play-off 28–26 on aggregate, and qualify for Pool 3

Below is the list of coaches, captain and stadiums with their method of qualification for each team.

Note: Placing shown in brackets, denotes standing at the end of the regular season for their respective leagues, with their end of season positioning shown through CH for champions, RU for runner-up, SF for losing semi-finalist and QF for losing quarter-finalist.

{{reflist|group=a}}

The 20 competing teams will be seeded and split into four tiers, seeding will be based on performance in their respective domestic leagues. Where promotion and relegation is in effect in a league, the promoted team will be seeded last, or (if multiple teams are promoted) by performance in the lower tier.http://archive.ercrugby.com/news/28791.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813001413/http://archive.ercrugby.com/news/28791.php |date=2014-08-13 }} ERCRugby.com. Accessed 8 June 2014 So, Lyon – who were Pro D2 champions – will be the seventh Top 14 seed while La Rochelle – who qualified through the Pro D2 play-off – will be the eighth seed.

As with the previous European competition, the European Challenge Cup, teams from the same country will be kept apart where possible. However, as 8 teams have qualified from France, 3 pools will contain two French teams – Oyonnax, Lyon and La Rochelle.

For the purposes of creating the tiers, the clubs are ranked based on their finishing positions in the Top 14, Aviva Premiership, Pro12 and PRO D2 Leagues, or on their qualification via a play-off.

Teams will be taken from a league in order of rank and put into a tier. A draw is used allocate two second seeds to Tier 1, the remaining team will go into Tier 2. This allocation then determines which fourth seeded team enters Tier 2, while the others enter Tier 3.

Given the nature of the Qualifying Competition, a competition including developing rugby nations and Italian clubs not competing in the Pro12, Rugby Europe 1 and Rugby Europe 2 are automatically included in Tier 4, despite officially being ranked 1/2 from that competition.

The brackets show each teams seeding and their league (for example, 1 Top 14 indicates the team has been seeded 1st from the Top 14).

{{main|2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup pool stage}}

The draw took place on 10 June 2014, at the Stade de la Maladière in Neuchâtel.[http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/heineken-cup/rugby-s-european-champions-cup-draw-to-place-on-june-10th-1.1815477 Irish Times - Rugby’s European Champions Cup draw to place on June 10th. Accessed 31/5/14]

Teams will play each other twice, both at home and away, in the group stage, that will begin on the weekend of 16/17/18/19 October 2014, and continue through to 22/23/24/25 January 2015, before the pool winners and three best runners-up progress to the quarter-finals.[http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28816.php EPCRugby.com - 2014/15 EPCR Pool Draws] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725014940/http://www.epcrugby.com/eng/news/28816.php |date=2014-07-25 }}

Fixtures were announced on Thursday 14 August 2014 at 2 pm.

Teams are awarded competition points, based on match result. Teams receive 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw, 1 attacking bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and 1 defensive bonus point for losing a match by seven points or fewer.{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychallengecup/rules.php |title=EPCR Competition Rules |access-date=2014-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011084604/http://www.epcrugby.com/europeanrugbychallengecup/rules.php |archive-date=2014-10-11 |url-status=dead }}

In the event of a tie between two or more teams, the following tie-breakers are used, as directed by EPCR:

1. Where teams have played each other
2. The club with the greater number of competition points from only matches involving tied teams.
3. If equal, the club that scored the most tries in those matches.
4. If equal, the club with the best aggregate points difference from those matches.
5. Where teams remain tied and/or have not played each other in the competition (i.e. are from different pools)
6. If equal, the club with the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage.
7. The club that scored the most tries in the pool stage.
8. If equal, the club with the fewest players suspended in the pool stage.
9. If equal, the drawing of lots will determine a club's ranking.

{{2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 1 table}}

{{2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 2 table}}

{{2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 3 table}}

{{2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 4 table}}

{{2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 5 table}}

The eight qualifiers will be seeded according to performance in the pool stage, and compete in the quarter-finals, which will be held on the 3/4/5 April 2015. The four top seeds will host the quarter-finals against the lower seeds, in a 1v8, 2v7, 3v6 and 4v5 format.

The semi-finals, to be contested by the quarter-final winners, will take place on the weekend of 17/18/19 April 2015.

The winners of the semi-finals will contest the final, at The Twickenham Stoop, on the weekend of 1 May 2015.

{{8TeamBracket

| RD1 = Quarter-finals

| RD2 = Semi-finals

| RD3 = Final

| RD1-seed1 = 4

| RD1-team1 = {{flagicon|ENG}} London Irish

| RD1-score1 = 18

| RD1-seed2 = 5

| RD1-team2 = {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

| RD1-score2 = 23

| RD1-seed3 = 3

| RD1-team3 = {{flagicon|WAL}} Newport Gwent Dragons

| RD1-score3 = 25

| RD1-seed4 = 6

| RD1-team4 = {{flagicon|WAL}} Cardiff Blues

| RD1-score4 = 21

| RD1-seed5 = 1

| RD1-team5 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester

| RD1-score5 = 14

| RD1-seed6 = 8

| RD1-team6 = {{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Connacht

| RD1-score6 = 7

| RD1-seed7 = 2

| RD1-team7 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Exeter Chiefs

| RD1-score7 = 48

| RD1-seed8 = 7

| RD1-team8 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Newcastle Falcons

| RD1-score8 = 13

| RD2-seed1 = 4

| RD2-team1 = {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

| RD2-score1 = 45

| RD2-seed2 = 3

| RD2-team2 = {{flagicon|WAL}} Newport Gwent Dragons

| RD2-score2 = 16

| RD2-seed3 = 1

| RD2-team3 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester

| RD2-score3 = 30

| RD2-seed4 = 2

| RD2-team4 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Exeter Chiefs

| RD2-score4 = 19

| RD3-seed1 = 4

| RD3-team1 = {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

| RD3-score1 = 13

| RD3-seed2 = 1

| RD3-team2 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester

| RD3-score2 = 19

}}

{{Rugbybox

|date = 3 April 2015

|time = 19:45

|home = Gloucester {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 14–7

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30593.php |title = REPORT: Gloucester hang on to earn home semi |access-date=4 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929102442/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30593.php |archive-date=29 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}

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

|try1 = Sharples 20' c
Meakes 30' c

|con1 = Laidlaw (2/2) 21', 31'

|pen1 =

|try2 = Penalty try 65' c

|con2 = Carty (1/1) 66'

|stadium = Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester

|attendance = 13,236

|referee = Mathieu Raynal (France)

}}

----

{{Rugbybox

|date = 4 April 2015

|time = 12:45

|home = Newport Gwent Dragons {{flagicon|WAL}}

|score = 25–21

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30601.php |title = REPORT: Dragons win Welsh thriller |access-date=2015-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407050329/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30601.php |archive-date=2015-04-07 |url-status=dead }}

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

|try1 = Amos 35' c
Cudd 45' m
Penalty try 50' c

|con1 = Prydie (2/3) 35', 51'

|pen1 = Prydie (1/3) 8'
D. Jones (1/1) 67'

|try2 = L. Williams 4' c
Anscombe 25' c
Navidi 74' c

|con2 = Anscombe (3/3) 5', 26', 74'

|stadium = Rodney Parade, Newport

|attendance = 8,119

|referee = JP Doyle (England)

}}

----

{{Rugbybox

|date = 4 April 2015

|time = 20:00

|home = Exeter Chiefs {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 48–13

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30615.php |title = REPORT: Chiefs reach first Euro semi |access-date=2015-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407050334/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30615.php |archive-date=2015-04-07 |url-status=dead }}

|away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Newcastle Falcons

|try1 = Ewers 12' c
Penalty try 19' c
Waldrom 41' c
McGuigan 58' c
Hill 69' c
Mumm 71' c

|con1 = Slade (4/4) 13', 20', 41', 58'
Steenson (2/2) 70', 73'

|pen1 = Slade (2/2) 35', 54'

|try2 = Harris 66' c

|con2 = Catterick (1/1) 68'

|pen2 = Catterick (2/2) 33', 39'

|stadium = Sandy Park, Exeter

|attendance = 10,022

|referee = Marius Mitrea (Italy)

}}

----

{{Rugbybox

|date = 5 April 2015

|time = 17:45

|home = London Irish {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 18–23

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30637.php |title = REPORT: Edinburgh hold on to book Dragons date |access-date=5 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407050456/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30637.php |archive-date=2015-04-07 |url-status=dead }}

|away = {{flagicon|SCO}} Edinburgh

|try1 = Gilsenan 40' c
Steele 52' m

|con1 = Geraghty (1/2) 40'

|pen1 = Geraghty (2/4) 32', 45'

|try2 = Nel 10' c
McKenzie 59' c

|con2 = Hidalgo-Clyne (2/2) 11', 61'

|pen2 = Hidalgo-Clyne (3/3) 1', 18', 20'

|stadium = Madejski Stadium, Reading

|attendance = 4,728

|referee = Pascal Gaüzère (France)

}}

{{Rugbybox

|date = 17 April 2015

|time = 19:45

|home = Edinburgh {{flagicon|SCO}}

|score = 45–16

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30742.php |title = REPORT: Edinburgh make Scottish rugby history |access-date=17 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418013614/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30742.php |archive-date=18 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}

|away = {{flagicon|WAL}} Newport Gwent Dragons

|try1 = McInally 14' c
Visser 22' m
B. Toolis 54' c
Hidalgo-Clyne 60' c
Fife 67' c

|con1 = Hidalgo-Clyne (4/5) 16', 56', 61', 69'

|pen1 = Hidalgo-Clyne (4/5) 10', 33', 40+2', 58'

|try2 = Harris 43' c

|con2 = D. Jones (1/1) 44'

|pen2 = D. Jones (3/3) 3', 18', 30'

|stadium = Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

|attendance = 8,231

|referee = JP Doyle (England)

}}

----

{{Rugbybox

|date = 18 April 2015

|time = 19:45

|home = Gloucester {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 30–19

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30763.php |title = REPORT: Gloucester seal final spot |access-date=21 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421220814/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30763.php |archive-date=21 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}

|away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Exeter Chiefs

|try1 = Meakes 30' c
Savage 67' c
May 77' c

|con1 = Laidlaw (3/3) 31', 68', 78'

|pen1 = Laidlaw (2/3) 17', 71'
Hook (1/1) 38'

|drop1 =

|try2 = Taione 75' c

|con2 = Steenson (1/1) 76'

|pen2 = Slade (4/4) 20', 40', 45', 60'

|stadium = Kingsholm Stadium

|attendance = 11,907

|referee = John Lacey (Ireland)

}}

{{Rugbybox

|date = 1 May 2015

|time = 19:45 BST

|home = Edinburgh {{flagicon|SCO}}

|score = 13–19

|report = Report{{Cite web |url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30888.php |title = REPORT: Gloucester hang on to take second title |access-date=1 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925085218/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/30888.php |archive-date=25 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}

|away = {{flagicon|ENG}} Gloucester

|try1 = Ford 65' c

|con1 = Hidalgo-Clyne (1/1) 65'

|pen1 = Hidalgo-Clyne (2/3) 2', 35'

|try2 = Twelvetrees 10' c

|con2 = Laidlaw (1/1) 11'

|pen2 = Laidlaw (4/5) 8', 36', 49', 53'

|stadium = Twickenham Stoop, London

|attendance = 14,316

|referee = Jérôme Garcès (France)

}}

• 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{European Rugby Challenge Cup}}

{{2014–15 European club competitions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:European Rugby Challenge Cup}}

2014-15

Category:2014–15 rugby union tournaments for clubs

Category:2014–15 in European rugby union

Category:2014–15 in English rugby union

Category:2014–15 in French rugby union

Category:2014–15 in Irish rugby union

Category:2014–15 in Italian rugby union

Category:2014–15 in Scottish rugby union

Category:2014–15 in Welsh rugby union

Category:2014–15 in Romanian rugby union