2020–21 European Rugby Challenge Cup preliminary stage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2020–21 European Rugby Challenge Cup preliminary stage is the first stage of the competition in what is the seventh season of the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The competition involves fourteen teams competing competing in a single league – with teams playing three opponents from another domestic competition home and away. The preliminary stage began on 11 December 2020 and was due to be completed on 23 January 2021.

The top eight ranked teams in the league will advance to the last 16 with the teams ranked fifth to eight in both pools of the Champions Cup.

Teams are awarded group points based on match performances. Four points are awarded for a win, two points for a draw, one attacking bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match and one defensive bonus point for losing a match by seven points or fewer.[1]

The preliminary stage was suspended after two rounds on 11 January 2021.[2]

Tiebreakers[]

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

Table[]

Key to colours
     Top 8, advance to round of 16
     Eliminated from tournament
Team
 P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
England London Irish 2 2 0 0 60 25 +35 9 3 2 0 10
Wales Ospreys 2 2 0 0 77 44 +33 9 6 2 0 10
Wales Cardiff Blues 2 2 0 0 61 20 +41 7 2 1 0 9
England Leicester Tigers 2 2 0 0 67 37 +30 7 3 1 0 9
Italy Zebre 2 1 1 0 43 41 +2 5 4 0 0 6
France Agen 2 1 0 1 36 34 +2 5 5 1 0 5
Italy Benetton 2 1 0 1 44 48 -4 7 7 1 0 5
England Newcastle Falcons 2 1 0 1 46 50 -4 5 6 0 0 4
France Pau 2 1 0 1 41 46 -5 5 6 0 0 4
France Bayonne 2 0 1 1 45 53 -8 5 6 0 0 2
England Worcester Warriors 2 0 0 2 49 62 -13 6 7 1 1 2
France Brive 2 0 0 2 33 57 -24 2 6 0 1 1
France Castres 2 0 0 2 32 65 -33 5 8 0 0 0
France Stade Français 2 0 0 2 20 72 -52 3 11 0 0 0

Matches[]

Round 1[]

11 December 2020
18:30
Stade Français France 20–44 Italy Benetton (1 BP)
Try: 12' m
68' c
75' m
Con: Hall (1/2) 69'
Pen: Coville (1/1) 7'
 Report Try: Halafihi 9' m
Duvenage 14' m
Sarto 21' c
Hayward 24' m
Allan 54' c
Ruzza 72' m
Sgarbi 80'+3 c
Con: Allan (3/7) 22', 55', 80'+4
Pen: Allan (1/1) 19'
Stade Jean-Bouin
Referee: Ben Blain (Scotland)
11 December 2020
19:45
(1 BP) Leicester Tigers England 39–17 France Brive
Try: T. Youngs 33' m
B. Youngs 65' m
Brink 78' c
Nadolo 79' c
Con: Ford (2/3) 78', 80'+1
Pen: Díaz Bonilla (3/3) 3', 24', 38'
 Report Try: Douglas 70' m
Pen: (3/3) 9', 18', 54'
Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Attendance: 0[a]
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
11 December 2020
20:00
Newcastle Falcons England 20–33 Wales Cardiff Blues
Try: Wacokecoke 18' c
36' c
Con: Hodgson (2/2) 21', 37'
Pen: Hodgson (2/2) 13', 75'
 Report Try: Amos 17' c
To. Williams 49' c
Penalty try 77'
Con: Evans (2/2) 18', 50'
Pen: Evans (4/4) 10', 21', 45', 57'
Kingston Park
Attendance: 0[a]
Referee: Ludovic Cayre (France)
12 December 2020
14:00
Zebre Italy 25–25 France Bayonne
Try: 1' m
Rizzi 31' c
Nocera 67' c
Con: Rizzi (2/3) 32', 68'
Pen: Rizzi (2/3) 27', 40'+2
 Report Try: Ruru 16' c
44' m
62' c
Con: Ordas (2/3) 17', 63'
Pen: Ordas (2/2) 9', 20'
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi
Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)
12 December 2020
15:00
Agen France 8–34 England London Irish (1 BP)
Try: 50' m
Pen: Reid (1/1) 16'
 Report Try: Tuisue (2) 11' m, 28' c
Mafi 35' c
Hassell-Collins 44' m
80' c
Con: Brophy-Clews (2/3) 29', 36'
(1/1) 80'+1
Pen: (1/1) 58'
Stade Armandie
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
12 December 2020
21:00
Pau France 24–20 England Worcester Warriors (1 BP)
Try: 17' c
40'+3 c
79' c
Con: Marques (2/2) 17', 40'+3
Le Bail (1/1) 80'+1
Pen: Marques (1/1) 52'
 Report Try: Simpson 22' c
Penalty try 12'
Con: Shillcock (1/1) 23'
Pen: Shillcock (2/3) 56', 62'
Stade du Hameau
Referee: Andrea Piardi (ITA)
12 December 2020
20:00
(1 BP) Ospreys Wales 39–15 France Castres
Try: Venter 22' m
Parry (2) 29' c, 39' c
D. Evans 67' c
Morgan 80'+1 c
Con: Myler (4/5) 30', 40'+1, 68', 80'+2
Pen: Myler (2/2) 6', 14'
 Report Try: 54' c
71' m
Con: (1/1) 56'
Pen: (1/1) 17'
Liberty Stadium
Referee: Tom Foley (England)

Round 2[]

18 December 2020
18:30
Castres France 17–26 England Newcastle Falcons
Try: (2) 26' m, 29' m
Botitu 78' c
Con: (1/1) 79'
 Report Try: 56' m
Arscott 67' m
Basham 76' c
Con: Connon (1/3) 77'
Pen: Connon (3/4) 16', 39', 40'+2
Stade Pierre-Fabre
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales)
18 December 2020
21:00
(1 BP) Brive France 16–18 Italy Zebre
Try: 5' c
Con: Abzhandadze (1/1) 6'
Pen: Abzhandadze (3/3) 17', 52', 66'
 Report Try: Violi 14' c
Bruno 33' m
Con: Canna (1/2) 14'
Pen: Canna (2/3) 69', 80'
Stade Amédée-Domenech
Referee: Adam Leal (England)
19 December 2020
14:00
Benetton Italy Cancelled[b]
0–28 		France Agen (1 BP)
Stadio Comunale di Monigo
Referee: Sam Groves-White (Scotland)
19 December 2020
20:00
(1 BP) Worcester Warriors England 29–39 Wales Ospreys (1 BP)
Try: Lawrence 17' c
Nanai 28' m
Searle 52' c
Hill 57' c
Con: Shillcock (3/4) 18', 53', 58'
Pen: Shillcock (1/2) 49'
 Report Try: Penalty try 34'
Parry 39' m
Morris 68' c
North 74' c
Con: Myler (2/3) 68', 75'
Pen: Myler (4/4) 4', 13', 78', 80'
Sixways
Attendance: 2,000[c]
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
19 December 2020
21:00
Bayonne France 20–28 England Leicester Tigers
Try: 40'+2 c
Gorcioaia 69' c
Con: Germain (2/2) 40'+3, 69'
Pen: Germain (2/2) 8', 10'
 Report Try: Reffell 10' c
Kelly 28' c
Murimurivalu 60' m
Con: Henry (2/3) 11', 30'
Pen: Henry (3/3) 24', 43', 45'
Stade Jean Dauger
Referee: Chris Busby (Ireland)
20 December 2020
15:00
(1 BP) London Irish England 26–17 France Pau
Try: (2) 11' c, 36' c
40' c
Parton 50' m
Con: Jackson (3/4) 12', 37', 40'+1
 Report Try: Septar 21' c
80' c
Con: Le Bail (1/1) 22'
Marques (1/1) 80'
Pen: Le Bail (1/2) 42'
Brentford Community Stadium
Attendance: 0[a]
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
20 December 2020
17:30
(1 BP) Cardiff Blues Wales Cancelled
28–0 		France Stade Français
Rodney Parade
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)

Following round 2 the competition was temporarily suspended.[2] It was later confirmed that the postponed matches would not take place.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "Champions Cup Rules". epcrugby.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
  2. ^ a b "EPCR tournaments temporarily suspended". European Professional Club Rugby. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  3. ^ "Postponed matches will not be rearranged". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-01-16.

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b c Match played behind closed doors due to local restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. ^ Cancelled due to positive COVID-19 test on the Benetton team.
  3. ^ Spectators numbers limited to 2,000 due to local restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Retrieved from ""