1995–96 Heineken Cup

The 1995–96 Heineken Cup was the first edition of the Heineken Cup, which was to become the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. Competing teams, from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales and, for the only time to date, Romania (teams from England and Scotland were not permitted to enter the competition by the RFU and SRU respectively), were divided into four pools of three, in which teams played each other only once, meaning one home and one away game per team. The winners of the pools qualified for the knock-out stages.

1995–96 Heineken Cup
Tournament details
Countries France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date31 October 1995 to 7 January 1996
Tournament statistics
Teams12
Matches played15
Attendance97,535 (6,502 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Adrian Davies (Cardiff)
(58 points)
Top try scorer(s)Philippe Bernat-Salles (Bordeaux)
David Berty (Toulouse)
Thomas Castaignède (Toulouse)
Piero Dotto (Treviso)
Mike Hall (Cardiff)
Alan Harris (Swansea)
Sebastien Loubsens (Bordeaux)
Leandro Manteri (Treviso)
Andy Moore (Cardiff)
Émile Ntamack (Toulouse)
Conor O'Shea (Leinster)
Massimiliano Perziano (Treviso)
(2 tries)
Final
VenueNational Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance21,800
Champions Toulouse (1st title)
Runners-up Cardiff

Teams

France Wales Ireland Romania Italy

Pool stage

The twelve teams were arranged into four pools of three, with each team playing the other team in their pool once. Two points were awarded for a win, and one point for a draw. The four pool winners qualified for the knockout stage.

Pool 1

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
Toulouse 22008177219534Advanced to the semi finals
Benetton Treviso 2101121119526692Eliminated
Farul Constanţa 200222018181401220
31 October 1995
15:00
Farul Constanţa 10–54 Toulouse
Try: Mihai Foca
Con: Emil Florea
Pen: Emil Florea
Try: Stephane Ougier
Émile Ntamack (2)
Thomas Castaignede
David Berty (2)
Jean-Luc Cester
Penalty try
Con: Christophe Deylaud (7)
Constanta
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Robert Davies

7 November 1995
20:00
Benetton Treviso 86–8 Farul Constanţa
Try: Piero Dotto (2)
Massimiliano Perziano (2)
Leandro Manteri (2)
Alessandro Troncon
Nicola Giuliato
Julian Gardner
Carlo Checchinato
Con: Michael Lynagh (10)
Pen: Michael Lynagh (2)
Try: Dorin Talaba
Pen: Emil Florea
Stadio Comunale di Monigo
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Brian Stirling

15 December 1995
20:00
Toulouse 18–9 Benetton Treviso
Pen: Christophe Deylaud (5)
Drop: Christophe Deylaud
Pen: Michael Lynagh (2)
Drop: Michael Lynagh
Les Sept Deniers
Attendance: 6,085
Referee: John Bacigalupo

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
Cardiff 21107166020403Advanced to the semi finals
Bègles-Bordeaux 21106334330133Eliminated
Ulster 200221192275530
21 November 1995
20:00
Bègles-Bordeaux 14–14 Cardiff
Try: Philippe Bernat-Salles
Pen: Vincent Etcheto
Try: Mark Bennett
Pen: Adrian Davies
Stade Andre Moga
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: David McHugh

28 November 1995
19:15
Cardiff 46–6 Ulster
Try: Mike Hall
Stephen John
Adrian Davies
Andy Moore (2)
Con: Adrian Davies (5)
Pen: Adrian Davies (2)
Pen: Mark McCall (2)
Cardiff Arms Park
Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Gerald Borreani

13 December 1995
19:00
Ulster 16–29 Bègles-Bordeaux
Try: Andrew Matchett
Denis McBride
Pen: Mark McCall
Try: Pascal Fauthoux
Philippe Bernat-Salles
Sebastien Loubsens
Julien Berthe
Con: Pascal Fauthoux
Julien Berthe
Ravenhill
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Derek Bevan

Pool 3

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
Leinster 2200431474344Advanced to the semi finals
Pontypridd 21012205335182Eliminated
Milan 20022313355220
1 November 1995
14:30
Milan 21–24 Leinster
Try: Roberto Crotti
Marco Platania
Con: Massimo Bonomi
Pen: Diego Dominguez
Try: Conor O'Shea
Niall Woods
Con: Alan McGowan
Pen: Alan McGowan (4)
Stadio Comunale Giuriati
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Franck Maciello

22 November 1995
19:15
Pontypridd 31–12 Milan
Try: David Manley
Neil Jenkins
Pen: Neil Jenkins (8)
Pen: Diego Dominguez (4)
Sardis Road
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Brian Campsall

6 December 1995
19:00
Leinster 23–22 Pontypridd
Try: Conor O'Shea
Alan McGowan
Con: Alan McGowan (2)
Pen: Alan McGowan
Try: Crispin Cormack
Con: Lee Jarvis
Pen: Lee Jarvis
Lansdowne Road
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Daniel Gillet

Pool 4

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
Swansea 2101330352782Advanced to the semi finals
Munster 2101220293232Eliminated
Castres 2101220293452
1 November 1995
14:30
Munster 17–13 Swansea
Try: Pat Murray
Richard Wallace
Con: Ken Smith
Pen: Ken Smith
Report Try: Alan Harris
Con: Aled Williams
Pen: Aled Williams
Thomond Park
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Ed Morrison

8 November 1995
20:00
Castres 19–12 Munster
Try: Nicolas Combes
Con: Laurent Labit
Pen: Laurent Labit (4)
Report Pen: Ken Smith (4)
Stade Antoine Beguere
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: David Davies

5 December 1995
19:00
Swansea 22–10 Castres
Try: Alan Harris
Garin Jenkins
Pen: Aled Williams (4)
Try: Rui
Con: Cyril Savy
Pen: Cyril Savy
St Helen's
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Chuck Muir

Seeding

Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/
1 Toulouse 48+53
2 Leinster Lions 44+4
3 Cardiff 37+40
4 Swansea 23+8

Knockout stage

Semi-finals Final
      
1 Toulouse 30
4 Swansea 3
1 Toulouse (a.e.t) 21
3 Cardiff 18
2 Leinster Lions 14
3 Cardiff 23

Semi-finals

30 December 1995
13:30
Leinster Lions 14–23 Cardiff
Try: Pim m
Pen: McGowan (3)
Try: Hall c
Taylor 50' c
Con: Davies (2)
Pen: Davies
Drop: Davies
Moore
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 7,350
Referee: Brian Campsall (England)

30 December 1995
14:00
Toulouse 30–3 Swansea
Try: Artiguste c
Manent c
Penalty try c
Con: Deylaud (3)
Pen: Deylaud (3)
Report Pen: Williams

Final

The 1996 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 1995–96 Heineken Cup, the inaugural season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 6 January 1996 at the Arms Park in Cardiff. The match was contested by Cardiff of Wales and Toulouse of France. Toulouse won the match 21–18 after extra time; they took the lead with two tries in the first 10 minutes, but the kicking of Adrian Davies kept Cardiff level. With the scores at 15–12 as the clock ticked past 80 minutes, Davies stepped up again and slotted over a penalty to take the game to extra time. Christophe Deylaud restored Toulouse's lead with another penalty shortly after the game restarted, before Davies tied the scores up again. Then, going into the final few seconds of extra time, the referee penalised Cardiff for using hands in the ruck; Deylaud slotted the resulting penalty to seal Toulouse's victory.

Match details

6 January 1996
13:30
Cardiff 18–21 (a.e.t.) Toulouse
Pen: Davies (6)
Report Try: Castaignède
Cazalbou
Con: Deylaud
Pen: Deylaud (2)
Drop: Castaignède
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 21,800
Referee: David McHugh (Ireland)

References

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