2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs

The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the second play-off for entry into the top-level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs
EventEuropean Rugby Champions Cup Qualification Play-off
Date23 and 30 May 2015

Format

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Following the two-team play-off in 2014–15, an expanded, four-team format was due to be used. However, on 24 September 2014, it was announced this would instead be a three-team play-off, with the highest placed non-qualifying team taking part.[1]

To accommodate the longer season in the French Top 14, the format was announced as follows:

  • One team each would qualify from the Premiership and the Pro12, with each league being represented by the highest placed team not already qualified. These two teams would play in the first game, with home advantage in the match would be decided by a coin toss. In the event that the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup winner was a Premiership club, and it had not automatically qualified for the Champions Cup, it would take the place allocated to a Premiership team.[2]
  • The winner of the first game would host the 7th placed team in the French Top 14. The winner of that game would qualify for the Champions Cup.[citation needed]

Gloucester became the first team to qualify for the play-off, taking the place allocated to the Premiership, when they beat Edinburgh 19–13 in the Challenge Cup final on 1 May 2015. This result meant that the 7th place team in the 2014–15 Premiership will no longer take part in the play-off, and will compete in the Challenge Cup. Connacht qualified next, when the finished seventh in the 2014–15 Pro12 with 50 points, narrowly edging Edinburgh who had 48 points. Bordeaux Bègles qualified for the play-off on 23 May 2015.[citation needed]

Connacht played Gloucester away at Gloucester's Kingsholm Stadium on Sunday 24 May 2015,[3] with the venue having been decided earlier by a coin toss.[4] It was decided that, in the event of a Gloucester win, the second play-off match would be played at Sixways Stadium in Worcester, to avoid a clash of fixtures with a Madness concert.[citation needed]

Teams

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League Team Coach Stadium
Premiership Gloucester   David Humphreys Kingsholm Stadium
Pro12 Connacht   Pat Lam Galway Sportsgrounds
Top 14 Bordeaux Bègles   Raphaël Ibañez Stade André Moga

Matches

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Match 1

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24 May 2015
15:30 GMT
Gloucester  40−32
(a.e.t.)
  Connacht
Try: Moriarty 1' c
Sharples 26' m
Meakes 80' c
Dawidiuk 95' m
May 98' c
Con: Laidlaw (3/5) 1', 80', 98'
Pen: Laidlaw (2/3) 19', 43'
Hook (1/1) 92'
Report[5]Try: J. Cooney 8' c
Carty 29' c
Healy (2) 60' m, 92' c
Con: Carty (3/4) 9', 30', 92'
Pen: Carty (2/3) 7', 79'
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
Attendance: 7,633
Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)
FB 15   Charlie Sharples   64'
RW 14   Jonny May
OC 13   Bill Meakes
IC 12   Billy Twelvetrees (c)
LW 11   Henry Purdy   50'
FH 10   James Hook
SH 9   Greig Laidlaw
N8 8   Ross Moriarty   71'   88'
OF 7   Dan Thomas   33'   44'   65'
BF 6   Jacob Rowan
RL 5   Tom Palmer
LL 4   Tom Savage
TP 3   John Afoa   33' to 43'   88'
HK 2   Richard Hibbard   59'
LP 1   Nick Wood   65'
Replacements:
HK 16   Darren Dawidiuk   59'
PR 17   Yann Thomas   65'
PR 18   Shaun Knight   33'   44'   88'
LK 19   Elliott Stooke   71'
FL 20   Lewis Ludlow   65'   88'
SH 21   Dan Robson   64'
FH 22   Billy Burns
FB 23   Rob Cook   50'
Coach:
  David Humphreys
FB 15   Tiernan O'Halloran   65'
RW 14   Fionn Carr   75'
OC 13   Robbie Henshaw
IC 12   Bundee Aki
LW 11   Matt Healy
FH 10   Jack Carty
SH 9   John Cooney   64'
N8 8   Eoin McKeon   71'
OF 7   Eoghan Masterson   55' to 65'   33'   44'
BF 6   John Muldoon (c)
RL 5   Aly Muldowney
LL 4   George Naoupu   54'
TP 3   Rodney Ah You   54'
HK 2   Tom McCartney   70'   79'   90'
LP 1   Denis Buckley   33' to 43'
Replacements:
HK 16   Dave Heffernan   94' to 100'   70'   79' to 90'
PR 17   JP Cooney   33'   44'
PR 18   Finlay Bealham   54'
LK 19   Andrew Browne   54'
FL 20   James Connolly   71'
SH 21   Ian Porter   64'
FH 22   Miah Nikora   75'
CE 23   Shane O'Leary   65'
Coach:
  Pat Lam

Match 2

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31 May 2015
17:00 GMT
Gloucester  22−23  Bordeaux Bègles
Try: Purdy 15' c
Con: Laidlaw (1/1) 16'
Pen: Laidlaw (5/6) 2', 10', 24', 32', 70'
Report[6]Try: Talebula (2) 37' c, 56' c
Con: Bernard (2/2) 39', 58'
Pen: Bernard (2/2) 28', 35'
Drop: Bernard (1/1) 80'
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 5,447
Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)
FB 15   Rob Cook
RW 14   Charlie Sharples
OC 13   Bill Meakes   66'
IC 12   Billy Twelvetrees (c)
LW 11   Henry Purdy
FH 10   James Hook
SH 9   Greig Laidlaw
N8 8   Ross Moriarty
OF 7   Jacob Rowan   58'
BF 6   Sione Kalamafoni   45'   56'   71'
RL 5   Tom Palmer
LL 4   Tom Savage
TP 3   John Afoa   45' to 55'
HK 2   Richard Hibbard   59'
LP 1   Nick Wood   58'
Replacements:
HK 16   Darren Dawidiuk   59'
PR 17   Yann Thomas   58'
PR 18   Shaun Knight   45'   56'
LK 19   Elliott Stooke   71'
N8 20   Dan Thomas   58'
SH 21   Callum Braley
FH 22   Billy Burns
FB 23   Steve McColl   66'
Coach:
  David Humphreys
FB 15   Lionel Beauxis   46'
RW 14   Metuisela Talebula
OC 13   Félix Le Bourhis
IC 12   Julien Rey
LW 11   Blair Connor
FH 10   Pierre Bernard
SH 9   Heini Adams   56'
N8 8   Peter Saili
OF 7   Hugh Chalmers   45'   56'
BF 6   Louis-Benoît Madaule (c)   56'
RL 5   Berend Botha   36'
LL 4   Jandré Marais
TP 3   Patrick Toetu   40'
HK 2   Ole Avei   69'
LP 1   Jefferson Poirot   45' to 55'   56'   71'
Replacements:
HK 16   Clément Maynadier   69'
PR 17   Jean-Baptiste Poux   45'   71'
PR 18   Francisco Gómez Kodela   40'
LK 19   Adam Jaulhac   36'
N8 20   Matthew Clarkin   56'
SH 21   Yann Lesgourgues   56'
CE 22   Jayden Spence
FB 23   Baptiste Serin   46'
Coach:
  Raphaël Ibañez

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR)". epcrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  2. ^ "European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR)". epcrugby.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Connacht lose but make Champions Cup play-off". RTÉ. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015. Connacht will now play Gloucester away at Kingsholm next Sunday, with the winner of that tie playing the French Top 14 seventh-placed side for a spot in next year's Champions Cup.
  4. ^ Mike Brown (2 May 2015). "Gloucester's Champions Cup play-off home advantage to be settled by Twickenham coin toss". Gloucester Citizen. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015. The coin toss will take place during coverage of the Champions Cup final between Clermont Auvergne and Toulon at Twickenham.
  5. ^ "Champions Cup play-off: Gloucester 40-32 Connacht". 24 May 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2017 – via www.bbc.com.
  6. ^ "European Rugby Champions Cup: Gloucester 22-23 Bordeaux-Begles". 31 May 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2017 – via www.bbc.com.