# 2005–06 European Challenge Cup

The 2005–06 European Challenge Cup was the tenth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between October 2005 and May 2006.

## Group stage
### Pool 1

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Northampton Saints | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 12 | 20 | 194 | 96 | 98 | 5 | 0 | 25 |
| Narbonne | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 125 | 113 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| Bristol | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 203 | 150 | 53 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| Viadana | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 39 | −30 | 81 | 244 | −163 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

### Pool 2

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| London Irish | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 11 | 21 | 239 | 81 | 158 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Agen | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 163 | 143 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| Pau | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 107 | 153 | −46 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| Overmach Parma | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 30 | −22 | 74 | 206 | −132 | 0 | 0 | 4 |

### Pool 3

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Gloucester | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 6 | 43 | 331 | 53 | 278 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| Bayonne | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 11 | 20 | 202 | 93 | 109 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| București | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 40 | −33 | 71 | 253 | −182 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Toulon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 39 | −30 | 64 | 269 | −205 | 0 | 1 | 5 |

### Pool 4

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Newcastle Falcons | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 10 | 34 | 324 | 81 | 243 | 4 | 0 | 28 |
| Brive | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 19 | 11 | 203 | 169 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 18 |
| Borders | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 155 | 177 | −22 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| L'Aquila | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 55 | −41 | 103 | 358 | −255 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

### Pool 5

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Worcester Warriors | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 181 | 103 | 78 | 3 | 1 | 25 |
| Connacht | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 14 | 11 | 190 | 119 | 71 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| Catania | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 41 | −26 | 116 | 257 | −141 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Montpellier | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 170 | 178 | −8 | 2 | 2 | 7 |

## Seeding and runners-up

| Seed | Pool Winners | Pts | TF | +/- |
| 1 | Gloucester | 29 | 49 | +278 |
| 2 | Newcastle Falcons | 28 | 44 | +243 |
| 3 | London Irish | 27 | 32 | +158 |
| 4 | Northampton Saints | 25 | 32 | +98 |
| 5 | Worcester Warriors | 25 | 24 | +78 |
| Seed | Pool Runners-up | Pts | TF | +/- |
| 6 | Bayonne | 20 | 31 | +109 |
| 7 | Connacht | 20 | 25 | +71 |
| 8 | Brive | 18 | 30 | +34 |
| – | Narbonne | 18 | 16 | +12 |
| – | Agen | 14 | 16 | +20 |

## Knockout stage
### Quarter-finals

* 31 March 2006 19:30
| Newcastle Falcons | 23–3 | Connacht |
* Kingston Park Attendance: 4,486
* 1 April 2006 15:00
| Gloucester | 46–13 | Brive |
* Kingsholm Attendance: 6,898
* 1 April 2006 15:00
| Northampton Saints | 25–34 | Worcester Warriors |
* Franklin's Gardens Attendance: 9,531
* 2 April 2006 15:00
| London Irish | 48–5 | Bayonne |
* Madejski Stadium Attendance: 5,100

### Semi-finals

* 22 April 2006 12:35
| Gloucester | 31–23 | Worcester Warriors |
* Kingsholm Attendance: 8,609
* 23 April 2006 12:35
| Newcastle Falcons | 22–27 | London Irish |
* Kingston Park Attendance: 4,243

### Final

* 21 May 2006 12:15
| Gloucester | 36–34 | London Irish |
* The Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 12,053