ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EPCR CHALLENGE CUP
So the European Challenge Cup kicks off this weekend, and while it may not have the shine of its larger sister competition, it certainly has all the elements of some fantastic games.
The Challenge Cup will see the best sides from Europe and South Africa, who didn’t qualify for the Champions Cup, take their place in a new format where they will face some tough opposition.
Any competition that has the likes of Stade Francais, Toulon and English clubs Bath and Bristol Bears isn’t one to be scoffed at, and it certainly will bring out the best in some of the United Rugby Championship sides.
Here’s a brief look at who the two South African teams have to face this weekend.
Saturday 10 December
Emirates Lions v Dragons RFC
Kick-off: 12:45
Emirates Airline Park
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (Eng)
Assistant Referee Daniel Jones (Wal), George Selwood (Eng)
TMO Dean Richards (Eng)
This may be familiar territory as these two sides met two weeks ago in the Vodacom URC and both will know each other well. The Dragons stepped in to replace Worcester, who had fallen out and were disbanded due to their financial woes, and they certainly gave the Lions a tough time last time out in Johannesburg. The Dragons have also been in South Africa for three weeks now, so will be familiar with the conditions.
Key statistics
Emirates Lions
• The Emirates Lions have made the fewest kicks which have been retained in the URC (15).
• The Lions have lost the fewest rucks in the URC, only failing to retain possession from one of these breakdowns 24 times so far this season.
• Protecting their possession well, the Lions’ opponents in the URC have cumulatively averaged the fewest turnovers won (41).
Dragons RFC
• Sam Davies fully capitalised on opposition errors last season by making more metres from penalties than any other player (1,074). In play, his boot was also a valuable asset, making a competition-high 2,569 metres with his kicks.
• The Dragons achieved the highest rate of gainline success in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season, powering over the advantage line with 66 per cent of their carries.
Section Paloise v Toyota Cheetahs
Round 1, Pool B
Kick off: 3pm (SA time)
Venue: Stade du Hameau
Referee Sam Grove-White (Sco)
Assistant Referee Hollie Davidson (Sco), Ru Campbell (Sco)
TMO Andrew McMenemy (Sco)
The big question is how the lack of international game time has affected the Toyota Cheetahs, who have been restricted to Currie Cup action and a number of friendlies ahead of the competition. While much of their campaign will be guided by veterans Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar, the Cheetahs will be keen to prove a point since they lost their place in European competition and will want to use the Challenge Cup to stake a more permanent claim for a competition place.
Pau - or Section Paloise - as they are formally known, haven’t had the best start to the season and are 12th in the Top 14, although the log is congested and they are just four points behind fifth-placed Montpellier.
They have a tough squad, including former Cheetahs prop Maks van Dyk, and some well-known faces for South African viewers, including New Zealander Luke Whitelock and Australian Jack Maddocks. They will be tough opposition for the Bloemfontein side.
Key Statistics
Section Paloise
• Section Paloise No 8 Jordan Joseph made more turnovers in a single EPCR Challenge Cup match last season than any other player – five against London Irish in Round 1.
• Section Paloise averaged more metres in contact (51.25) than any other team in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season.
• Section Paloise have won their last two Top 14 fixtures at home. However, they have won just one-third of their matches so far this season.
Toyota Cheetahs
• The Toyota Cheetahs last played Northern Hemisphere opposition in February 2020 when they lost 13-10 to Dragons RFC at Rodney Parade.
• The Bloemfontein-based side have won three of their last four matches.
How the competition works:
Four match points for a win, two match points for a draw during the pool stage.
A bonus point will be awarded to a club scoring four or more tries and to a club losing by seven points or fewer.
If two or more clubs are equal on match points, their ranking will be determined as follows: (i) the best aggregate points difference from the pool stage; or (ii) if equal, the number of tries scored in the pool stage; or (iii) if equal, the club with the fewest number of players suspended for disciplinary incidents in the pool stage; or (iv) if equal, by drawing lots.
Knockout Stage – Round of 16
The six highest-ranked clubs in pool A, the six highest-ranked clubs in pool B, and the 9th and 10th-ranked clubs from each of the Heineken Cup pools will qualify for the round of 16. In other words, the bottom two teams from each Champions Cup round move down into the knockout rounds for the Challenge Cup.
The four highest-ranked EPCR Challenge Cup qualifiers from each pool will have home advantage as follows: R16 1: number 1-ranked club in ECC Pool A v number 6-ranked club in ECC Pool B R16
2: number 2-ranked club in ECC Pool A v number 5-ranked club in ECC Pool B R16
3: number 3-ranked club in ECC Pool A v number 10-ranked club in HCC Pool B R16
4: number 4-ranked club in ECC Pool A v number 9-ranked club in HCC Pool B R16
5: number 1-ranked club in ECC Pool B v number 6-ranked club in ECC Pool A 14 R16
6: number 2-ranked club in ECC Pool B v number 5-ranked club in ECC Pool A R16
7: number 3-ranked club in ECC Pool B v number 10-ranked club in HCC Pool A R16
8: number 4-ranked club in ECC Pool B v number 9-ranked club in HCC Pool A
Quarter-finals
Clubs with the higher rankings from the pool stage will have home venue advantage in the quarter-final matches as follows: QF 1: winner R16 1 v winner R16 8 QF 2: winner R16 3 v winner R16 6 QF 3: winner R16 2 v winner R16 7 QF 4: winner R16 4 v winner R16 5
Semifinals 2.7 Clubs with the higher rankings from the pool stage will have home venue advantage in the semi-final matches as follows: SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 2 SF 2: winner QF 3 v winner QF 4 Final 2.8
The 2023 EPCR Challenge Cup final will be played at Aviva Stadium, Dublin on Friday, 19 May.