The 2013–14 Heineken Cup pool stage is the first stage of the 19th season of the Heineken Cup, Europe's top competition for rugby union clubs. It involves 24 teams competing for eight quarter-final berths, awarded to the winners of each of six pools, plus the two top-ranked second-place teams. The next three best runners-up will be parachuted into the Amlin Challenge Cup.
The pool stage will begin on 11 October 2013 and run through to 17–19 January 2014. The quarter-finalists will then participate in a knockout tournament that ultimately ends with the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday 24 May 2014.
Seeding The seeding system was the same as in the 2012–13 tournament. The 24 competing teams are ranked based on past Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup performance, with each pool receiving one team from each quartile, or Tier. The requirement to have only one team per country in each pool, however, still applies (with the exception of the inclusion of the seventh French team, Racing Métro 92).
The brackets show each team's European Rugby Club Ranking at the end of the 2012–13 season.
Tier 1 Leinster (1) Toulon (2) Toulouse (3) Clermont Auvergne (4) Munster (6) Ulster (7) Tier 2 Northampton Saints (9) Cardiff Blues (10) Harlequins (11) Saracens (12) Leicester Tigers (13) Perpignan (14) Tier 3 Edinburgh (15) Ospreys (17) Scarlets (18) Glasgow Warriors (19) Montpellier (20) Connacht (21) Tier 4 Gloucester (23) Castres Olympique (25) Racing Métro 92 (26) Exeter Chiefs (28) Benetton Treviso (29) Zebre (35)
Pool stage The draw for the pool stage took place on 5 June 2013 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The dates and times of the first 4 rounds were announced on 20 July 2013.
Under rules of the competition organiser, European Rugby Cup, tiebreakers within each pool are as follows. Competition points earned in head-to-head matches Total tries scored in head-to-head matches Point differential in head-to-head matches
ERC has four additional tiebreakers, used if tied teams are in different pools, or if the above steps cannot break a tie between teams in the same pool: Tries scored in all pool matches Point differential in all pool matches Best disciplinary record (fewest players receiving red or yellow cards in all pool matches) Coin toss
+ Key to colours Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Two highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Third- through fifth- highest-scoring second-place teams parachute into the knockout stageof the European Challenge Cup.
All kickoff times are local to the match location.
Pool 1 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Leinster (6) 6 5 0 1 152 66 +86 16 7 2 0 22 Northampton Saints (5C) 6 4 0 2 107 104 +3 11 10 0 1 17 Castres Olympique 6 2 0 4 78 104 −26 5 6 0 1 9 Ospreys 6 1 0 5 75 138 −63 3 12 0 1 5 Source : www.ercrugby.comPoints breakdown:*4 points for a win*2 points for a draw*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
Pool 2 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Toulon (3) 6 5 0 1 170 104 +66 15 10 3 1 24 Cardiff Blues 6 3 0 3 119 148 −29 10 14 1 1 14 Exeter Chiefs 6 2 0 4 118 123 −5 11 14 1 3 12 Glasgow Warriors 6 2 0 4 98 130 −32 12 10 1 2 11 Source : www.ercrugby.comPoints breakdown:*4 points for a win*2 points for a draw*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
Pool 3 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Toulouse (5) 6 5 0 1 143 63 +80 16 4 2 1 23 Saracens (8) 6 4 0 2 217 74 +143 29 5 3 1 20 Connacht 6 3 0 3 101 147 −46 7 20 0 1 13 Zebre 6 0 0 6 33 210 −177 2 25 0 0 0 Source : www.ercrugby.comPoints breakdown:*4 points for a win*2 points for a draw*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
Pool 4 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Clermont (2) 6 5 0 1 139 69 +70 17 5 3 1 24 Harlequins (6C) 6 3 0 3 126 103 +23 12 12 1 3 16 Scarlets 6 2 1 3 122 150 −28 11 17 0 1 11 Racing Métro 92 6 1 1 4 66 131 −65 5 12 0 1 7 Source : www.ercrugby.comPoints breakdown:*4 points for a win*2 points for a draw*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
Pool 5 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Ulster (1) 6 6 0 0 179 62 +117 17 4 2 0 26 Leicester Tigers (7) 6 4 0 2 159 112 +47 16 9 3 2 21 Montpellier 6 2 0 4 121 124 −3 14 11 2 1 11 Benetton Treviso 6 0 0 6 41 202 −161 2 25 0 0 0 Source : www.ercrugby.comPoints breakdown:*4 points for a win*2 points for a draw*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
Pool 6 TeamPWDLPFPADiffTFTATBLBPts Munster (4) 6 5 0 1 161 77 +84 19 6 2 1 23 Gloucester (7C) 6 3 0 3 113 114 −1 13 10 1 1 14 Edinburgh 6 3 0 3 104 141 −37 10 17 0 0 12 Perpignan 6 1 0 5 112 158 −46 10 19 1 2 7 Source : www.ercrugby.comPoints breakdown:*4 points for a win*2 points for a draw*1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less*1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match
See also 2013–14 Heineken Cup
References
External links Official ERC website