2017–18 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs

2017–18 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs
Event	European Rugby Champions Cup Qualification Play-off
Date	19–28 May 2017
	← 2015–16 2018–19 →

The 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the third play-off for entry into the top-level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Format

Following a break to ease fixture congestion caused by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the three-team play-off held in 2015–16 was expanded, and a four-team format was announced.^[1]^[2]

The play-off comprised 3 matches, contested by one team from the Premiership, one from the Top 14, and two from the Pro14.^{[citation needed]}

The two Pro12 teams each played one of the Premiership or Top 14 sides in a single-leg semi-final, held at the home ground of the non-Pro12 side. The winners of these matches then contested a play-off final, with the winner of this match competing in the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. The three losing teams all competed in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.^{[citation needed]}

Teams

Four teams competed in the play-off, having qualified as either the highest team from each league that did not already qualify for the Champions Cup, or as the winner of the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup.^[3]

The following teams had qualified for the play-off:

League	Team	Coach	Stadium
Aviva Premiership	Northampton Saints	Jim Mallinder	Franklin's Gardens
Guinness Pro12	Cardiff Blues	Danny Wilson	Cardiff Arms Park
Guinness Pro12	Connacht	Pat Lam	Galway Sportsgrounds
Top 14	Stade Français	Gonzalo Quesada	Stade Jean-Bouin

Matches

A draw was held on 15 March 2017 to determine the two semi-final matches.^[2]

Semi-finals

19 May 2017
18:00 CEST

Stade Français	46–21	Cardiff Blues
Try: Nayacalevu 32' c Melikidze 43' c De Giovanni 51' c Macalou (2) 60' m, 68' c Panis 71' m Daguin 76' m Con: Steyn (4/6) 33', 44', 52', 69' Plisson (0/1) Pen: Steyn (1/1) 10'	Report	Try: Cook (2) 21' c, 63' c N. Williams 24' c Con: Anscombe (3/3) 22', 25', 64'

Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris
Attendance: 4,767
Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)


FB	15	Jérémy Sinzelle
RW	14	Waisea Nayacalevu	61'
OC	13	Jonathan Danty
IC	12	Meyer Bosman
LW	11	Sekou Macalou
FH	10	Morné Steyn
SH	9	Julien Dupuy	63'
N8	8	Sergio Parisse (c)
OF	7	Matthieu Ugena	34'
BF	6	Antoine Burban
RL	5	Paul Gabrillagues	72'
LL	4	Willem Alberts	66'
TP	3	Paul Alo-Emile	25'
HK	2	Rémi Bonfils	67'
LP	1	Heinke van der Merwe	50'
Replacements:
HK	16	Laurent Panis	67'
PR	17	Rabah Slimani	50'
PR	18	Giorgi Melikidze	25'
LK	19	Mathieu De Giovanni	34'
FL	20	Raphaël Lakafia	66'
SH	21	Clément Daguin	63'
FH	22	Jules Plisson	61'
FL	23	Jono Ross	72'
Coach:
Gonzalo Quesada


FB	15	Matthew Morgan
RW	14	Alex Cuthbert
OC	13	Rey Lee-Lo	7'
IC	12	Willis Halaholo	66'
LW	11	Rhun Williams	4'
FH	10	Gareth Anscombe
SH	9	Lloyd Williams
N8	8	Nick Williams
OF	7	Ellis Jenkins (c)
BF	6	Josh Navidi
RL	5	Macauley Cook
LL	4	Jarrad Hoeata
TP	3	Taufaʻao Filise	61'
HK	2	Matthew Rees	61'
LP	1	Rhys Gill	57'
Replacements:
HK	16	Kirby Myhill	61'	72'
PR	17	Corey Domachowski	57'
PR	18	Anton Peikrishvili	61'
LK	19	Seb Davies		72'
FL	20	Sion Bennett	66'
SH	21	Tomos Williams		52'
FH	22	Steven Shingler	7'	52'
CE	23	Garyn Smith	4'
Coach:
Danny Wilson

Cardiff Blues were demoted to the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

20 May 2017
16:00 BST

Northampton Saints	21–15	Connacht
Try: Mallinder 1' c Groom 56' m Con: Mallinder (1/2) 2' Pen: Mallinder (3/3) 15', 23', 70'	Report	Try: Adeolokun 4' c Heffernan 61' m Con: Ronaldson (1/2) 4' Pen: Ronaldson (1/1) 28'

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)


FB	15	Ahsee Tuala		78'
RW	14	Ben Foden
OC	13	Nafi Tuitavake
IC	12	Luther Burrell		23'
LW	11	George North
FH	10	Harry Mallinder
SH	9	Nic Groom		67'
N8	8	Louis Picamoles
OF	7	Teimana Harrison		58'
BF	6	Jamie Gibson	78' to 80'
RL	5	Christian Day		64'
LL	4	Courtney Lawes
TP	3	Kieran Brookes		62'
HK	2	Dylan Hartley (c)		59'
LP	1	Alex Waller		62'
Replacements:
HK	16	Mike Haywood		78'
PR	17	Campese Ma'afu		62'
PR	18	Gareth Denman		62'
LK	19	Api Ratuniyarawa		64'
FL	20	Tom Wood		58'
SH	21	Lee Dickson		67'
FH	22	Sam Olver
CE	23	Rory Hutchinson		23'
Coach:
Jim Mallinder


FB	15	Tiernan O'Halloran
RW	14	Niyi Adeolokun
OC	13	Danie Poolman
IC	12	Craig Ronaldson
LW	11	Cian Kelleher	3'
FH	10	Jack Carty
SH	9	Kieran Marmion	66'
N8	8	John Muldoon (c)
OF	7	Jake Heenan	56'
BF	6	Seán O'Brien
RL	5	James Cannon	51'
LL	4	Quinn Roux
TP	3	Finlay Bealham	68'
HK	2	Dave Heffernan
LP	1	Denis Buckley
Replacements:
HK	16	Shane Delahunt
PR	17	JP Cooney
PR	18	Conor Carey	68'
LK	19	Ultan Dillane	51'
FL	20	Naulia Dawai	56'
SH	21	Caolin Blade
SH	22	John Cooney	66'
WG	23	Matt Healy	3'
Coach:
Pat Lam

Connacht drop to the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

Play-off final

The draw for the semi-finals was also used to decide that the winner of the second semi-final would have home advantage in the play-off final.^[2]

26 May 2017
19:45 BST

Northampton Saints	23–22	Stade Français
Try: Foden 45' c Tuala 71' c Con: Mallinder (2/2) 45', 73' Pen: Mallinder (3/5) 19', 29', 38'	Report	Try: Nayacalevu 3' c Sinzelle 22' m Camara 34' c Con: Plisson (2/3) 4', 35' Pen: Plisson (1/1) 10'

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
Attendance: 10,273
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)


FB	15	Ahsee Tuala		75'
RW	14	Ben Foden
OC	13	Nafi Tuitavake		53'
IC	12	Luther Burrell
LW	11	George North
FH	10	Harry Mallinder
SH	9	Nic Groom		66'
N8	8	Louis Picamoles		53'
OF	7	Tom Wood (c)	63'
BF	6	Teimana Harrison
RL	5	Christian Day		60'
LL	4	Courtney Lawes
TP	3	Kieran Brookes		60'
HK	2	Dylan Hartley		66'
LP	1	Alex Waller		66'
Replacements:
HK	16	Mike Haywood		66'
PR	17	Campese Ma'afu		66'
PR	18	Gareth Denman		60'
LK	19	Api Ratuniyarawa		60'
FL	20	Jamie Gibson		53'
SH	21	Lee Dickson		66'
FH	22	Sam Olver		75'
CE	23	Rory Hutchinson	62' to 72'	53'
Coach:
Jim Mallinder


FB	15	Djibril Camara		65'
RW	14	Waisea Nayacalevu
OC	13	Geoffrey Doumayrou
IC	12	Jonathan Danty		22'
LW	11	Jérémy Sinzelle
FH	10	Jules Plisson
SH	9	Will Genia		76'
N8	8	Jono Ross
OF	7	Raphaël Lakafia
BF	6	Antoine Burban		44'
RL	5	Paul Gabrillagues (c)		60'
LL	4	Willem Alberts
TP	3	Paul Alo-Emile
HK	2	Rémi Bonfils	42' to 52'	74'
LP	1	Zurab Zhvania		51'
Replacements:
HK	16	Craig Burden		44'	53'
PR	17	Rabah Slimani		51'
PR	18	Giorgi Melikidze		74'
LK	19	Mathieu De Giovanni		60'
N8	20	Sergio Parisse			53'
SH	21	Clément Daguin		76'
FH	22	Morné Steyn		65'
CE	23	Meyer Bosman		22'
Coach:
Gonzalo Quesada

Northampton Saints qualified for the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. Stade Français played in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

References

^ "Revised play-off format agreed for 2015/16 Champions Cup". epcrugby.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Champions Cup play-offs". epcrugby.com.
^ "Champions Cup qualification 2017/18 and play-offs". epcrugby.com.

[15-16_playoff-1] "Revised play-off format agreed for 2015/16 Champions Cup". epcrugby.com.

[17-18_play-off-2] "Champions Cup play-offs". epcrugby.com.

[teams-3] "Champions Cup qualification 2017/18 and play-offs". epcrugby.com.

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