1997–98 European Challenge Cup

1997–1998 European Challenge Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date6 September 1997 to 2 February 1998
Tournament statistics
Teams32
Top point scorer(s)Laurent Labit (Colomiers)
Christophe Reigt (Stade Français)
(108 points)
Top try scorer(s)Marc Biboulet (Colomiers)
Emori Bolobolo (Stade Français)
David Bory (Montferrand)
(8 tries)
Final
ChampionsFrance Colomiers (1st title)
Runners-upFrance Agen
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The 1997–98 European Challenge Cup was the second year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between September 1997 and February 1998

Pool stage

Pool 1

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Agen 6 6 0 0 27 12 +15 219 105 +114 12
England Bristol 6 2 0 4 16 22 −6 115 180 −65 4
Wales Ebbw Vale 6 2 0 4 12 17 −5 117 155 −38 4
France La Rochelle 6 2 0 4 11 15 −4 128 139 −11 4

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France AS Montferrand 6 5 0 1 28 11 +17 203 120 +83 10
Wales Newport 6 3 0 3 20 27 −7 172 192 −20 6
England Sale Sharks 6 3 0 3 18 13 5 163 117 +46 6
France Montpellier 6 1 0 5 12 27 −15 90 199 −109 2

Pool 3

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Stade Français 6 5 0 1 48 18 +30 337 131 +206 10
England London Irish 6 4 0 2 18 14 4 169 133 +36 8
France Dax 6 3 0 3 14 20 −6 139 180 −41 6
Romania Farul Constanţa 6 0 0 6 10 38 −28 94 295 −201 0

Pool 4

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Ireland Connacht 6 5 0 1 11 13 −2 144 97 +47 10
England Northampton Saints 6 3 0 3 17 13 +4 161 116 +45 6
France Bordeaux-Begles 6 3 0 3 10 6 +4 112 110 +2 6
France Nice 6 1 0 5 14 20 −6 94 188 −94 2

Pool 5

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Colomiers 6 6 0 0 40 13 +27 290 121 +169 12
England Richmond 6 4 0 2 28 15 +13 196 133 +63 8
Wales Bridgend RFC 6 2 0 4 12 37 −25 130 259 −129 4
France Grenoble 6 0 0 6 9 24 −15 112 215 −103 0

Pool 6

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
England Gloucester 6 5 0 1 19 12 +7 170 101 +69 10
France Toulon 6 3 1 2 12 7 +5 136 104 +32 7
France Béziers 6 2 1 3 18 14 +4 150 147 +3 5
Italy Petrarca Rugby 6 0 2 4 13 29 −16 108 212 −104 2

Pool 7

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
England Newcastle Falcons 6 5 0 1 36 8 +28 264 98 +166 10
France Biarritz Olympique 6 3 0 3 10 17 −7 123 153 −30 6
France Perpignan 6 2 0 4 12 13 −1 98 138 −40 4
Scotland Edinburgh 6 2 0 4 9 29 −20 109 205 −96 4

Pool 8

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
France Castres Olympique 6 5 0 1 26 10 +16 206 97 +109 10
England Saracens 6 5 0 1 23 13 10 197 128 +69 10
France Narbonne 6 2 0 4 19 14 +5 168 138 +30 4
Wales Neath 6 0 0 6 10 41 −31 93 301 −208 0

Qualifiers

Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/−
1 France Colomiers 12 40 +169
2 France Agen 12 27 +114
3 France Stade Français 10 48 +206
4 England Newcastle Falcons 10 36 +166
5 France Montferrand 10 28 +83
6 France Castres Olympique 10 26 +109
7 England Gloucester 10 19 +69
8 Ireland Connacht 10 11 +47

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals

8 November 1997
14:15
Stade Français France53–22England Gloucester
Stade Jean-Bouin
8 November 1997
20:00
Agen France40–27Ireland Connacht
Stade Armandie
9 November 1997
15:00
Colomiers France23–13France AS Montferrand
Stade Selery

Semi-finals

20 December 1997
14:15
Agen France12–9England Newcastle Falcons
Stade Armandie
Attendance: 6,000
20 December 1997
15:00
Colomiers France19–13France Stade Français
Stade Selery
Attendance: 4,500

Final

2 February 1998
15:15
Colomiers France43–5France Agen
Les Sept Deniers
Attendance: 12,500

See also