RUGBY UNION - EUROPEAN CUP COMPETITIONS
2000/01
Heineken Cup Final - Leicester Tigers (34) v (30) Stade Francais - In a shootout at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Leicester won their 1st ever European Cup with a last minute try. The game was played at a fast pace with both teams penalised often. Stade Francais's kicker Diego Dominguez had a huge game, kicking all of Stade's points (9 penalties, 1 drop goal), while Leicester's kicker Tim Stimpson kept his team in contention with 5 penalties. The game was decided in the final minute when Austin Healey made a line-break, fed winger Leon Lloyd and he touched down in the corner for the game-winning try, his 2nd of the match. Stimpson added the all-important conversion and the Tigers held on for the win. Leicester also featured Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Martin Corry, Ben Kay, Andy Goode and Geordan Murphy (2 versions : 8, Downloaded from the internet, 1 Disc, BBC - McClaren/Davies, PAL / 9, 2020 Re-Broadcast with Austin Healey offering insights into the game as the game is played - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Healey, PAL)
2001/02
European Cup Final - Leicester (15) v (9) Munster - Leicester became the first team to repeat as Champions with a hard-fought win against Munster at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. In a game of 2 halves, Munster, and especially Fly-Half Ronan O'Gara, controlled the 1st half and went in at the break with a 9-5 lead. But the 2nd half belonged to Leicester as they forged ahead with a try, and with O'Gara suddenly missing his kicks, the Tigers held on for the win and the record-making 2nd straight trophy. The Leicester tries came from man-of-the-match Austin Healey and Geordan Murphy, with Tim Stimpson adding 5 points with the boot. All of Munsters points came from O'Gara. Leicester also featured Martin Johnson, Ben Kay, Neil Back, Rod Kafer and Freddie Tuilagi. Munster also featured Paul O'Connell, Peter Stringer, Mick Galwey and Anthony Foley. The coverage is a 2020 re-broadcast with Austin Healey offering insights into the game as the game is played (9, 2020 Re-Broadcast - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Healey, PAL)
2003/04
Heineken Cup Semi-Final - Wasps (37) @ (32) Munster - In one of the greatest European cup ties ever, the best English team took on the best Irish team. Wasps scored 6 minutes into injury time to seal the win (9, 2 Discs, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Heineken Cup Final - Wasps (27) v (20) Toulouse - Wasps claimed their first European Cup trophy with a sensational finish at Twickenham. Toulouse had the better of the 1st half but trailed to Wasps 13-11. After Wasps started the 2nd half with a try, Toulouse rattled off 9 unanswered points to tie the game at 20-20 with 5 minutes to play. Extra-time seemed inevitable but with 2 minutes to play, Wasps Rob Howley fielded a short drop out, kicked a grubber kick along the touchline and beat Toulouse defender Clement Poitrenaud to the ball to touch down for the game-winning try. The other Wasps tries came from Stuart Abbott and Mark van Gisbergen. The Toulouse try came from Yann Delaigue. Wasps also featured Lawrence Dallaglio, Josh Lewsey and Joe Worsley. Toulouse featured Émile Ntamack, Frédéric Michalak and captain Fabien Pelous. The coverage is a 2020 re-broadcast with Lawrence Dallaglio offering insights into the game as the game is played (9, 2020 Re-Broadcast, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Eykyn/Dallaglio, PAL)
2004/05
Heineken Cup Final - Toulouse (18) v (12) Stade Francais - Toulouse left it until the last minute of the game to kick the game-tying penalty and send the game into extra-time where they won out. The Toulouse coach was arrested during the trophy ceremony for trying to get on the pitch !!! (9) (9, 3 Discs, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
2005/06
Heineken Cup Quarter Final - Leinster (41) @ (35) Toulouse - Leinster celebrated one of their greatest European Cup wins with a shootout victory in Toulouse. After a penalty-ridden early start to the game, the match ebbed-and-flowed, with firstly Leinster then Toulouse then Leinster then Toulouse again having purple patches in the game. Leinster turned an early 9-6 lead into a 19-9 lead at the half. Toulouse fought back to 19-18 but Leinster surged ahead again with 3 unanswered tries only for Toulouse to score 2 late tries to pull the game within 6 points. But the Irish province held on for a famous win. The Leinster tries came from Brian O'Driscoll, Cameron Jowitt, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan. The Toulouse tries came from Yannick Nyanga and Yannick Jauzion. Leinster also featured Gordon D'Arcy, Felipe Contepomi and Jamie Heaslip. Toulouse also featured Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Clement Poitrenaud, Vincent Clerc and Fabien Pelous. The coverage is a 2020 re-broadcast with Brian O'Driscoll offering insights into the game as the game is played (9, 2020 Re-Broadcast - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Eykyn/O'Driscoll, PAL)
2006/07
Heineken Cup Final - Leicester (9) v (25) Wasps - Wasps denied Leicester the treble with a convincing win at Twickenham and claimed their 2nd European Cup in 4 seasons. Wasps took advantage of Leicester's inability to defend the throw to the front of the lineout, scoring 2 tries to go in at the break with a 13-9 lead. The 2nd half was all Wasps though, as they forced Leicester to play catch-up rugby while they scored 12 unanswered points of their own from 3 penalties and a drop goal to win the cup. The Wasps tries came from Eoin Reddan and Raphael Ibanez with Andy King kicking 15 points. All the Leicester points came from the boot of Andy Goode. Wasps also featured Lawrence Dallaglio, Danny Cipriani, Paul Sackey, Fraser Waters and Joe Worsley. Leicester featured Geordan Murphy, Danny Hipkiss, Ben Kay, Lewis Moody and captain Martin Corry. The coverage is a 2020 re-broadcast with Lawrence Dallaglio offering insights into the game as the game is played (9, 2020 Re-Broadcast, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Eykyn/Dallaglio, PAL)
2008/09
Heineken Cup Semi-Final - Leinster (25) v (6) Munster - In a major upset, Leinster overcame their underachiever tag with a dominating performance against the reigning champions. Tries from Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald and Brian O'Driscoll did the damage and great defense at the end of the game saw Leinster to the win. Munster featured Doug Howlett, Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer and Paul O'Connell (2 versions : 10, 1 Disc, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL / 9, 2020 Re-Broadcast with Brian O'Driscoll offering insights into the game as the game is played - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/O'Driscoll, PAL)
Heineken Cup Semi-Final - Leicester Tigers (26) v (26) Cardiff Blues - Leicester advanced to their 5th Heineken Cup Final with a penalty shootout win over Cardiff. The Tigers started stronger and built a 26-12 lead entering the final 6 minutes before Tom James and Jamie Roberts scored late tries to force extra-time. Neither team could find the winner so the game went to a penalty kick shootout, a first for the competition. After 4 kicks, Cardiff had a chance to win the game but missed the kick and then, after Leicester had made their next kick, Cardiff missed the tieing kick, giving the Tigers the win. Cardiff also featured Martyn Williams, Tom Shanklin, Leigh Halfpenny and Gethin Jenkins. Leicester featured Geordan Murphy, Dan Hipkiss, Toby Flood, Marco Castrogiovanni and Ben Kay (2 versions : 10, 1 Disc, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL / 9, 2020 Re-Broadcast with Ben Kay offering insights into the game as the game is played - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay, PAL)
Heineken Cup Final - Leicester Tigers (16) v (19) Leinster - In a big upset, Leinster won their first ever European Cup with a dramatic win at Murrayfield. Leinster had to fight back from a 16-9 deficit in the 2nd half and a try from Jamie Heaslip and a penalty from Jonathan Sexton gave them the lead that they saw out to the end. Leinster were led by Leo Cullen and also featured Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Gordon D'Arcy and a man-of-the-match performance from Rocky Elsom. Leicester featured Ben Kay, Tom Croft, Dan Hipkiss and Alesena Tuilagi (10, 2 Discs, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
Challenge Cup Final - Northampton Saints (15) v (3) Bourgoin - Northampton completed their turn-around from relegation in 2007 to European Challenge Cup winners 2 years later thanks to 5 penalties from Stephen Myler. A very physical game with a couple of punch-ups, saw Bourgoin commit too many penalties in their own half and Myler made them pay. With the win, Northmapton qualified for the 2009/2010 Heineken Cup. The Saints featured Ben Foden, Bruce Reihana, Dylan Hartley and Neil Best. Bourgoin featured Morgan Parra, in his last game for the club, and Rudi Coetzee (10, 2 Discs, SKY - Robson/Evans, PAL)
2010/11
Heineken Cup Final - Leinster (33) v (22) Northampton Saints - Leinster claimed their 2nd European Cup with a sensational victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Northampton led 22-6 at the half with tries from Phil Dowson, Ben Foden and Dylan Hartley before Leinster turned the game on it's head with a dominating 2nd half performance. Man-of-the-match Jonathan Sexton was the architect, accounting for all but 5 points as he racked up 2 tries, 3 conversions and 4 penalties. The other try came from Nathan Hines. The Leinster team overpowered a worn-out Saints team as the game wore on, keeping them scoreless in the 2nd half as they claimed their 2nd title in 3 years. Leinster also featured Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald and Jamie Heaslip. Northampton also featured Chris Ashton, Stephen Myler, Courtney Lawes and Brian Mujati (2 versions : 10, Official DVD - Unavailable for trade, 1 Disc, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL / 8, 45 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC - Ward, PAL)
Challenge Cup Final - Harlequins (19) v (18) Stade Francais - In a sensational finish at the Cardiff City Stadium, Harlequins became the first side to win the European Challenge Cup 3 times. After coming off second best in the opening half, Stade over-turned a 9-3 deficit after 27 minutes with 12 unanswered points to lead 15-9 just before the hour. And when Stade added a 45 metre drop-goal from full-back Martin Rodriguez with 7 minutes to go, the game seemed lost for 'Quins. But they mounted one last attack and after some terrific off-loading, Gonzalo Camacho touched down with 3 minutes left to bring 'Quins within a point. Nick Evans (14 points) then stepped up to kick the conversion from the right touchline to give them the lead which they defended frantically to the end. All the Stade Francais points came from the boots of Lionel Beauxis (12), and drop-goals from Mathieu Basteraud and Rodriguez. Harlequins also featured Mike Brown, Ugo Monye, Danny Care, Joe Marler, Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter. Stade Francais also featured Sergio Parisse, James Haskell and Tom Palmer (9, 2020 Re-Broadcast - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Eykyn/Monye, PAL)
2012/13
Heineken Cup Final - Toulon (16) v (15) Clermont-Auvergne - In an all-French clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Toulon won their 1st ever European Cup. A very physical game was all-tied at 3-3 at the break, but Clermont made the breakthrough early in the 2nd half with 2 tries in 6 minutes. Jonny Wilkinson (3 penalties) kept Toulon in touch, though, and they took the lead for good in the 64th minute then held on until the end to claim the trophy. The Toulon try came from Delon Armitage. The Clermont tries came from Napolioni Nalaga and Brock James with Morgan Parra kicking 1 penalty (8, Downloaded from the internet - No trophy presentation, 1 Disc, SKY - Harrison/Barnes, PAL)
2014/15
European Champions Cup - Pool 1 - Clermont-Auvergne (23) @ (30) Saracens - In their opening pool game, Saracens claimed a hard-fought home win. In a tight game, both teams were tied at 10-10 at the half and Saracens didn't seal the win until the final 20 minutes with a late try. The Saracens tries came from Davis Strettle (2) and Chris Ashton (2) with Charlie Hodgson kicking 10 points. The Clermont tries came from Zac Guildford (2) with Camile Lopez kicking 12 points (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Dallaglio/Healey, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Pool 2 - Castres (9) @ (25) Harlequins - In the 1st ever European Champions Cup game, the home-team Harlequins overwhelmed the visiting French to claim the win. A tight, defensive 1st half ended 3-3 but the Quins dominated the 2nd half, led by 17 points from Nick Evans and the only try of the game from Danny Care. Castres featured Rory Kockott (6 points), Max Evans and Jannie Bornman (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Flatman/Dawson, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Quarter Final - Saracens (12) @ (11) Racing Metro - Saracens sensationally booked a place in the Semi-Final with a last-play penalty in Paris. Saracens led 6-5 at the half but Racing re-took the lead with 2 penalties and led 11-9 entering the final minute. But Racing gave away a penalty as the clock went red and Marcelo Bosch, Saracens 3rd choice kicker, stepped up and kicked a monster kick into the wind to win the game. All of Saracens points came from the kicking game. All the Racing Metro points came from Maxime Machenaud (1 try, 2 penalties) (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Semi-Final - Saracens (9) @ (13) Clermont-Auvergne - Clermont reached their second final in three years with a tight home win over Saracens. Both teams were great in Defense and Saracens held a 6-3 lead going into half-time. But the free-flowing French found their attack in the 2nd half and reeled of 10 unanswered points to reach the final. The Clermont try came from Wesley Fofana with Brock James adding 2 penalty kicks. All the Saracens points came from the boots of Charlie Hodgson and Owen Farrell (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Champions Cup Final - Clermont-Auvergne (18) v (24) Toulon - In a battle between the 2 heavyweights of French Rugby, Toulon again proved they were the best team in Europe with a record-making win at Twickenham. Toulon became the 1st team to win 3 European Cups in a row but needed to withstand a strong showing from Clermont to do so. Toulon only led 19-18 with time ticking down and Clermont with momentum, until Drew Mitchell scored a sensational solo try to clinch the win. The other Toulon try came from Mathieu Basteraud with Leigh Halfpenny adding 4 penalties. The Clermont tries came from Welsey Fofana and Nick Abendanon with Camille Lopez kicking 2 penalties (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Challenge Cup - Semi-Final - Newport-Gwent Dragons (16) @ (45) Edinburgh - Edinburgh booked a place in their 1st ever European Final with a big win at Murrayfield. The Scottish team took a 21-9 lead in at the half and kept the Dragons at arms length the rest of the way to take the win. The Edinburgh tries came from Stuart McInally, Tim Visser, Ben Toolis, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Dougie Fife. The Dragons try came from Brok Harris with Dorian Jones kicking 3 penalties (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/M.Williams/Nicol, PAL)
European Challenge Cup Final - Edinburgh (13) v (19) Gloucester - Gloucester claimed their 1st European trophy in 9 years to end their season on a high note. Gloucester held a 13-6 lead at the half and despite a strong fight back by the Scots in the 2nd half, Gloucester held on for the win. The Gloucester try came from Billy Twelvetrees with Grieg Laidlaw adding 4 penalties. The Edinburgh try came from Ross Ford with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne adding 2 penalties (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Dallaglio/Blair, PAL)
2015/16
European Champions Cup - Pool 4 - Stade Francais (20) @ (33) Leicester Tigers - Leicester opened their European Champions Cup campaign with a comeback win at Welford Road. Against the run of play, Stade took an early 8 point lead before Leicester started to take their chances and they went in at the break with a 12-8 lead. In the 2nd half, Leicester turned the screw and out-scored the French 2 tries to 1 to take the win. The Leicester tries came from Vereniki Goneva, Matt Smith, Brendon O'Connor (on debut) and Ben Youngs. The Stade Francais tries came from Julien Tomas, Paul Williams, and Julien Arias (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/O'Driscoll, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Pool 3 - Northampton Saints (3) @ (33) Racing 92 - New Zealander Dan Carter made his much-anticipated debut for Racing and he helped them to the top of Pool 3 with a win. Carter finished with 6 points (3 conversions). Racing dominated the game in the forwards and held a 21-3 lead at the half. The 2nd half saw the Saints come back into the game but Racing scored the only try of the half and coasted home. The Racing tries came from Henry Chavancy, Eddy Ben Arous, Brice Dulin and Juan Imhoff. Racing racked up 632 metres of attacking rugby (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Dallaglio/Monye, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Pool 5 - Wasps (11) @ (15) Toulon - Toulon claimed top spot in the group but needed a last second try to do so. A tight, closely-fought game saw Wasps hit the front with a try in the 70th minute but Toulon went up through the gears and with the final play of the game, scored the game-winning try. The Toulon tries came from Quade Cooper and Drew Mitchell. The Wasps try came from Guy Thompson with Jimmy Gopperth kicking 2 penalties (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kennedy/Monye, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Semi-Final - Racing 92 (19) @ (16) Leicester Tigers - Racing 92 used a great Defensive performance to upset the Tigers and move on to the Final. Racing led 13-6 at the half then put the squeeze on Leicester, forcing 20 turnovers that halted any momentum the Tigers tried to generate. The Racing try came from Maxime Machenaud with Dan Carter kicking 3 penalties. The Leicester try came from Telusa Veainu (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/Goode, PAL)
Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Semi-Final Highlights - Highlights of the Saracens/Wasps and Racing/Leicester European Champions Cup Semi-Finals and the Montpelier/Newport-Gwent and Harlequins/Grenoble Challenge Cup Semi-Finals (10, 45 minutes, 1 Disc, BT Sport, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Final - Saracens (21) v (9) Racing 92 - Saracens became champions of Europe for the first time as they ground out victory in the rain against Racing 92 in Lyon. In a tight 1st half, Saracens took a 12-6 lead in at the half, but the 2nd half belonged to the English side who played great Defense to keep the French team at bay. All the Saracens points came from the boot of Owen Farrell (7 penalties). All the Racing 92 points came from the boot of Johan Goosen (3 penalties). Saracens also featured man-of-the-match Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Andy Goode, Schalk Brits and the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy. Racing 92 featured Joe Rokocoko, Juan Imhoff and Luke Charteris but lost Maxime Machenaud and Dan Carter to injury during the game (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Challenge Cup - Final - Harlequins (19) v (26) Montpelier - Montpelier claimed their 1st ever European trophy with a hard-fought win in Lyon. Montpelier won the game in the forwards, using their South African stars to build a platform for the backs to score the tries. Montpelier took a 13-9 lead in at the half then scored the next 13 points to take a 26-9 lead with 9 minutes left in the game. 'Quins did score a late try and penalty to put themselves within a score of forcing extra-time but Montpelier held on for the win. Montpelier's tries came from Jesse Mogg (2). The Harlequins try came from Marland Yarde. Montpelier also featured Francois Steyn, Bismark Du Plessis, Jannie Du Plessis, Pierre Spies and Paul Willemse (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/O'Driscoll/Kay, PAL)
2016/17
European Champions Cup - Pool 1 - Racing 92 (7) @ (23) Glasgow Warriors - Glasgow dominated Racing 92 at Scotstoun Stadium and registered the double over their Pool 1 rivals. The Warriors came flying out of the blocks and took an 18-0 lead in at the half as a result of great running rugby. The Warriors extended their lead to 23-0 after the break and despite a late try from the French, saw out the game for an easy win. The Warriors tries came from Josh Strauss, Fraser Brown and Ali Price with Finn Russell adding 8 points with the boot. The Racing 92 try came from Xavier Chauveau. Racing 92 also featured Dan Carter, Maxime Machenaud and Francois van der Merwe (10, 1 hour 15 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Kellock/Healey, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Pool 1 - Glasgow Warriors (43) @ (0) Leicester Tigers - Glasgow booked their place in the Quarter Finals of the Cup with an impressive win at Welford Road. The loss for Leicester was their worst ever home European loss. Glasgow dominated the 1st half and led 31-0 at the break. 2 more tries in the 2nd half finished the game off and a demoralised Tigers team held on to the finish with conceding any more points. The Warriors tries came from Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Jonny Gray, Ryan Wilson, Tim Swinson and a penalty try. Finn Russell added 13 points with the boot (10, 1 hour 15 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Nicol/Kay, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Pool 3 - Saracens (31) @ (23) Toulon - In the opening game of the group, Saracens inflicted on Toulon their 1st ever home European cup game defeat. Saracens dominated the 1st half and led 25-6 at the break. Toulon rallied in the 2nd half but Saracens hung on for the famous win. The Saracens tries came from Sean Maitland, Richard Wigglesworth and Chris Wyles with Owen Farrell adding 4 penalties. The Touon tries came from Levan Chilachava and Bryan Habana (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Dallaglio/Healey, PAL)
European Champions Cup - Pool 3 - Toulon (3) @ (10) Saracens - Saracens secured a home quarter-final in the European Champions Cup with a tight win over Toulon in a defensive battle at Allianz Park. Toulon started well, crossing the line twice in the opening 10 minutes but both tries were ruled out after video replay. Saracens settled down as the game went on and took a 3-0 lead in at the half. In the 2nd half, Saracens scored the only try of the game through Chris Ashton and defended the lead to the end. Toulon did receive a losing bonus point to also qualify for the next round. Toulon's Mathieu Basteraud had a huge game in defeat and had the hit of the game in the 2nd half (10, No Post-Game, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Dallaglio/O'Driscoll, PAL)
European Champions Cup Pool 5 - Exeter Chiefs (18) @ (19) Ulster - Ulster claimed a much-needed win at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast, beating the Chiefs to stay in contention for the knockout round of the Cup. Both teams were evenly matched and the game came down to a kicking match in the last minutes to decide the winner. Firstly the Chiefs Gareth Steenson dropped a goal to but Exeter ahead 18-16. Then Paddy Jackson kicked his own drop-goal to put Ulster ahead 19-18 and watched as a last-minute long-range drop-goal from Steenson narrowly missed, giving the win to Ulster. Ulster also scored the only try, when man-of-the-match Charles Piutau set up Sean Reidy. Ulster also featured Ruan Pienaar (9, re-broadcast - 1 hour 12 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/O'Driscoll, PAL)
European Champions Cup Semi-Final - Saracens (26) @ (10) Munster - Saracens booked a place in their 3rd final in 4 years with a tough road win in Dublin. Underdogs Munster played the reigning champions tight in the 1st half and only trailed 6-3 at the break. But the visitors turned the screw in the 2nd half and scored 20 unanswered points to win the tie. The Saracens tries came from Mako Vunipola and Chris Wyles with Owen Farrell adding 10 points with the boot. The Munster try came from CJ Stander (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/O'Driscoll, PAL)
European Champions Cup Final - Clermont (17) v (28) Saracens - Saracens cemented their place as one the great club teams by winning back-to-back European Cups with a gutsy win against Clermont at Murrayfield. Saracens became only the 4th team to successfully retain the trophy (Leicester, Toulon and Leinster). Saracens had the better of the 1st half and held an early 12-0 lead. But Clermont started to find their feet and in the 2nd half pulled themselves back to within a point of Saracens by dominating the breakdown and converting a sensational length-of-the-field try. With time running down, Saracens took the 1 chance they had to score and in the 73rd minute Alex Goode touched down to give the Sarries an unassailable lead they defended to the end. The Saracens try scorers were Chris Ashton (his 37th European Try), George Kruis and Goode with Owen Farrell adding 13 points with the boot. The Clermont tries came from Remi Lamerat and Nick Abendanon (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Challenge Cup Final - Gloucester (17) v (25) Stade Francais - French Top-14 team Stade Francais finally won a European trophy at their 5th attempt, dominating Gloucester at a rainy Murrayfield. Stade were strong in the forwards, driven by captain Sergio Parisse, and took their opportunities in the backs when they arrived, with Geoffrey Doumayrou scoring a great individual try. Both teams were tied 10-10 at the half, but Stade scored 2 tries in the 2nd half to open up a lead they defended to the end. The Stade Francais tries came from Sergio Parisse, Jonathan Danty and Doumayrou. The Gloucester tries came from Jonny May and Ross Moriarty (10, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/O'Driscoll/Kay, PAL)
2018/19
European Cup Pool 1 - Toulouse (22) @ (20) Bath - Toulouse held on for an opening round win in Bath but had to rely on 2 big mistakes from Bath scrum half Freddie Burns to take the win. Bath held a 20-12 lead in the 2nd half when they had a man sin-binned. Toulouse took advantage, scoring 10 unanswered points, but Bath still had chances to win with Freddie Burns at the heart of both chances. Firstly he missed a simple penalty in front of the posts, then secondly he show-boated across the try line and failed to touchdown before having the ball knocked out of his hands, a moment which cost Bath the win. The Toulouse tries came from Maxime Medard and Sofiane Guitoune. The Bath tries came from Jamie Roberts and Freddie Burns. Disc 1 is "The Big Tackle" pre-game (47 minutes). Discs 2 and 3 are the game (9, 3 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Heaslip/Scarratt, PAL)
European Cup Pool 1 - Toulouse (13) @ (29) Leinster - Holders Leinster moved top of Pool One in the Champions Cup as they earned a bonus-point win over Toulouse, ending the French sides 12 game unbeaten run. A tight 1st half ended with Leinster holding a slim 10-6 lead, but the home side pulled away in the 2nd half with 3 tries to win the game. The Leinster tries came from Jack Conan, Dave Kearney, Sean Cronin and Adam Byrne. The Toulouse try came from Cheslin Kolbe. Leinster were missing World Player of the Year Johnny Sexton to injury (10, 2 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Heaslip, PAL)
European Cup Pool 2 - Gloucester (22) @ (36) Munster - Munster moved to the top of Pool Two with a 5-try bonus point win over 14-man Gloucester. Gloucester had to play the final 50 minutes a man down after Danny Cipriani was sent off for a shoulder charge on Rory Scannell. And with a man advantage, Munster broke open a 5-3 game with 24 unanswered points to secure victory. The Munster tries came from Mike Haley, Rhys Marshall, Joey Carbery, Sam Arnold and Andrew Conway. The Gloucester tries came from Gerbrandt Grobler, Jason Woodward and Ben Morgan (9, 1st Half is SD, 2 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Heaslip, PAL)
European Cup Pool 2 - Exeter (7) @ (9) Munster - In a winner-takes-all game at Thomond Park, Munster fought back from a half-time deficit to win and top the group. Exeter started the better and a Dan Armand try gave the Chiefs a slim 7-6 lead at the break. Defenses dominated the 2nd half and it wasn't until the 72nd minute that Munster kicked the game-winning penalty and held on the rest of the way to claim the win. Munster were led by Peter O'Mahoney, Tadhg Beirne, Joey Carbery and Connor Murray. Exeter also featured Jack Nowell, Henry Slade and Sam Simmons (10, 2 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Heaslip/Waterman, PAL)
European Cup Quarter Final - Munster (17) @ (13) Edinburgh - Munster overcame a half-time deficit and ferocious Edinburgh attacks to book their place in the Semi-Finals. Edinburgh relentlessly pressed for scores in the 1st half and went in at the break with a 10-3 lead. Munster fought back in the 2nd half and took the lead for good in the 72nd minute, before using great Defense to thwart incessant Edinburgh attacks and held on for the win. Both Munster tries came from Keith Earls. The Edinburgh try came from Chris Dean with Jaco van der Walt adding 8 points with the boot. Disc 1 is "The Big Tackle" pre-game (45 minutes). Discs 2 and 3 are the game (10, 2 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Heaslip/Habana, PAL)
European Cup Semi-Final - Toulouse (12) @ (30) Leinster - At the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Leinster ground out a win against Toulouse and booked their place in a 2nd straight European Cup Final. Toulouse paid for mental errors in the 1st half and these led to Leinster taking an 11 point lead in at the half. Toulouse tried to mount a comeback in the 2nd half, but Leinster turned the screw and a late try sealed the win and a place in the final. The Leinster tries came from James Lowe, Luke McGrath and Scott Fardy with Johnny Sexton adding 12 points with the boot. All the Toulouse points came from kicking game of Thomas Ramos (10, 2 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Habana/Heaslip, PAL)
European Cup Final - Leinster (10) v (20) Saracens - At a raucous St.James' Park in Newcastle, Saracens came from behind to win their 3rd European title in 4 years. A very physical encounter went the way of the Irish early on as Leinster raced out to a 10-0 lead, but Saracens scored 10 points in the final 2 minutes of the half to go in level at the break. The 2nd half was all Saracens, as they scored 10 unanswered points to take an insurmountable lead then used great Defense to seal the win. The Saracens tries came from Sean Maitland and Billy Vunipola with Owen Farrell kicking 2 penalties. The Leinster try came from Tadhg Furlong with Johhny Sexton also adding a penalty. Coverage includes "The Big Tackle" pre-game show (10, 2 Discs, Channel 4 - Harrison/Habana/Heaslip, PAL)
Pro-14 Final - Glasgow Warriors (15) v (18) Leinster - Leinster retained their Pro-14 title with a come-back win in the rain at Celtic Park in Glasgow. The Warriors rode the emotion of the home crowd to race out to a 10-5 lead, but Leinster found their rhythm and scored 15 unanswered points to take an unasailable lead. A late Glasgow try put them within touching distance of a win but the Irish team held on for the win. The Leinster tries came from Garry Ringrose and Cian Healy with Johhny Sexton adding 2 penalties. The Glasgow tries came from Matt Fagerson and Grant Stewart. Glasgow full-back Stuart Hogg played his last game for Glasgow, although he lasted only an hour before leaving injured (9, Next day re-broadcast with no Pre-Game or Half-Time but does include the trophy presentation, 1 Disc, Freesport - Butler/Paterson/M.Williams, PAL)
2019/20
European Cup Pool 4 - Ospreys (3) @ (44) Saracens - Saracens overcame a dramatic week in the clubs history to record their first win in the European Cup in 2019/20. During the week, the club were found guilty of breaching the salary cap, deducted 35 league points and fined £5.3 million pounds, and sought to take out their frustrations on the visiting, under-manned Ospreys. After a slow start, the Saracens took control, running in 3 tries in each half to take the win. The Saracens tries came from Jack Singleton, Rotimi Segun (2), Alex Lewington, Richard Barrington and a Penalty Try. The lone Ospreys penalty came from James Hook. Saracens gave a debut to Elliot Daly who turned in a man-of-the-match display. Ospreys were missing Alun Wyn Jones, George North and Dan Lydiate to injury and rested Justin Tipuric (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Warburton/Healey, PAL)
European Cup Pool 4 - Munster (6) @ (15) Saracens - Saracens kept their Heineken Champions Cup defence alive, beating Munster at Allianz Park. Munster played most of the game under-manned as they lost captain Peter O'Mahoney before the game to injury and Tadhg Beirne after only 10 minutes to injury, but still managed to hold Saracens to a 3-3 tie at the half. But the 2nd half belonged to the home team as they ran in 2 tries to break open the game and take the win. The Saracens tries came from Sean Maitland and Billy Vunipola with Owen Farrell kicking a penalty. All the Munster points came from the boot of JJ Hanrahan (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/O'Callaghan/Monye, PAL)
2020/21
European Cup Semi-Final - Bordeaux Bègles (9) @ (21) Toulouse - Toulouse reached their first Champions Cup final since 2010 with a hard-fought victory against compatriots Bordeaux-Begles at a rainy Stade Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse. Led by captain Matthieu Jalibert, underdog Bordeaux played Toulouse tough in the 1st half and trailed only 8-6 at the break. But ill-discipline by Bordeaux and great finishing by Toulouse gave the home side the lead in the 2nd half and they held on at the end to secure a place in the Final. The Toulouse tries came from Matthis Lebel and Antoine Dupont with Roman Ntamack adding 11 points with the boot. Toulouse also featured Cheslin Kolbe, Jerome Kaino and Maxime Medard. All the Bordeaux-Begles points came from the boot of Jalibert (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay, PAL)
European Cup Final - La Rochelle (17) v (22) Toulouse - In front of 10,000 fans at Twickenham, Toulouse won their 5th European Cup with a hard-fought, comeback win against compatriots, La Rochelle. During a physical 1st half, La Rochelle were reduced to 14 men when centre Levani Botia was sent off for a dangerous tackle, but they still managed to take a 12-9 lead in at the break. Toulouse turned the screw in the 2nd half, wearing down La Rochelle, and scored 13 unanswered points to take a lead they defended to the end. The Toulouse tries came from Juan Cruz Mallia (2) with Romain Ntamack adding 17 points with the boot. Toulouse also featured scrum half Antoine Dupont and wing Cheslin Kolbe. The La Rochelle try came from Tawera Kerr-Barlow with Ihaia West adding 12 points with the boot (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Warburton/Healey, PAL)
Challenge Cup Final - Leicester Tigers (17) v (18) Montpellier - Montpellier claimed their 2nd Challenge Cup trophy in 5 years with a come-back win over Leicester at Twickenham. A see-saw 1st half saw the teams go in at the break tied 10-10. But Leicester took the lead early in the 2nd half and, after Montpellier went down to 14 men, seemed on course for their 1st Challenge Cup trophy. Montpellier weren't finished, though, and they scored 8 unanswered points (2 penalties and a try) to wrestle back the game and held on for the big win. The Montpellier tries came from Vincent Rattez and Johan Goosen with Benoit Paillaugue kicking 8 points. The Leicester tries came from Harry Wells and Jasper Wiese with George Ford kicking 7 points (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Kay/Monye, PAL)
2021/22
Challenge Cup Pool C - Saracens (55) @ (5) Brive - In a "winner-takes-all" match-up in France, Saracens qualified for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup with a big win. Saracens dominated from the off, and took a 22-5 lead in at the half before coasting home in the 2nd half. The Saracens tries came from Andy Christie, Eroni Mawi, Nick Isiekwe, Ivan Van Zyl, Ben Earl, Rotimi Segun, Jamie George and Ben Harris with Owen Farrell adding 15 points with the boot. The Brive try came from Setariki Tuicuvu (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Gillingham/Southwell/Hamilton, PAL)
Challenge Cup Last 16 - Cardiff Blues (33) @ (40) Saracens - Saracens booked their place in the Quarter Finals with a hard-fought win at the StoneX Stadium. Cardiff, struggling in their league, never allowed Saracens to pull away and only trailed by 2 points with 20 minutes to play. But 2 unanswered tries by the home side gave them the lead that they defended to the end. The Saracens tries came from Dom Morris, Sean Maitland (2), Aled Davies and man-of-the-match Max Malins with Owen Farrell kicking 15 points. The Cardiff tries came from Tomos Williams, Owen Lane and Rhys Carre with Rhys Priestland kicking 16 points (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Lyall/Flatman/Shanklin/Hamilton, PAL)
Challenge Cup Quarter Final - Saracens (44) @ (15) Gloucester - The all-English Quarter Final went the way of Saracens, as they turned in a dominant 2nd half performance to book a place in the Semi-Finals. Saracens made the most of ill-discipline by the Cherries to take a 16-5 lead in at the half, then finished the tie as a contest by scoring 4 unanswered tries in the 2nd half to win the game. The Saracens tries came from Aled Davies, Maro Itoje, Nick Tompkins, Jamie George and Duncan Taylor. The Gloucester tries came from Jack Singleton and Louis Rees-Zammit (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Hamilton/Healey, PAL)
Challenge Cup Semi-Final - Saracens (16) @ (25) Toulon - At the Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon rolled back the years with a hard-fought win over Saracens and booked their place in the Challenge Cup Final. Saracens controlled most of the 1st half, but a Toulon try before the break gave the home team the lead that they defended to the end. The star for the French team was Gabin Villiere, who scored 2 tries. The other Toulon try came from Jiuta Wainiqolo with Louis Carbonel kicking 10 points. The Saracens try came from Ben Earl with Owen Farrell kicking 11 points (9, 1 Disc, BT Sport - Mullins/Flatman, PAL)
Challenge Cup Final - Lyon (30) v (12) Toulon - Lyon won their first ever European Trophy with a hard-fought win against fellow countrymen Toulon, in Marseille. In a game full of errors on both sides, it was Lyon that took the initiative in the 2nd half, capitalising on a Toulon sin-binning to score 2 tries that gave them a big lead that they defended to the end. The Lyon tries came from Baptiste Couilloud, Pierre-Louis Barassi and a penalty try. Lyon also featured Joel Kpoku and Davit Niniashvili. The Toulon tries came from Serin and Cheslin Kolbe. Toulon also featured Eben Etzebeth, Sergio Parisse and Louis Carbonel (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Cup Final - Leinster (21) v (24) La Rochelle - In arguably one of the greatest finishes in European Cup final history, La Rochelle banished their loss in the 2021 final with a dramatic late win in Marseille, and won their first ever European Cup. Leinster, trying to win their 5th European Cup, had the better of the 1st half but couldn't pull away from La Rochelle, going in at the break with a slim 12-7 lead. The 2nd half followed a similar pattern, with Leinster keeping their noses in front but just not able to break the La Rochelle resistance. With 66 minutes played, Leinster held a 21-19 lead and seemed on the up, but La Rochelle put in an amazing 10-minute spell of attacking rugby to pin the Irish inside their own half and in 78th minute they got their just reward, scoring the game-winning try to send the cup to La Rochelle for the first time. The La Rochelle tries came from Raymond Rhule, Pierre Bourgarit and Arthur Retiere. La Rochelle were also coached by former Irish player Ronan O'Gara. All the Leinster points came from the boot of Johnny Sexton (6 penalties) and Ross Byrne (1 penalty) (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)
2022/23
European Cup Pool A - Harlequins (31) @ (39) Cell C Sharks - In the first ever European Cup match featuring a team from South Africa, the Sharks showed they were taking the competition seriously with a shootout win in Durban. The Sharks fielded a strong team, featuring Springboks Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Makazole Mapimpi, and it was the power of the South Africans that overcame the speed and pace of the Quins. The Sharks took a 22-14 lead in at the half and kept the Quins at arms-length the rest of the way to take the win. The Sharks tries came from Bongi Mbonambi, Makazole Mapimpi (2), Werner Kok and Boeta Chamberlain. The Harlequins tries came from Josh Bassett (2), Will Evans and Andre Esterhuizen (2) (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay, PAL)
European Cup Pool A - Saracens (28) @ (20) Lyon - In a hard-hitting game at the Matmut Stadium de Gerland in Lyon, Saracens kept their unbeaten record in the group. After a back-and-forth game, it was the visitors that had to hang on at the end, as they played the final 13 minutes a man down after Alec Clarey was sent off. But Lyon couldn't find the breakthrough and Saracens held on for the win. The Saracens tries came from Jamie George, Ben Earl and Sean Maitland with Owen Farrell adding 10 points from the boot. The Lyon tries came from Hamza Kaabèche (2) and Fletcher Smith (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Gillimgham/Hamilton, PAL)
European Cup Pool A - Cell C Sharks (29) @ (39) Harlequins - In a shootout at The Stoop, Harlequins secured a last-16 place with a bonus-point win over South African side, The Sharks. A high-scoring 1st half ended with Quins holding a narrow 24-22 lead and they dominated the 2nd half to take the win. Even though the Sharks had already qualified for the last-16, they needed a try-scoring bonus point to secure home advantage, and had to wait until the final minutes to get it. The Harlequins tries came from Danny Care, Alex Dombrandt, Cadan Murley, Stephan Lewies and a sensational long-distance try from Nick David. The Sharks tries came from Lukhanyo Am, Jaden Hendrikse, Eben Etzebeth and Aphelele Fassi (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Dallaglio/Healey, PAL)
European Cup Last 16 - Munster (35) @ (50) Cell C Sharks - On a hot day in Durban, the Sharks produced a dominant display to defeat Munster and book a place in the Quarter Finals. Munster used a great Defensive effort to stay in touch in the 1st half, only trailing 17-14 at the half. But the home-side scored 33 points in the 2nd half, with great attacking rugby, to take the win. The Sharks tries came from Jaden Hendrikse, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi (2), Werner Kok, Curwin Bosch and Makazole Mapimpi. The Munster tries came from Shane Daly, Dave Kilcoyne, Diarmuid Barron, Mike Haley and Finnen Wycherley (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Cotter/O'Callaghan, PAL)
European Cup Quarter Final - Cell C Sharks (20) @ (54) Toulouse - Toulouse ended the Sharks run in the competition with a hard-fought win at the Stade Ernest Wallon. The Sharks overcame travel disruption to go toe-to-toe with the 5 time winners, but faded as the game went on and Toulouse sealed the win with 4 tries in the final 12 minutes. The Toulouse tries came from Juan Cruz Mallia (2), Thomas Ramos (2), Peato Mauvaka, Arthur Retiere and Romain Ntamack. The Sharks tries came from Grant Williams and Boeta Chamberlain (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Gilligham/Kayser, PAL)
European Cup Quarter Final - DHL Stormers (17) @ (42) Exeter Chiefs - Exeter put in their best game of the season to beat the Stormers and book a place in the Semi-Finals. Exeter started fast, racing out to a 21-0 lead at the half. The Stormers were better in the 2nd half, pulling back a couple of tries, but the Chiefs ended the game on top and coasted home. The Exeter tries came from Tom Wyatt, Jack Nowell, Olly Woodburn, Sam Simmonds, Jack Yeandle and Tom Cairns. The Stormers tries came from Damian Willemse, Suleiman Hartzenberg and Marvin Orie (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/Delport, PAL)
European Cup Semi-Final - Exeter Chiefs (28) @ (47) La Rochelle - Holders La Rochelle steam-rollered Exeter at a raucous Matmut Atlantique stadium and book a place in their 3rd straight Final. La Rochelle were bigger, faster and stronger than the Cheifs and ran out to a 26-7 lead at the half before coasting home to the win. The La Rochelle tries came from Raymond Rhule (2), UJ Seuteni, Gregory Alldritt, Tawera Kerr-Barlow (2) and Pierre Bourgarit. The Exeter tries came from Sam Simmonds, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Olly Woodburn and Jack Yeandle (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Beattie/Healey, PAL)
European Cup Final - Leinster (26) v (27) La Rochelle - In a sensational game at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, La Rochelle staged a remarkable comeback to beat Leinster and retain the Champions Cup. Leinster came out on fire, and over-whelmed La Rochelle en-route to a 17-0 lead after 12 minutes and a 23-7 lead late in the 1st half. But La Rochelle fought back and out-scored Leinster 20-3 the rest of the way, including the game-winning try with 9 minutes to play, then used great Defense to see out the win. The La Rochelle tries came from Jonathan Danty, Ulupano Seuteni and Georges-Henri Colombe. The Leinster tries came from Dan Sheehan (2) and Jimmy O'Brien (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)
European Challenge Cup Final - Glasgow Warriors (19) v (43) Toulon - On an emotional night at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Toulon finally claimed the Challenge Cup with a dominating win over Glasgow. Toulon were in charge right from the start, capitalising on Glasgow errors to rack up a 21-0 lead at the break, and coasted home in the 2nd half. The Toulon tries came from Baptise Serin (2), Sergio Parisse, Jiuta Wainiqolo, Waisea Nayacalevu and Ihaia West. The Glasgow tries came from Kyle Steyn (2) and Sebastian Cancelliere. The game was also the final game for Toulon's Sergio Parisse before retirement (9, 2 Discs, BT Sport - Mullins/Kay/O'Driscoll, PAL)
2023/24
Pool 1 - Saracens (16) @ (27) Vodacom Bulls - At the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, the Bulls continued their unbeaten start to the group with a win over Saracens. All of the damage was done in the 1st half, as the Bulls over-powered Saracens and scored 2 tries to go in at the break with a 20-6 lead. Saracens chances of a comeback ended in the 2nd half when Billy Vunipola was sent off for a head-contact foul. The Bulls tries came from David Kriel, Janko Swanepoel and Canan Moodie with Johan Goosen adding 12 points with the boot. The Bulls also featured Kurt-Lee Arendse. The Saracens tries came from Elliot Daly and Theo McFarland (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Gillingham/Delport, PAL)
Pool 1 - Connacht (36) @ (55) Saracens - Saracens earned their first win in the Pool with a high-scoring win at the StoneX Stadium. Both teams combined for 13 tries. The teams were evenly matched in the 1st half and Saracens held a slim 21-17 lead at the break. Saracens dominated the 2nd half, though, and scored 23 unanswered points to take control of the game and secure the win. The Saracens tries came from Juan Martin Gonzalez, Jamie George (2), Olly Hartley (2), Sean Maitland, Lucio Cinti and Theo Dan with Owen Farrell adding 15 points with the boot. The Connacht tries came from Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, JJ Hanrahan, Joe Joyce and Cian Prendergast (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)
Pool 1 - Saracens (15) @ (55) Bordeaux-Begles - In front of a raucous crowd at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux-Begles humbled the 3-time European Champions, scoring 9 tries. The French brilliantly executed a game-plan of attacking rugby and ran out to a 24-3 lead at the half. As Saracens tried to mount a 2nd half comeback, they committed a number of errors and Bordeaux-Begles punished them with 5 more tries to clinch the win. The Bordeaux-Begles tries came from Louis-Bielle-Biarrey (2), Romain Buros, Maxime Lamothe, Damian Penaud (2), Nicolas Depoortere, Matthieu Jalibert and Pablo Uberti. The Saracens tries came from Nick Tompkins and Theo Dan (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Lyall/Ashton, PAL)
Pool 1 - Lyon (24) @ (39) Saracens - Saracens survived a tough match to book their place in the Last 16 with a bonus-point win over Lyon at the StoneX Stadium. Lyon, who had already qualified for the Last 16, had the better of the 1st half and led 17-5 at the break. But Saracens dug deep and fought back, scoring the final 3 tries of the game to take the win. The Saracens tries came from Ivan Van Zyl, Maro Itoje (2), Juan Martin Gonzalez and Lucio Cinti. Captain Owen Farrell had a tough day, kicking 14 points but also had 3 kicks charged down. The Lyon tries came from Davit Niniashvili, who had a big game, and Josiah Maraku (2). Lyon also featured Joel Kpoku (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Cox/Ashton/Flatman, PAL)
Pool 2- Ulster (19) @ (47) Harlequins - Harlequins booked a place in the knockout rounds with a high-scoring win at the Stoop. Quins took control of the game in the 1st half, going in at the break with a 21-7 lead, and kept Ulster at arms-length the rest of the way to seal the win. The Harlequins tries came from Nick David (2), Danny Care, Andre Esterhuizen, Will Evans and man-of-the-match Louis Lynagh (2), whose first try was a sensational solo effort from inside his own 22. The Ulster tries came from David McCann, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale (9, 46 minutes Hi-Lites, 1 Disc, TNT Sports - Eykyn/Ferris/Daley-McLean, PAL)
European Cup Last 16 - Saracens (12) @ (45) Bordeaux-Begles - French side Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in the Quarter Finals with a huge win over Saracens. UBB dominated the English champions from the start, and even though they had 5 tries disallowed in the 1st half they still went in at the break with a 10-0 lead. The 2nd half didn't offer any respite for Saracens as UBB ran in 5 tries to pull away and coast to the win. The Bordeaux-Begles tries came from Mateo Garcia (2), Nicolas Depoortere (2) and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (2). The Saracens tries came from Alex Lewington and Tom Willis. Saracens were missing captain Owen Farrell to injury (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Mullins/May, PAL)
European Cup Last 16 - Lyon (19) @ (59) Bulls - The Bulls booked their place in the Quarter Finals with a 9-try demolition of Lyon at Loftus Versfeld. The home side were never in trouble, as they raced out to a 28-7 lead at the half and finished off Lyon with 4 more tries in the 2nd half, including a sensational 95-metre try that went through 7 pairs of hands before being dotted down. The Bulls tries came from Sebastian de Klerk (2), Embrose Papier (2), Marcell Coetzee, Ruan Vermaak, Willie le Roux, David Kriel and Chris Smith. The Bulls also featured Kurt-Lee Arendse and JF Van Heerden. The Lyon tries came from Martin Page-Relo, Thaakir Abrahams and a Penalty try (9, 1 Disc, TNT Sports - Thomas/Delport, PAL)
European Cup Quarter Final - Harlequins (42) @ (41) Bordeaux-Begles - In a sensational game in the heat of the Stade Chaban-Delmas stadium, Harlequins stunned the free-flowing French team and booked a place in their 1st ever European Cup Semi-Final. Quins started fast and took a 28-12 lead in at the half, and led 42-36 in the dying minutes when Begles scored. But Begles missed the conversion and Quins saw out the dying seconds to clinch an unbelievable win. The Harlequins tries came from Will Porter (2), Will Evans, Alex Dombrandt, Tyrone Green and a Penalty try, with Marcus Smith adding 10 points with the boot. The Bordeaux-Begles tries came from Maxime Lucu, Romain Buros, Nicolas Depoortere, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Madosh Tambwe (2) (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Eykyn/Kay/Beattie, PAL)
European Cup Quarter Final - Bulls (22) @ (59) Northampton Saints - The Saints despatched an under-strength Bulls team at Franklin Gardens and booked a place in their first European Cup Semi-Final since 2011. The Bulls left several of their Springboks at home, including backs Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, as the SARFU wouldn't release them for the game, and the Saints took advantage. An even 1st half ended with the Saints holding a slim 28-22 lead, but in the 2nd half they went through the gears and scored 31 unanswered points to take the win. The Northampton tries came from James Ramm (2), Courtney Lawes, Ollie Sleightholme, Alex Mitchell (2), Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall and Juarno Augustus with Finn Smith kicking 14 points. The Bulls tries came from Cameron Hanekom, Akker van der Merwe and Sebastian de Klerk (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Mullins/Flatman/Healey, PAL)
European Cup Semi-Final - Harlequins (26) @ (38) Toulouse - Toulouse kept their hunt for a League and European Cup double alive with a hard-fought win at the Stadium de Toulouse. After the home side took a 31-12 lead in at the half, Quins fought back to within 5 points in the 2nd half, only for Toulouse to seal the win with their only points of the 2nd half, scoring a try after Quins had a player sin-binned. The Toulouse tries came from Matthis Lebel, Peato Mauvaka, Thibaud Flament, Antoine Dupont (2) and Juan Cruz Mallia. The Harlequins tries came from Marcus Smith, Will Evans, Cadan Murley and Tyrone Green (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Mullins/Kay/Beattie, PAL)
European Cup Final - Leinster (22) v (31) Toulouse - Toulouse won their 6th European Cup title with a tight extra-time win over Leinster at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A hard-hitting final produced a low-scoring affair with neither team scoring a try in normal time and after 80 minutes the game was tied at 15-15. Each team produced a try in extra-time but the game was won by the boot of Thomas Ramos, who kicked 2 to give Toulouse the lead they defended to the end. The Toulouse try came from Matthis Lebel with Blair Kinghorn and Thomas Ramos combining for 26 points with the boot. The Leinster try came from Josh Van der Flier with Ross Byrne and Jacob Frawley combining for 17 points with the boot (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Mullins/Kay/Healey, PAL)
Challenge Cup Semi-Final - Clermont (31) v (32) Sharks - In a game of 2 halves, the Sharks fought back from a 13 point deficit in the 2nd half to took a place in their first European Trophy final. Clermont dominated the 1st half and went in at the half with a 28-18 lead. They extended their lead to 31-18 early in the 2nd half, but the Sharks suddenly found their game and reeled off 14 unanswered points, finally hit the front with 9 minutes to go when Sharks flyhalf Siya Masuku kicked a tough try-conversion to put the South African's ahead by a point. They then defended the narrow lead until the end to take the win. The Shark tries came from Vincent Koch and Makazole Mapimpi with Siya Masuku adding 22 points with the boot. The Sharks also featured Eben Etzebeth. The Clermont tries came from Joris Jurand (2) and Alex Newsome with Anthony Belleau kicking 16 points (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Mullins/Kay/Delport, PAL)
Challenge Cup Semi-Final - Benetton (23) @ (40) Gloucester - In a hard-fought game at Kingsholm, Gloucester finally shook off Benetton to book a place in their 5th European Challenge Cup Final. Gloucester held a slim 15-11 lead at the half, but the Cherry and Whites scored 17 points early in the 2nd half to build a 32-16 lead, a margin that they defended to the end to take the win. The Gloucester tries came from Josh Hathaway, Seb Blake, Adam Hastings, Freddie Clarke and Ollie Thorley. The Benetton tries came from Rhyno Smith and Gianmarco Lucchesi (2) (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Lyall/Flatman/Scarratt, PAL)
Challenge Cup Final - Sharks (36) v (22) Gloucester - The Sharks from South Africa made history as they became the first non-European team to win the European Challenge Cup, dominating Gloucester in the final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A Springbok-heavy pack that included Mbongeni Mbonambi, Vincent Koch and captain Eben Etzebeth dominated Gloucester, helping break open a 16-3 lead at the half with 14 unanswered points in the 2nd half to win the game. The Sharks tries came from Phepsi Buthelezi, Aphelele Fassi and Makazole Mapimpi with Siya Masuku kicking 21 points. The Gloucester tries came from Albert Tuisue, Santiago Socino and Freddie Clarke (9, 2 Discs, TNT Sports - Eykyn/Kay/Healey, PAL)