2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs explained

2015–16 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs
Event:	European Rugby Champions Cup Qualification Play-off
Date:	23 and 30 May 2015
Previous:	2014–15

The 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the second play-off for entry into the top-level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Format

Following the two-team play-off in 2014–15, an expanded, four-team format was due to be used. However, on 24 September 2014, it was announced this would instead be a three-team play-off, with the highest placed non-qualifying team taking part.^[1]

To accommodate the longer season in the French Top 14, the format was announced as follows:

• One team each would qualify from the Premiership and the Pro12, with each league being represented by the highest placed team not already qualified. These two teams would play in the first game, with home advantage in the match would be decided by a coin toss. In the event that the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup winner was a Premiership club, and it had not automatically qualified for the Champions Cup, it would take the place allocated to a Premiership team.^[2]
• The winner of the first game would host the 7th placed team in the French Top 14. The winner of that game would qualify for the Champions Cup.

Gloucester became the first team to qualify for the play-off, taking the place allocated to the Premiership, when they beat Edinburgh 19–13 in the Challenge Cup final on 1 May 2015. This result meant that the 7th place team in the 2014–15 Premiership will no longer take part in the play-off, and will compete in the Challenge Cup. Connacht qualified next, when the finished seventh in the 2014–15 Pro12 with 50 points, narrowly edging Edinburgh who had 48 points. Bordeaux Bègles qualified for the play-off on 23 May 2015.

Connacht played Gloucester away at Gloucester's Kingsholm Stadium on Sunday 24 May 2015,^[3] with the venue having been decided earlier by a coin toss.^[4] It was decided that, in the event of a Gloucester win, the second play-off match would be played at Sixways Stadium in Worcester, to avoid a clash of fixtures with a Madness concert.

Teams

League	Team	Coach	Stadium
Premiership	Gloucester	David Humphreys	Kingsholm Stadium
Pro12	Connacht	Pat Lam	Galway Sportsgrounds
Top 14	Bordeaux Bègles	Raphaël Ibañez	Stade André Moga

Matches

Match 1

FB 15 RW 14 Jonny May OC 13 Bill Meakes IC 12 Billy Twelvetrees (c) LW 11 FH 10 James Hook SH 9 Greig Laidlaw N8 8 OF 7 BF 6 Jacob Rowan RL 5 Tom Palmer LL 4 Tom Savage TP 3 HK 2 LP 1 Replacements: HK 16 PR 17 PR 18 LK 19 FL 20 SH 21 FH 22 Billy Burns FB 23 Coach: David Humphreys

FB 15 RW 14 OC 13 Robbie Henshaw IC 12 Bundee Aki LW 11 Matt Healy FH 10 Jack Carty SH 9 N8 8 OF 7 BF 6 John Muldoon (c) RL 5 Aly Muldowney LL 4 TP 3 HK 2 LP 1 Replacements: HK 16 PR 17 PR 18 LK 19 FL 20 SH 21 FH 22 CE 23 Coach: Pat Lam

• Gloucester advanced to play Bordeaux Bègles. Connacht went on to compete in the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Match 2

FB 15 Rob Cook RW 14 Charlie Sharples OC 13 IC 12 Billy Twelvetrees (c) LW 11 Henry Purdy FH 10 James Hook SH 9 Greig Laidlaw N8 8 Ross Moriarty OF 7 BF 6 RL 5 Tom Palmer LL 4 Tom Savage TP 3 HK 2 LP 1 Replacements: HK 16 PR 17 PR 18 LK 19 N8 20 SH 21 Callum Braley FH 22 Billy Burns FB 23 Coach: David Humphreys

FB 15 RW 14 Metuisela Talebula OC 13 Félix Le Bourhis IC 12 Julien Rey LW 11 Blair Connor FH 10 Pierre Bernard SH 9 N8 8 Peter Saili OF 7 BF 6 Louis-Benoît Madaule (c) RL 5 LL 4 Jandré Marais TP 3 HK 2 LP 1 Replacements: HK 16 PR 17 PR 18 LK 19 N8 20 SH 21 CE 22 Jayden Spence FB 23 Coach: Raphaël Ibañez

• Bordeaux Bègles qualified for the 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup. Gloucester played in the 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

See also

• 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup
• 2015–16 European Rugby Challenge Cup

Notes and References

1. Web site: European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). epcrugby.com. 14 September 2017.
2. Web site: European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). epcrugby.com. 14 September 2017.
3. Web site: Connacht lose but make Champions Cup play-off. RTÉ. 16 May 2015. 17 May 2015. Connacht will now play Gloucester away at Kingsholm next Sunday, with the winner of that tie playing the French Top 14 seventh-placed side for a spot in next year's Champions Cup..
4. Web site: Gloucester's Champions Cup play-off home advantage to be settled by Twickenham coin toss. Gloucester Citizen. Mike Brown. 2 May 2015. 17 May 2015. The coin toss will take place during coverage of the Champions Cup final between Clermont Auvergne and Toulon at Twickenham. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150506110224/http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Gloucester-s-Champions-Cup-play-home-advantage/story-26430513-detail/story.html . 6 May 2015 .