2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The 2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the 13th season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began on 9 October 2008 when RC Toulon hosted Northampton Saints and ended with two games on 25 January 2009.

2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage
Season2008–09 European Challenge Cup
Date9 October 2008 – 25 January 2009
Qualifiers
Seed 1 London Irish
Seed 2 Northampton Saints
Seed 3 Saracens
Seed 4 Worcester Warriors
Seed 5 Brive
Seed 6 Newcastle Falcons
Seed 7 Connacht
Seed 8 Bourgoin
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Main article: 2008–09 European Challenge Cup

Twenty teams participated in this phase of the competition; they were divided into five pools of four teams each, with each team playing the others home and away. Competition points were earned using the standard bonus point system. The five pool winners and the best three runners-up advanced to the knockout stage. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final at the Twickenham Stoop in London on 22 May 2009.

Results

The draw for the pool stages took place on 23 June 2008. The draw was conducted using the ERC European Ranking system which was based on the qualified teams' performances and participation in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup over the past four seasons.

All times are local to the game location.

Key to colours
     Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
     Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance 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
London Irish (1) 6600443+4130034+2665029
Connacht (7) 64022019+1159140+193019
Rovigo 6105725−1879199–120015
Dax 6105529−2455220–165004
10 October 2008
19:00
Dax 12–30 Connacht
11 October 2008
15:00
London Irish 78–3 Rovigo
17 October 2008
19:00
Connacht 10–27 London Irish
18 October 2008
15:00
Rovigo 24–11 Dax
5 December 2008
19:00
Dax 0–38 London Irish
6 December 2008
15:00
Rovigo 20–35 Connacht
11 December 2008
19:45
London Irish 59–7 Dax
12 December 2008
18:30
Connacht 30–3 Rovigo
16 January 2009
19:00
Dax 22–20 Rovigo
17 January 2009
15:00
London Irish 75–5 Connacht
23 January 2009
18:30
Connacht 49–3 Dax
24 January 2009
15:00
Rovigo 9–23 London Irish

Pool 2
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Northampton Saints (2) 6600377+3027869+2095029
Bristol 63031421−7140168−281114
Montpellier 62041018−8101159−58019
RC Toulon 6105722−1584207−123015
9 October 2008
20:45
Toulon 3–56 Northampton Saints
10 October 2008
19:00
Montpellier 33–15 Bristol
17 October 2008
19:45
Bristol 39–11 Toulon
18 October 2008
19:45
Northampton Saints 51–7 Montpellier
4 December 2008
20:45
Montpellier 14–10 Toulon
6 December 2008
15:00
Northampton Saints 66–3 Bristol
13 December 2008
20:45
Toulon 30–9 Montpellier
14 December 2008
15:00
Bristol 21–25 Northampton Saints
15 January 2009
20:45
Montpellier 24–28 Northampton Saints
16 January 2009
18:30
Toulon 19–37 Bristol
24 January 2009
15:00
Northampton Saints 52–11 Toulon
25 January 2009
15:00
Bristol 25–14 Montpellier

Pool 3
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Worcester Warriors (4) 6501368+2825594+1614024
Bourgoin (8) 63031811+7158115+431215
Petrarca Padova 63031128−17112206−940113
București Oaks 6105826−1887197−110015
11 October 2008
15:00
Petrarca Padova 6–55 Worcester Warriors
12 October 2008
16:30
București Oaks 10–21 Bourgoin
17 October 2008
20:30
Bourgoin 28–29 Petrarca Padova
19 October 2008
16:30
București Oaks 17–53 Worcester Warriors
5 December 2008
20:30
Bourgoin 29–14 Worcester Warriors
7 December 2008
13:00
București Oaks 14–20 Petrarca Padova
13 December 2008
13:00
Petrarca Padova 15–17 București Oaks
13 December 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors 27–6 Bourgoin
17 January 2009
15:00
Petrarca Padova 25–24 Bourgoin
17 January 2009
15:00
Worcester Warriors 38–19 București Oaks
23 January 2009
20:30
Bourgoin 50–10 București Oaks
24 January 2009
15:00
Worcester Warriors 68–17 Petrarca Padova

Pool 4
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Brive (5) 6501338+2524389+1543124
Newcastle Falcons (6) 6402248+1617890+882119
Overmach Parma 63031913+6165120+452216
El Salvador 6006552−4746333−287000
11 October 2008
18:30
Newcastle Falcons 63–0 El Salvador
12 October 2008
14:30
Overmach Parma 34–29 Brive
16 October 2008
20:45
Brive 36–22 Newcastle Falcons
19 October 2008
12:30
El Salvador 21–59 Overmach Parma
5 December 2008
19:30
Brive 84–6 El Salvador
6 December 2008
14:30
Overmach Parma 14–20 Newcastle Falcons
14 December 2008
12:30
El Salvador 5–55 Brive
14 December 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 21–16 Overmach Parma
17 January 2009
14:30
Overmach Parma 29–0 El Salvador
17 January 2009
19:40
Newcastle Falcons 9–10 Brive
22 January 2009
20:45
Brive 29–13 Overmach Parma
25 January 2009
12:00
El Salvador 14–43 Newcastle Falcons

Pool 5
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Saracens (3) 6600201+1920043+1572026
Viadana 6303811−3120126−60113
Bayonne 6303911−299122−230012
Mont-de-Marsan 6000418−1454182−128011
10 October 2008
19:30
Bayonne 10–21 Viadana
12 October 2008
15:00
Saracens 53–3 Mont-de-Marsan
17 October 2008
19:00
Mont-de-Marsan 8–26 Bayonne
18 October 2008
19:00
Viadana 12–35 Saracens
6 December 2008
15:30
Mont-de-Marsan 15–21 Viadana
6 December 2008
20:45
Bayonne 6–16 Saracens
13 December 2008
19:00
Viadana 25–6 Mont-de-Marsan
14 December 2008
15:00
Saracens 36–0 Bayonne
16 January 2009
Bayonne 33–19 Mont-de-Marsan
19:30
18 January 2009
15:00
Saracens 36–19 Viadana
23 January 2009
19:00
Mont-de-Marsan 3–24 Saracens
24 January 2009
19:00
Viadana 22–24 Bayonne

Seeding and runners-up
Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/-
1 London Irish 2944+266
2 Northampton Saints 2937+209
3 Saracens 2620+157
4 Worcester Warriors 2436+161
5 Brive 2433+154
Seed Pool Runners-up Pts TF +/-
6 Newcastle Falcons 1924+88
7 Connacht 1920+19
8 Bourgoin 1518+43
– Bristol 1414−28
– Viadana 138−6

See also

References
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