2005–06 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The 2005–06 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the tenth season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began with all twenty teams playing on 22 October 2005 and ended when Bristol hosted Narbonne on 22 January 2006.

Twenty teams participated in this phase of the competition; they were divided into five pools of four teams each, with each team playing the others home and away. Competition points were earned using the standard bonus point system. The five pool winners and the best three runners-up advanced to the knockout stage. These teams then competed in a single-elimination tournament that ended with the final at the Twickenham Stoop in London on 21 May 2006.

Results All times are local to the game location.

{| class="wikitable" |+ Key to colours |- | style="background: #ccffcc;" |      | Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses |- | style="background: #ccccff;" |      | Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Northampton Saints (4)650132122019496985025 Narbonne640216115125113122018 Bristol630326215203150533116 Viadana6006939−3081244−163011

Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts London Irish (3)6600321121239811583027 Agen630323158163143203014 Pau62041219−7107153−462111 Overmach Parma6105830−2274206−132004

Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Gloucester (1)660049643331532785029 Bayonne (6)6402311120202931094020 București6105740−3371253−182015 Toulon6105939−3064269−205015

Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Newcastle Falcons (2)6600441034324812434028 Brive (8)6303301911203169344218 Borders63031923−4155177−222115 L'Aquila60061455−41103358−255011

Pool 5 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Worcester Warriors (5)6501241212181103783125 Connacht (7)6402251411190119713120 Catania62041541−26116257−141118 Montpellier610526233170178−8227

Seeding and runners-up SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/-1 Gloucester2949+2782 Newcastle Falcons2844+2433 London Irish2732+1584 Northampton Saints2532+985 Worcester Warriors2524+78 SeedPool Runners-upPtsTF+/-6 Bayonne2031+1097 Connacht2025+718 Brive1830+34 – Narbonne1816+12 – Agen1416+20

See also European Challenge Cup 2005–06 Heineken Cup

References