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1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage

Football tournament stage

Main article: 1996–97 European Challenge Cup

The 1996–97 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the first season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. Matches took place between 12 October and 2 November 1996.

Twenty-four teams participated in this phase of the competition; they were divided into four pools of six teams each, with each team playing the other teams in their pool once only. Teams were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. The winner and runner-up of each pool progressed to the knockout stage of the tournament. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final at the Stade de la Méditerranée in Béziers, France on 26 January 1997.

Results

Pool 1

Team	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Pts
FRA Agen	5	5	0	0	20	9	+11	156	82	+74	10
FRA Montferrand	5	4	0	1	30	8	+22	211	74	+137	8
ENG Sale Sharks	5	3	0	2	18	14	+4	166	115	+51	6
WAL Newport	5	2	0	3	14	19	−15	98	158	−60	4
SCO Glasgow	5	1	0	4	15	30	−15	113	202	−89	2
WAL Newbridge	5	0	0	5	16	33	−17	106	219	−113	0
Source : [www.ercrugby.com](http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997)
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Pool 2

Team	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Pts
FRA Castres Olympique	5	5	0	0	29	6	+23	207	71	+136	10
FRA Narbonne	5	4	0	1	21	6	+15	161	90	+71	8
ROM Dinamo-București	5	2	1	2	12	32	−20	109	213	−104	5
WAL Bridgend	4	1	1	2	10	14	−4	94	120	−26	3
ENG Bristol	5	1	0	4	11	12	−1	128	99	+29	2
WAL Treorchy	4	0	0	4	10	23	−13	72	178	−106	0
Source : [www.ercrugby.com](http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997)
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

The Treorchy v Bridgend match was not played.

Pool 3

Team	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Pts
ENG Northampton Saints	5	5	0	0	28	12	+16	207	88	+119	10
FRA Toulon	5	4	0	1	22	10	+12	164	102	+62	8
ENG Orrell	5	2	0	3	18	22	−4	122	173	−51	4
Ireland Connacht	5	2	0	3	9	17	−8	94	131	−37	4
WAL Dunvant	5	1	0	4	15	22	−7	106	169	−63	2
ITA Petrarca	5	1	0	4	10	19	−9	118	148	−30	2
Source : [www.ercrugby.com](http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997)
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Mulcahy Barry

Evans

Carey Grayson Dawson Townsend

Heaslip Penalty try Turner

Pool 4

Team	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Pts
FRA Bourgoin	5	5	0	0	27	4	+23	196	66	+130	10
FRA Bordeaux-Bègles	5	3	1	1	29	13	+16	195	99	+96	7
WAL Swansea	5	3	1	1	28	19	+9	207	138	+69	7
ENG Gloucester	5	2	0	3	17	17	0	119	123	−4	4
WAL Ebbw Vale	5	1	0	4	6	36	−30	48	243	−195	2
ENG London Irish	5	0	0	5	12	30	−18	90	186	−96	0
Source : [www.ercrugby.com](http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/amlinchallengecup/pools/index.php?includeref=478&season=1996-1997)
Points breakdown:
*2 points for a win
*1 point for a draw

Qualifiers

Seed	Pool Winners	Pts	TF	+/−
1	FRA Castres Olympique	10	29	+136
2	ENG Northampton Saints	10	28	+119
3	FRA Bourgoin	10	27	+130
4	FRA Agen	10	20	+74
5	FRA Montferrand	8	30	+137
6	FRA Toulon	8	22	+62
7	FRA Narbonne	8	21	+71
8	FRA Bordeaux-Bègles	7	29	+96

References

(13 April 2004). "European Challenge Cup 1996/7". [[BBC]].
"Connacht start Euro campaign with win", ''Sunday World'', 13 October 1996
"Late tries finish off Connacht", ''Irish Independent'', 17 October 1996
Gerry Doherty, "Connacht held as Northampton finally get combination right", ''Sunday Tribune'', 20 October 1996
"Elwood leads the way as Connacht hit top form", ''Sunday Independent''. 3 November 1996

Info: Wikipedia Source

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