2008–09 Heineken Cup
2008–09 Heineken Cup | |
---|---|
Tournament details | |
Countries | England France Ireland Italy Scotland Wales |
Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and Knockout |
Date | 10 October 2008 – 23 May 2009 |
Tournament statistics | |
Teams | 24 |
Matches played | 79 |
Attendance | 1,177,064 (14,900 per match) |
Top point scorer(s) | Ben Blair (Cardiff) (99 points) |
Top try scorer(s) | Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster) (5 tries) |
Final | |
Venue | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh |
Attendance | 66,523 |
Champions | Ireland Leinster (1st title) |
Runners-up | England Leicester Tigers |
The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. Irish side Leinster became the champions, defeating Leicester Tigers 19–16 in the final.[1]
Teams
[edit ]Seven French teams competed, as a French team, Toulouse, progressed further in the previous year's tournament than any English or Italian team.
Four Welsh teams competed, as Italy forfeited its place in the Italo-Celtic playoff [2] and a Welsh team were the highest-placed team in the previous year's Celtic league not to qualify otherwise.[3] Other nations had their usual number of participants: England six, Ireland three, Italy two and Scotland two.[4]
England | France | Wales | Ireland | Scotland | Italy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seeding
[edit ]The seeding system for participating teams changed from previous editions of the Heineken Cup. Previously, each participating nation would seed one of their teams and these six teams would be drawn in different groups at the group stage.[5] Starting with the 2008–09 edition, the 24 competing teams were ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each group receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier.[6] The requirement to have only one team per country in each group however, still applied (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team).[7]
The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking before the start of the 2008–09 season.
Tier 1 | Ireland Munster (1) | France Toulouse (2) | France Biarritz (3) | England Leicester Tigers (4) | France Stade Français (5) | England London Wasps (6) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tier 2 | Ireland Leinster (7) | England Bath (8) | England Gloucester (9) | France Perpignan (10) | England Sale Sharks (12) | Wales Scarlets (13) |
Tier 3 | Wales Ospreys (15) | Wales Cardiff Blues (17) | France Clermont (18) | Wales Newport Gwent Dragons (20) | Ireland Ulster (21) | France Castres (22) |
Tier 4 | Scotland Glasgow Warriors (24) | Italy Benetton Treviso (25) | Scotland Edinburgh (28) | Italy Calvisano (32) | England Harlequins (35) | France Montauban |
Pool stage
[edit ]The draw for the pool stages took place on 17 June 2008 in Dublin.
-
Key to colours
Winner of each pool, and two best runners-up,
advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
Pool 1
[edit ]Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland Munster (2) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 161 | 98 | 63 | 2 | 1 | 23 |
England Sale | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 136 | 115 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
France Clermont | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 137 | 129 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
France Montauban | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 21 | −16 | 81 | 173 | −92 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
Pool 2
[edit ]Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland Leinster (6) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 140 | 70 | 70 | 2 | 2 | 20 |
England Wasps | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 114 | 112 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
Scotland Edinburgh | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 91 | 103 | −12 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
France Castres | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 73 | 133 | −60 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
Pool 3
[edit ]Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England Leicester Tigers (4) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 6 | 17 | 191 | 90 | 101 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
Wales Ospreys (7) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 155 | 71 | 84 | 2 | 2 | 20 |
France Perpignan | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 154 | 120 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
Italy Benetton Treviso | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 43 | −38 | 72 | 291 | −219 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool 4
[edit ]Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England Harlequins (3) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 144 | 115 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
France Stade Français | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 131 | 109 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
Ireland Ulster | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 113 | 134 | −21 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
Wales Scarlets | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 124 | 154 | −30 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
Pool 5
[edit ]Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England Bath (5) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 107 | 92 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 21 |
France Toulouse (8) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 121 | 88 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
Scotland Glasgow | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 17 | −3 | 134 | 150 | −16 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
Wales Newport Gwent Dragons | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 83 | 115 | −32 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
Pool 6
[edit ]Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wales Cardiff Blues (1) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 202 | 99 | 103 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
France Biarritz | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 121 | 88 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
England Gloucester | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 156 | 109 | 47 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
Italy Calvisano | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 37 | −29 | 87 | 270 | −183 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Seeding and runners-up
[edit ]Seed | Pool Winners | Pts | TF | +/− |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Wales Cardiff Blues | 27 | 23 | +103 |
2 | Ireland Munster | 23 | 18 | +63 |
3 | England Harlequins | 22 | 16 | +29 |
4 | England Leicester Tigers | 21 | 23 | +101 |
5 | England Bath | 21 | 13 | +15 |
6 | Ireland Leinster | 20 | 15 | +70 |
Seed | Pool Runners-up | Pts | TF | +/− |
7 | Wales Ospreys | 20 | 17 | +84 |
8 | France Toulouse | 20 | 12 | +33 |
– | England Sale | 19 | 14 | +21 |
– | England Wasps | 17 | 7 | +8 |
– | France Biarritz | 15 | 14 | +33 |
– | France Stade Français | 15 | 13 | +22 |
Knockout stage
[edit ]The draw for the quarter-finals took place on 27 January at Murrayfield Stadium.[8]
Quarter-finals
[edit ]15:30
18:00
13:00
15:30
- This match became notorious for the "Bloodgate" scandal. Quins coach Dean Richards was banned from rugby for three years for his role in faking an injury to wing Tom Williams so that Quins could send in a blood replacement. Williams himself was initially banned for a year, but after he revealed the full extent of the scheme, the ban was reduced to four months.[9]
Semi-finals
[edit ]17:30
Report Try: D'Arcy 30' m
Fitzgerald 42' c
B. O'Driscoll 61' c
Con: Sexton (2/3)
Pen: Sexton (1/1) 26'
Drop: Contepomi (1/1) 15'
15:00
Cardiff Blues Wales | 26–26 (a.e.t.) | England Leicester Tigers |
Try: Roberts 73' c James 74' c Con: Blair (2/2) Pen: Blair (2/2) 14', 33' Halfpenny 27', 35' | Report | Try: Hamilton 21' c G. Murphy 45' c Con: Dupuy (2/2) Pen: Dupuy (4/7) 24', 38', 54', 56' |
Penalties | ||
---|---|---|
Blair checkY N. Robinson checkY Halfpenny checkY Sweeney checkY James ☒N Shanklin checkY Rees checkY M. Williams ☒N | 6–7 | checkY Dupuy checkY Vesty checkY G. Murphy ☒N J. Murphy checkY Hamilton checkY Mauger checkY Newby checkY Crane |
Final
[edit ]17:00
Notes and references
[edit ]- ^ Thornley, Gerry. "Leinster soar highest in bluest of blue days". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- ^ "Fourth team for Ireland or Wales in 2008/2009". European Rugby Cup. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
- ^ "Newport Gwent Dragons Secure 4th Heineken Cup Spot for Wales". European Rugby Cup. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
- ^ "Heineken Cup – Key Tournament Rules". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
- ^ "Heineken Cup Pool Draw Confirmed". European Rugby Cup. 11 June 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
- ^ "ERC European Rankings (May 2008)". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
- ^ "ERC Draw Regulations (June 2008)". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ "Heineken Cup semi-final draw completed". European Rugby Cup. 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
- ^ Benammar, Emily (2009年08月18日). "Dean Richards ban: how 'Bloodgate' saga unfolded". The Daily Telegraph . London. Retrieved 2009年08月18日.