2011–12 European Challenge Cup

The 2011–12 Amlin Challenge Cup was the 16th season of the European Challenge Cup, Europe's second-tier club rugby union competition. The tournament began with two matches on 10 November 2011 and ended with the final on 18 May 2012 at the Twickenham Stoop in London. A total of 23 teams from six countries participated—20 in the pool stage, plus three teams parachuting into the knockout stages from the Heineken Cup. In an all-French final, Biarritz claimed their first Challenge Cup, defeating Toulon 21–18. The Basque club claimed a place in the 2012–13 Heineken Cup, which will be their 13th consecutive appearance in Europe's top club competition.[1]

2011–12 Amlin Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Italy
 Romania
 Spain
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
Date10 November 2011 to 18 May 2012
Tournament statistics
Teams23
Matches played67
Attendance344,547 (5,142 per match)
Tries scored365 (5.45 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon)
(96 points)
Top try scorer(s)Morgan Turinui (Stade Français)
(6 tries)
Final
VenueTwickenham Stoop, London
Attendance9,376
ChampionsFrance Biarritz (1st title)
Runners-upFrance Toulon

The defending Challenge Cup champions, England's Harlequins, did not initially have a chance to defend their crown because they had earned an automatic berth in the Heineken Cup. However, Quins parachuted into the knockout stage of this season's Challenge Cup, losing to Toulon in the quarter-finals. All four semi-finalists were from France, equalling the achievement of 1996–97 and 1998–99.

Teams

Teams that parachuted in from the Heineken Cup are in italics.

England France Italy Romania Spain Wales

Seeding

Teams that did not qualify for the 2011–12 Heineken Cup were ordered into four tiers according to the European Rugby Club Ranking. Five pools of four teams were drawn comprising one team from each tier.

The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking at the end of the 2010–11 season.[2]

Tier 1 France Stade Français (8) France Perpignan (9) England London Wasps (14) France Toulon (19) England Sale Sharks (22)
Tier 2 Wales Newport Gwent Dragons (26) France Brive (27) England Newcastle Falcons (28) England Worcester Warriors (29) France Bayonne
Tier 3 Italy Petrarca Padova Italy Crociati Parma Italy Rugby Rovigo France Agen England Exeter Chiefs
Tier 4 Italy Cavalieri Prato France Lyon France Bordeaux-Bègles Romania Bucharest Wolves Spain Club Rugby La Vila Comunidad Valencia

Pool stage
Main article: 2011–12 European Challenge Cup pool stage
Key to colours
     Winner of each pool advances to quarterfinals.
Seed # in parentheses.

Pool 1
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
France Stade Français (1) 6600335+2824143+1985029
England Worcester Warriors 6402309+2119495+994020
Romania București Wolves 62041227−15102184−822010
Italy Crociati Parma 6006438−3436251−215000

Pool 2
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
France Toulon (3) 6501265+1419773+1243125
England Newcastle Falcons 6402189+913382+512018
France Lyon 63031611+5143114+291114
Italy Petrarca Padova 6006338−2850254−204000

Pool 3
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
England London Wasps (4) 6501217+1418975+1144024
France Bayonne 6501103+719761+1362022
France Bordeaux Bègles 6204914−582132−501110
Italy Rovigo 6006521−1651251−200011

Pool 4
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
England Exeter Chiefs (8) 6501224+1820264+1212123
France Perpignan 6402179+8153112+412018
Wales Newport Gwent Dragons 6303167+9139100+102115
Italy Cavalieri Prato 6006641−3562280−218000

Pool 5
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
France Brive (2) 6600267+1920979+1303028
England Sale Sharks 6402318+2322596+1294020
France Agen 62042421+3168166+22010
Spain La Vila 6006651−4564325−261000

[3]

Knockout stage

Seeding

Following the end of the pool stage, the 5 pool winners were seeded alongside the top 3 2011–12 Heineken Cup pool runners-up who failed to qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

(HC) Means a team has entered the competition from the Heineken Cup

Seed Team
1 France Stade Français
2 France Brive
3 France Toulon
4 England London Wasps
5 (HC) France Biarritz
6 (HC) England Harlequins
7 (HC) Wales Scarlets
8 England Exeter Chiefs

Quarter-finals

To be played on the weekend of 5–8 April 2012.[4]

5 April 2012
20:45 CEST
Stade Français France22–17England Exeter Chiefs
Try: Camara 43' m
Williams 79' m
Pen: Dupuy (4/4) 29', 40', 47', 55'		Report[5]Try: Naqelevuki 68' m
Pen: Mieres (4/5) 21', 27', 36', 49'
Stade Charléty, Paris
Attendance: 4,693
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
6 April 2012
20:45 CEST
Toulon France37–8England Harlequins
Try: Tillous-Borde 34' c
Lapeyre 60' c
Armitage 73' m
Con: Wilkinson (1/1)
Giteau (1/2)
Pen: Wilkinson (5/5) 5', 8', 14', 18' 30'
Giteau (1/1) 52'		Report[6]Try: Care 70' m
Pen: Clegg (1/1) 11'
Stade Mayol, Toulon
Attendance: 12,762
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
7 April 2012
12:30 BST
London Wasps England23–26France Biarritz
Try: Wade 63' c
Davis 66' c
Con: Robinson (2/2)
Pen: Robinson (3/3) 12', 21', 39'		Report[7]Try: Balshaw 22' c
van Staden 40' c
Con: Yachvili (2/2)
Pen: Yachvili (4/4) 28', 54', 61', 75'
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 4,308
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
8 April 2012
20:45 CEST
Brive France15–11Wales Scarlets
Pen: Swanepoel (5/8) 15', 36', 46', 50', 79'Report[8]Try: Li. Williams 58' m
Pen: S. Jones (2/4) 30', 39'
Stade Amédée-Domenech, Brive-la-Gaillarde
Attendance: 7,850
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Semi-finals

This is the fifth time that one country has supplied all four semi-finalists: they were all French in 1996–97 and 1998–99, and all English in the 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons.

27 April 2012
20:55 CEST
Toulon France32–29France Stade Français
Try: Armitage 2' m
Pen: Wilkinson (7/11) 31', 40', 42', 50', 55', 63', 67'
Drop: Wilkinson (2/3) 46', 79'		Report[9]Try: Bonneval 12' c
Turinui 60' c
Con: Plisson (2/2)
Pen: Plisson (3/5) 15', 26', 37'
Drop: Plisson (2/2) 21', 68'
Stade Mayol, Toulon
Attendance: 12,404
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
28 April 2012
16:00 CEST
Biarritz France19–0France Brive
Try: Traille 29' c
Con: Yachvili (1/1)
Pen: Yachvili (4/5) 17', 23', 67', 71'		Report[10]
Parc des Sports Aguiléra, Biarritz
Attendance: 8,927
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)

Final
18 May 2012
20:00 BST
Biarritz France21–18France Toulon
Pen: Yachvili (7/7) 4', 17', 24', 35', 46', 53', 73'Report[11]Pen: Wilkinson (5/7) 11', 22', 31', 44', 59'
Drop: Wilkinson (1/1) 65'
Twickenham Stoop, London
Attendance: 9,376
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

References
  1. Jenkins, Graham (18 May 2012). "Biarritz edge Toulon for euro glory". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  2. "Gwlad! Rugby Online Chat". Forum.gwladrugby.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  3. "ERC : Amlin Challenge Cup : Pools : Pool Tables". Ercrugby.com. 2012-01-19. Archived from the original on 2008-05-06. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  4. "Amlin Challenge Cup Fixtures: Knock-out Stages". European Rugby Cup. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  5. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  6. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  7. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  9. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  11. "Home". www.ercrugby.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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