2017–18 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs

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2017–18 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs
EventEuropean Rugby Champions Cup Qualification Play-off
Date19–28 May 2017
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The 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the third play-off for entry into the top level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Format[]

Following a break to ease fixture congestion caused by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the three-team play-off held in 2015–16 was expanded, and a four-team format was announced.[1][2]

The play-off comprised 3 matches, contested by one team from the Premiership, one from the Top 14, and two from the Pro14.[citation needed]

The two Pro12 teams each played one of the Premiership or Top 14 sides in a single-leg semi-final, held at the home ground of the non-Pro12 side. The winners of these matches then contested a play-off final, with the winner of this match competing in the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. The three losing teams all competed in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.[citation needed]

Teams[]

Four teams competed in the play-off, having qualified as either the highest team from each league that did not already qualify for the Champions Cup, or as the winner of the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup.[3]

The following teams had qualified for the play-off:

League Team Coach Stadium
Aviva Premiership Northampton Saints England Jim Mallinder Franklin's Gardens
Guinness Pro12 Cardiff Blues Wales Danny Wilson Cardiff Arms Park
Connacht Samoa Pat Lam Galway Sportsgrounds
Top 14 Stade Français Argentina Gonzalo Quesada Stade Jean-Bouin

Matches[]

A draw was held on 15 March 2017 to determine the two semi-final matches.[2]

Semi-finals[]

19 May 2017
18:00 CEST
Stade Français France 46–21 Wales Cardiff Blues
Try: Nayacalevu 32' c
Melikidze 43' c
51' c
Macalou (2) 60' m, 68' c
71' m
76' m
Con: Steyn (4/6) 33', 44', 52', 69'
Plisson (0/1)
Pen: Steyn (1/1) 10'
 Report Try: Cook (2) 21' c, 63' c
N. Williams 24' c
Con: Anscombe (3/3) 22', 25', 64'
Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris
Attendance: 4,767
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)
FB 15 France Jérémy Sinzelle
RW 14 Fiji Waisea Nayacalevu Substituted off 61'
OC 13 France Jonathan Danty
IC 12 South Africa Meyer Bosman
LW 11 France Sekou Macalou
FH 10 South Africa Morné Steyn
SH 9 France Julien Dupuy Substituted off 63'
N8 8 Italy Sergio Parisse (c)
OF 7 France Substituted off 34'
BF 6 France Antoine Burban
RL 5 France Paul Gabrillagues Substituted off 72'
LL 4 South Africa Willem Alberts Substituted off 66'
TP 3 Australia Paul Alo-Emile Substituted off 25'
HK 2 France Rémi Bonfils Substituted off 67'
LP 1 South Africa Heinke van der Merwe Substituted off 50'
Replacements:
HK 16 France Substituted in 67'
PR 17 France Rabah Slimani Substituted in 50'
PR 18 Georgia (country) Giorgi Melikidze Substituted in 25'
LK 19 France Substituted in 34'
FL 20 France Raphaël Lakafia Substituted in 66'
SH 21 France Substituted in 63'
FH 22 France Jules Plisson Substituted in 61'
FL 23 South Africa Jono Ross Substituted in 72'
Coach:
Argentina Gonzalo Quesada
FB 15 Wales Matthew Morgan
RW 14 Wales Alex Cuthbert
OC 13 Samoa Rey Lee-Lo Substituted off 7'
IC 12 New Zealand Willis Halaholo Substituted off 66'
LW 11 Wales Rhun Williams Substituted off 4'
FH 10 Wales Gareth Anscombe
SH 9 Wales Lloyd Williams
N8 8 New Zealand Nick Williams
OF 7 Wales Ellis Jenkins (c)
BF 6 Wales Josh Navidi
RL 5 Wales Macauley Cook
LL 4 New Zealand Jarrad Hoeata
TP 3 Tonga Taufaʻao Filise Substituted off 61'
HK 2 Wales Matthew Rees Substituted off 61'
LP 1 Wales Rhys Gill Substituted off 57'
Replacements:
HK 16 Wales Kirby Myhill Substituted in 61' Substituted off 72'
PR 17 Wales Corey Domachowski Substituted in 57'
PR 18 Georgia (country) Anton Peikrishvili Substituted in 61'
LK 19 Wales Seb Davies Substituted in 72'
FL 20 Wales Sion Bennett Substituted in 66'
SH 21 Wales Tomos Williams Substituted in 52'
FH 22 Wales Steven Shingler Substituted in 7' Substituted off 52'
CE 23 Wales Garyn Smith Substituted in 4'
Coach:
Wales Danny Wilson
20 May 2017
16:00 BST
Northampton Saints England 21–15 Ireland Connacht
Try: Mallinder 1' c
Groom 56' m
Con: Mallinder (1/2) 2'
Pen: Mallinder (3/3) 15', 23', 70'
 Report Try: Adeolokun 4' c
Heffernan 61' m
Con: Ronaldson (1/2) 4'
Pen: Ronaldson (1/1) 28'
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
FB 15 Samoa Ahsee Tuala Substituted off 78'
RW 14 England Ben Foden
OC 13 Tonga Nafi Tuitavake
IC 12 England Luther Burrell Substituted off 23'
LW 11 Wales George North
FH 10 England Harry Mallinder
SH 9 South Africa Nic Groom Substituted off 67'
N8 8 France Louis Picamoles
OF 7 England Teimana Harrison Substituted off 58'
BF 6 England Jamie Gibson Temporarily suspended from 78' to 80' 78' to 80'
RL 5 England Christian Day Substituted off 64'
LL 4 England Courtney Lawes
TP 3 England Kieran Brookes Substituted off 62'
HK 2 England Dylan Hartley (c) Substituted off 59'
LP 1 England Alex Waller Substituted off 62'
Replacements:
HK 16 England Mike Haywood Substituted in 78'
PR 17 Fiji Campese Ma'afu Substituted in 62'
PR 18 England Gareth Denman Substituted in 62'
LK 19 Fiji Api Ratuniyarawa Substituted in 64'
FL 20 England Tom Wood Substituted in 58'
SH 21 England Lee Dickson Substituted in 67'
FH 22 England Sam Olver
CE 23 Scotland Rory Hutchinson Substituted in 23'
Coach:
England Jim Mallinder
FB 15 Ireland Tiernan O'Halloran
RW 14 Ireland Niyi Adeolokun
OC 13 South Africa Danie Poolman
IC 12 Ireland Craig Ronaldson
LW 11 Ireland Cian Kelleher Substituted off 3'
FH 10 Ireland Jack Carty
SH 9 Ireland Kieran Marmion Substituted off 66'
N8 8 Ireland John Muldoon (c)
OF 7 New Zealand Jake Heenan Substituted off 56'
BF 6 Ireland Seán O'Brien
RL 5 England James Cannon Substituted off 51'
LL 4 Ireland Quinn Roux
TP 3 Ireland Finlay Bealham Substituted off 68'
HK 2 Ireland Dave Heffernan
LP 1 Ireland Denis Buckley
Replacements:
HK 16 Ireland Shane Delahunt
PR 17 Ireland JP Cooney
PR 18 Ireland Conor Carey Substituted in 68'
LK 19 Ireland Ultan Dillane Substituted in 51'
FL 20 Fiji Naulia Dawai Substituted in 56'
SH 21 Ireland Caolin Blade
SH 22 Ireland John Cooney Substituted in 66'
WG 23 Ireland Matt Healy Substituted in 3'
Coach:
Samoa Pat Lam

Play-off final[]

The draw for the semi-finals was also used to decide that the winner of the second semi-final would have home advantage in the play-off final.[2]

26 May 2017
19:45 BST
Northampton Saints England 23–22 France Stade Français
Try: Foden 45' c
Tuala 71' c
Con: Mallinder (2/2) 45', 73'
Pen: Mallinder (3/5) 19', 29', 38'
 Report Try: Nayacalevu 3' c
Sinzelle 22' m
Camara 34' c
Con: Plisson (2/3) 4', 35'
Pen: Plisson (1/1) 10'
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 10,273
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)
FB 15 Samoa Ahsee Tuala Substituted off 75'
RW 14 England Ben Foden
OC 13 Tonga Nafi Tuitavake Substituted off 53'
IC 12 England Luther Burrell
LW 11 Wales George North
FH 10 England Harry Mallinder
SH 9 South Africa Nic Groom Substituted off 66'
N8 8 France Louis Picamoles Substituted off 53'
OF 7 England Tom Wood (c) Red card 63'
BF 6 England Teimana Harrison
RL 5 England Christian Day Substituted off 60'
LL 4 England Courtney Lawes
TP 3 England Kieran Brookes Substituted off 60'
HK 2 England Dylan Hartley Substituted off 66'
LP 1 England Alex Waller Substituted off 66'
Replacements:
HK 16 England Mike Haywood Substituted in 66'
PR 17 Fiji Campese Ma'afu Substituted in 66'
PR 18 England Gareth Denman Substituted in 60'
LK 19 Fiji Api Ratuniyarawa Substituted in 60'
FL 20 England Jamie Gibson Substituted in 53'
SH 21 England Lee Dickson Substituted in 66'
FH 22 England Sam Olver Substituted in 75'
CE 23 Scotland Rory Hutchinson Temporarily suspended from 62' to 72' 62' to 72' Substituted in 53'
Coach:
England Jim Mallinder
FB 15 France Djibril Camara Substituted off 65'
RW 14 Fiji Waisea Nayacalevu
OC 13 France Geoffrey Doumayrou
IC 12 France Jonathan Danty Substituted off 22'
LW 11 France Jérémy Sinzelle
FH 10 France Jules Plisson
SH 9 Australia Will Genia Substituted off 76'
N8 8 South Africa Jono Ross
OF 7 France Raphaël Lakafia
BF 6 France Antoine Burban Substituted off 44'
RL 5 France Paul Gabrillagues (c) Substituted off 60'
LL 4 South Africa Willem Alberts
TP 3 Australia Paul Alo-Emile
HK 2 France Rémi Bonfils Temporarily suspended from 42' to 52' 42' to 52' Substituted off 74'
LP 1 Georgia (country) Zurab Zhvania Substituted off 51'
Replacements:
HK 16 South Africa Craig Burden Substituted in 44' Substituted off 53'
PR 17 France Rabah Slimani Substituted in 51'
PR 18 Georgia (country) Giorgi Melikidze Substituted in 74'
LK 19 France Substituted in 60'
N8 20 Italy Sergio Parisse Substituted in 53'
SH 21 France Substituted in 76'
FH 22 South Africa Morné Steyn Substituted in 65'
CE 23 South Africa Meyer Bosman Substituted in 22'
Coach:
Argentina Gonzalo Quesada

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Revised play-off format agreed for 2015/16 Champions Cup". epcrugby.com.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Champions Cup play-offs". epcrugby.com.
  3. ^ "Champions Cup qualification 2017/18 and play-offs". epcrugby.com.
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