2008–09 EDF Energy Cup

The 2008–09 Anglo-Welsh Cup, known as the EDF Energy Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 38th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the fourth to follow the recently adopted Anglo-Welsh format.

2008–09 EDF Energy Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
DateOctober 2008 - April 2009
Tournament statistics
Teams16
Final
VenueTwickenham
Attendance54,899
ChampionsWales Cardiff Blues (1st title)
Runners-upEngland Gloucester
← 2007–08 (Previous)
(Next) 2009–10 →
Gloucester and the Cardiff Blues in the final of the 2008-09 EDF Energy Cup

As in the previous two years, the competition is contested between the twelve teams of the Guinness Premiership and the four Welsh regions from the Celtic League. The sixteen teams are arranged into four pools, with one Welsh and three English teams in each. Teams are randomly drawn into groups, as opposed to previous years when English sides were grouped according to proximity to one another. Each team plays the other team from their group only once, meaning that two teams in each group face two away games, whereas the other two teams have two home games.

Group stage

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In the pool matches, teams receive:

  • Four points for a win
  • Two points for a draw
  • A bonus point for scoring four or more tries, regardless of the match result
  • A bonus point for losing by seven or fewer points

The winner of each pool advances to the semi-finals, at which stage a draw takes place to determine the teams that will play each other. The winners of the semi-final advance to the final to determine the competition winner; no "third place final" is played.

Group A

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
  Gloucester 3 3 0 0 60 49 +11 1 13
  London Wasps 3 2 0 1 66 47 +19 2 10
  Newport Gwent Dragons 3 1 0 2 55 60 −5 1 5
  Newcastle Falcons 3 0 0 3 37 62 −25 1 1
Source: [citation needed]
3 October 2008
19:05
Newport Gwent Dragons  25–14  Newcastle Falcons
Tries: Stcherbina 20' c
Isaacs 60' c
Tovey 69' m
Con: Tovey (2)
Pen: Tovey (2) 6', 40'
ReportTries: Penalty try 36' c
Phillips 44' c
Con: Clegg (2)
Rodney Parade, Newport
Attendance: 4,683
Referee: Rob Debney

4 October 2008
14:30
Gloucester  24–19  London Wasps
Vainikolo 23' m
Walker 47' c
Con: Walker
Pen: Walker (3) 17', 31', 70'
Drop: Lamb 20'
ReportTries: Robinson 5' m
Haskell 38' m
Pen: Staunton (2) 29', 51'
Walder 77'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 7,864

24 October 2008
20:00
Newcastle Falcons  13–26  London Wasps
Try: Vickers 73' c
Con: Clegg
Pen: Clegg (2) 2', 27'
ReportTries: Sackey 12' m
Rees 37' c
Voyce 49' c
Simpson 78' c
Con: Cipriani (3)
Kingston Park, Newcastle
Attendance: 5,202
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

25 October 2008
15:00
Gloucester  25–20  Newport Gwent Dragons
Tries: Vainikolo 17' c, 65' m
Lawson 34' m
Balshaw 67' m
Con: Barkley
Pen: Barkley 78'
ReportTries: Fussell 20' m
Webb 28' c
Tovey 80' m
Con: Connor
Pen: Connor 46'
Kingsholm, Gloucester
Attendance: 8,057

2 November 2008
15:00
London Wasps  21–10  Newport Gwent Dragons
Report
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 7,980
Referee: Chris White

2 November 2008
15:00
Newcastle Falcons  10–11  Gloucester
Report
Kingston Park, Newcastle
Attendance: 3,614

Group B

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
  Cardiff Blues 3 3 0 0 65 44 +21 0 12
  Leicester Tigers 3 2 0 1 58 58 0 0 8
  Bath 3 1 0 2 57 64 −7 2 6
  Sale Sharks 3 0 0 3 58 72 −14 2 2
Source: [citation needed]
4 October 2008
14:15
Bath  15–19  Leicester Tigers
Tries: Higgins (2) 5' c, 33' m
Con: Kydd
Pen: Kydd 52'
ReportTry: Youngs 18' c
Con: Hougaard
Pen: Hougaard (3) 7', 15', 60'
Drop: Hougaard 70'
Recreation Ground, Bath
Attendance: 10,600

4 October 2008
15:00
Sale Sharks  17–18  Cardiff Blues
Try: Keil 16' m
Pen: Macleod (4) 2', 32', 44', 53'
ReportTries: Halfpenny 12' c
Mustoe 74' m
Con: Blair
Pen: Blair 29'
Sweeney 58'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 7,485

24 October 2008
19:45
Sale Sharks  21–24  Bath
Tries: Bell (2) 24' c, 73' m
Con: Hodgson
Pen: Hodgson (3) 2', 9', 49'
ReportTries: Hooper 40' c
Hape 52' c
Stephenson 56' c
Con: Cuthbert (3)
Pen: Cuthbert 47'
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 7,659
Referee: Peter Allan

25 October 2008
14:35
Cardiff Blues  23–9  Leicester Tigers
Tries: Robinson 44' c
Spice 79' c
Con: Blair (2)
Pen: Blair (3) 6', 14', 73'
ReportPen: Hougaard (3) 40+1', 49', 67'
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 9,815
Referee: Dave Pearson

31 October 2008
19:35
Cardiff Blues  24–18  Bath
Tries: Molitika 4' c
Filise 69' m
Con: Blair
Pen: Blair (4) 10', 20', 55', 80'
Tries: Maddock 60' m
Higgins 74' c
Con: Berne
Pen: Cuthbert 3'
Maddock 53'
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 10,139
Referee: Nigel Owens

31 October 2008
19:35
Leicester Tigers  30–20  Sale Sharks
Tries: Penalty try 19' c
Youngs 57' c
Crane 80' c
Con: Hougaard (2)
Newby
Pen: Hougaard (3) 11', 14', 77'
Tries: Bell (2) 50' c, 70' c
Con: Macleod (2)
Pen: Macleod (2) 45', 48'
Welford Road, Leicester
Attendance: 16,550
Referee: James Jones

Group C

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
  Ospreys 3 2 0 1 80 68 +12 2 10
  London Irish 3 2 0 1 60 58 +2 1 9
  Harlequins 3 1 0 2 67 70 −3 1 5
  Worcester Warriors 3 1 0 2 58 69 −11 1 5
Source: [citation needed]
5 October 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors  22–5  London Irish
Tries: Benjamin (2) 16' c, 61' m
Kitchener 30' m
Crichton 76' m
Con: Jones
ReportTry: Richards 54'
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 7,433

5 October 2008
15:05
Ospreys  24–23  Harlequins
Tries: Williams 35' m
Bowe 78' c
Con: Hook
Pen: Hook (4) 13', 23', 33', 62'
ReportTries: de Wet Barry 44' c
Fuga 54' c
Con: Luveniyali (2)
Pen: Luveniyali (3) 29', 60', 65'
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Attendance: 8,057
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

25 October 2008
15:00
Harlequins  17–32  London Irish
Tries: Davies 7' m
Amesbury 13' c
McMillan 46' m
Con: Jewell
ReportTries: Thorpe 36' m
Hewat (2) 49' c, 78' c
Thompstone 54' m
Bailey 58' m
Con: Hewat
Hickey
Pen: Geraghty 62'
Twickenham Stoop, Twickenham
Attendance: 11,473

26 October 2008
15:05
Ospreys  37–22  Worcester Warriors
Tries: Walker 31' m
Henson 39' m
Williams 44' c
Bowe 80+2' m
Con: Hook
Pen: Hook (5) 18', 28', 59', 63', 75'
ReportTry: Tuitupou 56' c
Con: Jones
Pen: Jones (5) 14', 34', 42', 48', 70'
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Attendance: 7,025

2 November 2008
15:00
London Irish  23–19  Ospreys
Report
Madejski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 9,293

2 November 2008
15:00
Worcester Warriors  14–27  Harlequins
Report
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 8,113

Group D

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
  Northampton Saints 3 2 0 1 82 70 +12 2 10
  Scarlets 3 2 0 1 73 50 +23 0 8
  Saracens 3 2 0 1 74 67 +7 0 8
  Bristol 3 0 0 3 39 81 −42 1 1
Source: [citation needed]
4 October 2008
15:00
Northampton Saints  30–17  Bristol
Tries: Diggin 8' m
Dickson 23' m
Ashton 48' c
Mayor 55' c
Con: Everitt (2)
Pen: Everitt (2) 35', 79'
ReportTries: Turner (2) 3' m, 21' m
Lilo 71' c
Con: Ashwin
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 11,301
Referee: Nigel Owens

5 October 2008
15:00
Saracens  17–26  Scarlets
Tries: Leonelli 12' c
Cato 18' c
Con: Ross (2)
Pen: Ross 43'
ReportTries: Lyons 8' c
Meeuws 48' c
Con: S. Jones (2)
Pen: S. Jones (4) 24', 32', 40', 63'
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 6,068

24 October 2008
19:05
Scarlets  27–0  Bristol
Tries: Stoddart 3' c
Easterby 37' c
Higgitt 63' c
Con: S. Jones (3)
Pen: S. Jones (2) 15', 49'
Report
Stradey Park, Llanelli
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: David Bodilly
  • This was the Scarlets' last competitive match at Stradey Park, home to Llanelli RFC since 1879. The new Parc y Scarlets opened in November.

26 October 2008
15:00
Saracens  33–19  Northampton Saints
Tries: Cato 12' m
Rauluni 23' c
Con: Ross
Pen: Ross (6) 17', 26', 49', 61', 68', 80'
Drop: Ross 40'
ReportTries: Foden 24' m
Wilson 30' m
Pen: Myler (3) 14', 20', 56'
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 6,984
Referee: Martin Fox

1 November 2008
14:30
Bristol  22–24  Saracens
Report
Memorial Stadium, Bristol
Attendance: 5,025

1 November 2008
14:30
Northampton Saints  33–20  Scarlets
Tries: Ashton (2) 11' m, 29' m
Reihana 45' c
Sean Lamont
Con: Myler
Pen: Myler (2) 23' 61'
Tries: King 5' m
Stoddart 8' m
Davies
Pen: C. Thomas 17'
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton

Semi-finals

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28 March 2009
14:30
Gloucester  17–0  Ospreys
Try: Balshaw 76' m
Pen: Lamb (3) 5', 45', 72'
Drop: Lamb 67'
Report
Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Attendance: 26,744
Referee: Nigel Owens

28 March 2009
17:15
Cardiff Blues  11–5  Northampton Saints
Try: Spice 33' m
Pen: Blair (2) 2', 72'
ReportTry: Ansbro 42' m
Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Attendance: 26,744
Referee: George Clancy

Final

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18 April 2009
14:30
Gloucester  12–50  Cardiff Blues
Tries: Foster 29' m
Penalty try 73' c
Con: Barkley
ReportTries: Halfpenny (2) 11' c, 20' c
James 37' m
Blair (2) 66' c, 77' c
Sweeney 68' c
Shanklin 80' c
Con: Blair (6)
Pen: Blair 19'
Twickenham, London
Attendance: 54,899
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

See also

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