The 2007–08 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the 12th season of the European Challenge Cup , the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began on 8 November 2007 when Sale Sharks hosted Montpellier and ended with the Newcastle Falcons / El Salvador game on 20 January 2008.
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.[1] 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 Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester on 25 May 2008.
Results 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 Bath Rugby (2)6 6 0 0 28 6 +22 203 65 +138 5 0 29 Auch 6 3 0 3 11 19 −8 109 147 −38 1 1 14 Albi 6 2 0 4 15 21 −6 130 177 −47 1 2 11 Overmach Parma 6 1 0 5 10 18 −8 104 157 −53 0 3 7
Stade Patrice Brocas Attendance: 3,562
Recreation Ground Attendance: 10,025
La Maison des Sports Attendance: 4,767
La Maison des Sports Attendance: 4,000
Recreation Ground Attendance: 9,282
Stade Patrice Brocas Attendance: 3,000
Recreation Ground Attendance: 9,484
Pool 2 Stade de Sapiac Attendance: 2,500
Pool 3 Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts Newcastle Falcons (4)6 5 0 1 34 3 +31 264 57 +207 3 1 24 Brive (6)6 4 0 2 21 5 +16 179 73 +106 3 2 20 Connacht 6 3 0 3 25 10 +15 172 97 +75 2 1 15 El Salvador 6 0 0 6 3 65 −62 26 414 −388 0 0 0
Stadium Municipal, Brive Attendance: 4,850
Stadium Municipal, Brive Attendance: 2,000
Campo de Pepe Rojo Attendance: 3,000
Sportsground Attendance: 3,544
Pool 4 Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts Sale Sharks (3)6 5 1 0 34 8 +26 244 62 +182 5 0 27 Montpellier (8)6 4 1 1 12 14 −2 114 115 −1 1 0 19 Bayonne 6 1 0 5 16 20 −4 100 164 −64 2 2 8 Petrarca Padova 6 1 0 5 7 27 −20 73 190 −117 0 1 5
Pool 5 Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts Castres Olympique (5)6 5 0 1 19 12 +7 160 105 +55 1 0 21 Leeds Carnegie (7)6 4 0 2 18 10 +8 157 101 +56 2 1 19 Calvisano 6 2 0 4 13 29 −16 123 200 −77 1 0 9 Dax 6 1 0 5 15 14 +1 109 143 −34 1 3 7
Centro Sportivo San Michele Attendance: 1,600
Stade Maurice Boyau Attendance: 4,000
Stade Pierre Antoine Attendance: 6,000
Stade Pierre Antoine Attendance: 5,400
Stade Maurice Boyau Attendance: 3,500
Headingley Stadium Attendance: 2,011
Centro Sportivo San Michele Attendance: 1,500
Stade Maurice Boyau Attendance: 2,000
Seeding and runners-up
See also
References