2009–10 LV Cup

The 2009–10 LV Cup (styled as the LV= Cup) was the 39th season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the fifth to follow the Anglo-Welsh format.

2009–10 LV Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
DateNovember 2009 - March 2010
Tournament statistics
Teams16
Matches played35
Attendance278,978 (7,971 per match)
Tries scored150 (4.29 per match)
Final
VenueSixways Stadium
Attendance12,024
ChampionsEngland Northampton Saints (1st title)
Runners-upEngland Gloucester
← 2008–09 (Previous)
(Next) 2010–11 →

Northampton Saints were crowned champions after beating Gloucester in the final at Worcester's Sixways Stadium.

The structure of the competition was altered from previous years. The competition continued to consist of the four Welsh Celtic League teams and the twelve Guinness Premiership clubs, arranged into pools consisting of three English teams and one Welsh. However, the new format saw teams guaranteed two home and two away pool matches, with teams in Pools 1 and 4 playing each other and teams in Pools 2 and 3 playing each other.[1] The competition took place on international fixture dates during the Autumn Internationals and Six Nations, with the aim of allowing teams to develop their squad players.[2]

On 29 October 2009, little more than a week before the start of this season's competition, British insurer LV was unveiled as the new sponsor.[3]

Pool stage

Points system

The points scoring system for the pool stage was as follows:[4]

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match (TB)
  • 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less (LB)

The ranking criteria were:

  • If two or more clubs in the same pool end the pool stage equal on match points, then the order in which they have finished will be determined by:
    • i. the greater number of matches won by the club and
    • ii. if the number of matches won is equal, the club with the greater total number of tries scored and
    • iii. if the total number of tries scored is equal, the club with the greater points difference (points scored for, less points scored against) and
    • iv. if the points difference is equal, the club with the fewer number of red cards and
    • v. if the number of red cards is the same, by the toss a coin.

Pool 1 v Pool 4

Pool 1
PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDTTBLBPts
1 Saracens42028369+1481110
2 Leicester Tigers42028482+210109
3 Sale Sharks41035783−267116
4 Ospreys41036897−299015
Source: [5]
Pool 4
PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDTTBLBPts
1 Northampton Saints44008145+3670016
2 Newport Gwent Dragons430110379+24100012
3 Bath42029475+1912109
4 Leeds Carnegie41035393−406015
Source: ref name="Premiership" />

Round 1

5 November 2009
19:30
Ospreys 17–19 Northampton Saints
Try: Spratt
Hibbard
Con: Owen
Pen: Owen
ReportTry: Cannon
Con: Myler
Pen: Myler (4)
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Attendance: 4,322
Referee: James Jones (WRU)

6 November 2009
19:30
Newport Gwent Dragons 20–9 Sale Sharks
Try: Connor
Lee
Con: Connor
Greendale
Pen: Connor
Greendale
ReportPen: Hodgson (3)
Rodney Parade, Newport
Attendance: 4,539
Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

8 November 2009
15:00
Leeds Carnegie 28–17 Leicester Tigers
Report
Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds
Attendance: 3,893
Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

8 November 2009
15:00
Saracens 30–22 Bath
Report
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 6,654
Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)

Round 2

13 November 2009
19:45
Sale Sharks 27–3 Leeds Carnegie
Try: Vakacegu
Ripol
O'Donnell
Seymour
Con: Hodgson (2)
Pen: Hodgson
ReportPen: Ford
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 5,536

14 November 2009
12:30
Bath 21–11 Ospreys
Try: Watson
Browne
Con: Davis
Pen: Davis (3)
ReportTry: Tipuric
Pen: Davies
Owen
Recreation Ground, Bath
Attendance: 10,789
Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

14 November 2009
13:00
Northampton Saints 19–3 Saracens
Try: Ashton
Reihana
Pen: Myler (3)
ReportPen: Goode
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 12,037
Referee: Gwyn Morris (WRU)

14 November 2009
15:00
Leicester Tigers 29–20 Newport Gwent Dragons
Try: Crane
Allen
Penalty
Con: Staunton
Pen: Staunton (2)
Flood (2)
ReportTry: Tovey
Brew
Gomer-Davies
Con: Connor
Pen: Conner
Welford Road, Leicester
Attendance: 16,297
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU)

Round 3

29 January 2010
19:15
Newport Gwent Dragons 40–19 Ospreys
Try: A. Jones
Smith
Brew
Con: Tovey (2)
Pen: Tovey (7)
ReportTry: Owen
Penalty
Prydie
Con: Prydie (2)
Rodney Parade, Newport
Attendance: 6,027
Referee: James Jones (WRU)


29 January 2010
19:45
Leicester Tigers 27–11 Bath
Try: Twelvetrees (2)
Penalty
Tuilagi
Con: Vesty (2)
Pen: Vesty
ReportTry: Fa'amatuainu
Pen: Davis (2)
Welford Road, Leicester
Attendance: 19,772
Referee: David Rose (RFU)

29 January 2010
19:45
Sale Sharks 14–20 Northampton Saints
Try: Hodgson
Koyamailbole
ReportTry: Mayor
Diggin
Pen: Myler (2)
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Attendance: 6,506

Round 4

4 February 2010
19:25
Ospreys 21–17 Leeds Carnegie
Report
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Attendance: 2,557
Referee: Gwyn Morris (WRU)

6 February 2010
14:15
Bath 40–7 Sale Sharks
Report
Recreation Ground, Bath
Attendance: 10,165
Referee: James Jones (WRU)

6 February 2010
15:00
Northampton Saints 23–11 Leicester Tigers
Report
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 13,092
Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU)

7 February 2010
15:00
Saracens 22–23 Newport Gwent Dragons
Report
Vicarage Road, Watford
Attendance: 5,939
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)

Pool 2 v Pool 3

Pool 2
PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDTTBLBPts
1 Gloucester42028781+6121211
2 Scarlets42118883+591011
3 London Irish41035470−164026
4 Newcastle Falcons400441105−645112
Source: [5]
Pool 3
PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDTTBLBPts
1 Cardiff Blues430112084+36142115
2 London Wasps43016755+1260113
3 Harlequins42117967+1270111
4 Worcester Warriors42027364+98109
Source: [5]

Round 1

7 November 2009
12:30
Worcester Warriors 32–6 Newcastle Falcons
Report
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 6,704

8 November 2009
13:45
Harlequins 15–15 Scarlets
Report
The Stoop, London
Attendance: 9,653
Referee: Tim Hayes (WRU)

8 November 2009
15:00
Gloucester 25–26 Cardiff Blues
Report
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
Attendance: 6,099
Referee: Rob Debney (RFU)

8 November 2009
15:00
London Irish 20–24 London Wasps
Report
Madejski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 10,010
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (SARU)

Round 2

14 November 2009
15:00
Scarlets 32–17 Worcester Warriors
Try: Daniel
Lyons
Evans
Priestland
Con: Priestland (3)
Pen: Priestland (2)
ReportTry: Cox
Kitchener
Con: MacRae (2)
Pen: Crook
Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Attendance: 5,560
Referee: David Rose (RFU)

15 November 2009
13:45
Cardiff Blues 11–12 London Irish
Try: Rees
Pen: Sweeney (2)
ReportPen: Hewat (2)
Homer
Lamb
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 7,778
Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)

15 November 2009
15:00
London Wasps 21–14 Gloucester
Try: Varndell
Simpson
Con: Walder
Pen: Hickey
Walder (2)
ReportTry: Burns (2)
Con: Burns (2)
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 7,475
Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

15 November 2009
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 8–19 Harlequins
Try: Tait
Pen: Miller
ReportTry: Smith
Con: Clegg
Pen: Clegg (4)
Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
Attendance: 4,650
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)

Round 3

30 January 2010
15:00
Gloucester 17–5 Worcester Warriors
Try: Burns
Qera
Con: Robinson
Pen: Robinson (2)
ReportTry: Pennell
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
Attendance: 7,192

30 January 2010
17:45
London Wasps 13–18 Scarlets
Try: Varndell (2)
Pen: Walder
ReportPen: Priestland (6)
Adams Park, High Wycombe
Attendance: 8,070
Referee: Dean Richards (RFU)

31 January 2010
15:00
Cardiff Blues 45–24 Newcastle Falcons
Report
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: James Jones (WRU)

31 January 2010
15:00
London Irish 13–16 Harlequins
Report
Madejski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 10,030
Referee: Martin Fox (RFU)

Round 4

6 February 2010
15:00
Scarlets 23–38 Cardiff Blues
Report
Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Attendance: 5,671
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)

6 February 2010
15:00
Worcester Warriors 19–9 London Irish
Report
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 7,501
Referee: David Bodilly (WRU)

7 February 2010
15:00
Harlequins 29–31 Gloucester
Report
The Stoop, London
Attendance: 9,732
Referee: Sean Davey (RFU)

7 February 2010
15:00
Newcastle Falcons 3–9 London Wasps
Report
Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
Attendance: 4,651
Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)

Knockout stage

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
14 March 2010 - Franklin's Gardens
 
 
Northampton Saints 31
 
21 March 2010 - Sixways Stadium
 
Saracens 20
 
Northampton Saints 30
 
14 March 2010 - Cardiff City Stadium
 
Gloucester 24
 
Cardiff Blues 18
 
 
Gloucester 29
 

Qualification criteria

The top teams from each pool qualify for the knockout stage. The pool winners were decided by the following criteria:[4]

1. The pool winner will be the club with the highest number of match points in each pool. The pool winners will be ranked 1 to 4 by reference to the number of match points earned in the pools.
2. If two or more clubs in the same pool end the pool stage equal on match points, then the order in which they have finished will be determined by:
i. the greater number of matches won by the club and
ii. if the number of matches won is equal, the club with the greater total number of tries scored and
iii. if the total number of tries scored is equal, the club with the greater points difference (points scored for, less points scored against) and
iv. if the points difference is equal, the club with the fewer number of red cards and
v. if the number of red cards is the same, by the toss a coin.

Each of the four qualifying clubs shall be ranked as above and shall play each other as follows:

Semi-final 1 - 1st ranked club v 4th ranked club
Semi-final 2 - 2nd ranked club v 3rd ranked club

The first club listed in each of the semi-final matches shall be the home club.

Qualifiers
PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDTTBLBPts
1 Northampton Saints44008145+3670016
2 Cardiff Blues430112084+36142115
3 Gloucester42028781+6121211
4 Saracens42028369+1481110
Source: [citation needed]

Semi-finals

14 March 2010
12:15
Cardiff Blues 18–29 Gloucester
Try: Laulala
Sweeney
Con: Blair (2)
Pen: Blair (2)
ReportTry: Burns
Simpson-Daniel (3)
Con: Robinson (3)
Pen: Robinson
Cardiff City Stadium
Attendance: 8,378

14 March 2010
16:15
Northampton Saints 31–20 Saracens
Try: Dowson
Mujati
Diggin
Best
Con: Geraghty
Pen: Geraghty (3)
ReportTry: Melck
Pen: Hougaard (4)
Jackson (1)
Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 11,894
Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)

Final

21 March 2010
15:30
Northampton Saints 30–24 Gloucester
Try: Tongaʻuiha
Downey
Dickson
Con: Myler (3)
Pen: Myler (3)
ReportTry: Qera
Penalty try
Con: Robinson
Pen: Robinson (4)
Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Attendance: 12,024
Referee: Alan Lewis (IRFU)

See also

References