1998–99 Heineken Cup

The 1998–99 Heineken Cup was the fourth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales, and Scotland, were divided into four pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other. Cardiff and Swansea did not compete due to a dispute with their union, the Welsh Rugby Union, whereas teams from England did not compete due to a dispute between European Rugby and the Rugby Football Union. The pool winners and runners-up qualified for the knock-out stages.

1998–99 Heineken Cup
Tournament details
Countries France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date18 September 1998 to 30 January 1999
Tournament statistics
Teams16
Matches played55
Attendance322,340 (5,861 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Simon Mason (Ulster)
(144 points)
Top try scorer(s)Thomas Lombard (Stade Français)
Michel Marfaing (Toulouse)
Émile Ntamack (Toulouse)
(7 tries)
Final
VenueLansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance49,000
ChampionsIreland Ulster (1st title)
Runners-upFrance Colomiers

Teams

France France Wales Wales Scotland Scotland Ireland Ireland Italy Italy
  • Stade Français
  • Bègles-Bordeaux
  • Perpignan
  • Toulouse
  • Colomiers
  • Llanelli
  • Neath
  • Ebbw Vale
  • Pontypridd
  • Edinburgh
  • Glasgow
  • Leinster
  • Munster
  • Ulster
  • Petrarca
  • Treviso

Pool stage

In the pool matches teams received 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat.

Pool 1

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Stade Français 650127101721911710210
Wales Llanelli 63031222−10113180−676
Ireland Leinster 620417125141124174
France Bègles-Bordeaux 62041123−12127179−524

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Perpignan 650135132223810813010
Ireland Munster 641117134144108369
Wales Neath 61141427−13118194−763
Italy Petrarca Padova 6105821−1379169−902

Pool 3

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Ireland Ulster 641123203197168299
France Toulouse 64023111202341031318
Scotland Edinburgh Reivers 621321147179146335
Wales Ebbw Vale 61051141−30114307−1932

Pool 4

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Colomiers 6402221012176121558
Wales Pontypridd 63031316−3160141196
Italy Benetton Treviso 630313130142150−86
Scotland Glasgow Caledonians 62041019−9121187−664

Seeding

Seed Pool winners Pts TF +/−
1 France Perpignan 1035+130
2 France Stade Français 1027+102
3 Ireland Ulster 923+29
4 France Colomiers 822+55
Seed Pool runners-up Pts TF +/−
5 Ireland Munster 917+36
6 France Toulouse 831+131
7 Wales Pontypridd 613+19
8 Wales Llanelli 612−67

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
         
3 Ireland Ulster 15
6 France Toulouse 13
3 Ireland Ulster 33
2 France Stade Français 27
2 France Stade Français 71
7 Wales Pontypridd 14
3 Ireland Ulster 21
4 France Colomiers 6
4 France Colomiers 23
5 Ireland Munster 9
4 France Colomiers 10
1 France Perpignan 6
1 France Perpignan 34
8 Wales Llanelli 17

Quarter-finals

11 December 1998
19:15
Ulster Ireland15–13France Toulouse
Pen: Mason (3)
Drop: Humphreys (2)
Report[1][2]Try: Pelous
Con: Ougier
Pen: Delaigue (2)
Ravenhill
Attendance: 11,500
Referee: B. Campbell

12 December 1998
15:00
Perpignan France34–17Wales Llanelli
Stade Aime Giral
Attendance: 10,000

12 December 1998
15:30
Stade Francais France71–14Wales Pontypridd
Stade Jean-Bouin
Attendance: 5,000

13 December 1998
15:00
Colomiers France23–9Ireland Munster
Stade Selery
Attendance: 8,000

Semi-finals

9 January 1999
13:00
Ulster Ireland33–27France Stade Francais
Try: McKinty, Humphreys
Con: Mason
Pen: Mason (5)
Drop: Mason, Humphreys
Report[3][4]
Highlights
Try: Juillet (2), Lièvremont
Con: Dominguez (3)
Pen: Dominguez (2)
Ravenhill
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: J. Fleming
9 January 1999
14:45
Colomiers France10–6France Perpignan
Stadium Municipal, Toulouse
Attendance: 30,000

Final

30 January 1999
14:45
Ulster Ireland21–6France Colomiers
Pen: Mason (6)
Drop: Humphreys
ReportPen: Labit
Mickael Carre
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 49,000
Referee: Clayton Thomas (Wales)

References

  1. Jim Stokes, "Oh la, la, magical Ulster", Belfast Telegraph, 12 December 1998
  2. "Chance to remember a lost time", Irish Times, 20 October 2000
  3. Brendan Fanning, "Euro dream lives on", Sunday Independent, 10 January 1999
  4. Chris Hewett, "Rugby Union: Ulster revel in magic of Europe", The Independent, 11 January 1999
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