2008–09 Heineken Cup

The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. Irish side Leinster became the champions, defeating Leicester Tigers 19–16 in the final.[1]

2008–09 Heineken Cup
Tournament details
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date10 October 2008 – 23 May 2009
Tournament statistics
Teams24
Matches played79
Attendance1,177,064 (14,900 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Ben Blair (Cardiff)
(99 points)
Top try scorer(s)Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)
(5 tries)
Final
VenueMurrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Attendance66,523
Champions Leinster (1st title)
Runners-up Leicester Tigers

Teams

Seven French teams competed, as a French team, Toulouse, progressed further in the previous year's tournament than any English or Italian team.

Four Welsh teams competed, as Italy forfeited its place in the Italo-Celtic playoff[2] and a Welsh team were the highest-placed team in the previous year's Celtic league not to qualify otherwise.[3] Other nations had their usual number of participants: England six, Ireland three, Italy two and Scotland two.[4]

England France Wales Ireland Scotland Italy

Seeding

The seeding system for participating teams changed from previous editions of the Heineken Cup. Previously, each participating nation would seed one of their teams and these six teams would be drawn in different groups at the group stage.[5] Starting with the 2008–09 edition, the 24 competing teams were ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each group receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier.[6] The requirement to have only one team per country in each group however, still applied (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team).[7]

The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking before the start of the 2008–09 season.

Tier 1 Munster (1) Toulouse (2) Biarritz (3) Leicester Tigers (4) Stade Français (5) London Wasps (6)
Tier 2 Leinster (7) Bath (8) Gloucester (9) Perpignan (10) Sale Sharks (12) Scarlets (13)
Tier 3 Ospreys (15) Cardiff Blues (17) Clermont (18) Newport Gwent Dragons (20) Ulster (21) Castres (22)
Tier 4 Glasgow Warriors (24) Benetton Treviso (25) Edinburgh (28) Calvisano (32) Harlequins (35) Montauban

Pool stage

The draw for the pool stages took place on 17 June 2008 in Dublin.

Key to colours
     Winner of each pool, and two best runners-up,
advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

Pool 1

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Munster (2) 65011861216198632123
Sale 630314113136115212115
Clermont 63031413113712981013
Montauban 6105521168117392026

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Leinster (6) 64021531214070702220
Wasps 6402912311411220117
Edinburgh 62048809110312109
Castres 620461597313360019

Pool 3

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Leicester Tigers (4) 640223617191901013221
Ospreys (7) 64021731415571842220
Perpignan 640217107154120341118
Benetton Treviso 60065433872291219000

Pool 4

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Harlequins (3) 650116124144115292022
Stade Français 630313112131109221215
Ulster 621313130113134210111
Scarlets 61141218612415430028

Pool 5

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Bath (5) 6411138510792152121
Toulouse (8) 6411128412188331120
Glasgow 620414173134150161312
Newport Gwent Dragons 610581468311532037

Pool 6

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff TB LB Pts
Cardiff Blues (1) 660023914202991033027
Biarritz 63031441012188331215
Gloucester 630317125156109472115
Calvisano 60068372987270183000

Seeding and runners-up

Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/
1 Cardiff Blues 2723+103
2 Munster 2318+63
3 Harlequins 2216+29
4 Leicester Tigers 2123+101
5 Bath 2113+15
6 Leinster 2015+70
Seed Pool Runners-up Pts TF +/
7 Ospreys 2017+84
8 Toulouse 2012+33
Sale 1914+21
Wasps 177+8
Biarritz 1514+33
Stade Français 1513+22

Knockout stage

The draw for the quarter-finals took place on 27 January at Murrayfield Stadium.[8]

Quarter-finals

11 April 2009
15:30
Cardiff Blues 9–6 Toulouse
Pen: Blair (3/3) 1', 30', 57'
Report Pen: Michalak (1/1) 5'
Skrela (1/1) 64'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 36,728
Referee: Chris White (England)
11 April 2009
18:00
Leicester Tigers 20–15 Bath
Try: Dupuy 80' m
Pen: Vesty (5/5) 20', 22', 51', 55', 67'
Report Try: Berne 35' c
Maddock 64' m
Con: James (1/2)
Pen: James (1/2) 45'
Walkers Stadium, Leicester
Attendance: 26,100
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
12 April 2009
13:00
Munster 43–9 Ospreys
Try: Warwick 34' c
O'Connell 55' c
Earls (2) 63' c, 65' c
Con: O'Gara (4/4)
Pen: O'Gara (3/3) 14', 20', 50'
Drop: Warwick (2) 39', 58'
Report Pen: Hook (3/6) 16', 30', 45'
Thomond Park, Limerick
Attendance: 26,000
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
12 April 2009
15:30
Harlequins 5–6 Leinster
Try: Brown 65' m
Report Pen: Contepomi (2/2) 15', 39'
Twickenham Stoop, London
Attendance: 12,638
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
  • This match became notorious for the "Bloodgate" scandal. Quins coach Dean Richards was banned from rugby for three years for his role in faking an injury to wing Tom Williams so that Quins could send in a blood replacement. Williams himself was initially banned for a year, but after he revealed the full extent of the scheme, the ban was reduced to four months.[9]

Semi-finals

2 May 2009
17:30
Munster 6–25 Leinster
Pen: O'Gara (2/2) 18', 36'
Report
Report
Try: D'Arcy 30' m
Fitzgerald 42' c
B. O'Driscoll 61' c
Con: Sexton (2/3)
Pen: Sexton (1/1) 26'
Drop: Contepomi (1/1) 15'
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 82,208
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
3 May 2009
15:00
Cardiff Blues 26–26 (a.e.t.) Leicester Tigers
Try: Roberts 73' c
James 74' c
Con: Blair (2/2)
Pen: Blair (2/2) 14', 33'
Halfpenny 27', 35'
Report Try: Hamilton 21' c
G. Murphy 45' c
Con: Dupuy (2/2)
Pen: Dupuy (4/7) 24', 38', 54', 56'
  Penalties  
Blair Y
N. Robinson Y
Halfpenny Y
Sweeney Y
James N
Shanklin Y
Rees Y
M. Williams N
6–7 Y Dupuy
Y Vesty
Y G. Murphy
N J. Murphy
Y Hamilton
Y Mauger
Y Newby
Y Crane
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 44,212
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Final

23 May 2009
17:00
Leicester Tigers 16–19 Leinster
Try: Woods 38' c
Con: Dupuy (1/1)
Pen: Dupuy (3/3) 8', 33', 42'
(Report) Try: Heaslip 49' c
Con: Sexton (1/1)
Pen: Sexton (2/3) 24', 70'
Drop: O'Driscoll (1/1) 5'
Sexton (1/1) 17'
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Attendance: 66,523
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Notes and references

  1. Thornley, Gerry. "Leinster soar highest in bluest of blue days". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. "Fourth team for Ireland or Wales in 2008/2009". European Rugby Cup. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  3. "Newport Gwent Dragons Secure 4th Heineken Cup Spot for Wales". European Rugby Cup. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  4. "Heineken Cup – Key Tournament Rules". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  5. "Heineken Cup Pool Draw Confirmed". European Rugby Cup. 11 June 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  6. "ERC European Rankings (May 2008)". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  7. "ERC Draw Regulations (June 2008)". European Rugby Cup. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  8. "Heineken Cup semi-final draw completed". European Rugby Cup. 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
  9. Benammar, Emily (2009-08-18). "Dean Richards ban: how 'Bloodgate' saga unfolded". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
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