# 2017–18 European Rugby Champions–Challenge Cup play-offs

The 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the third play-off for entry into the top-level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

## Format

Following a break to ease fixture congestion caused by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the three-team play-off held in 2015–16 was expanded, and a four-team format was announced.
The play-off comprised 3 matches, contested by one team from the Premiership, one from the Top 14, and two from the Pro14.
The two Pro12 teams each played one of the Premiership or Top 14 sides in a single-leg semi-final, held at the home ground of the non-Pro12 side. The winners of these matches then contested a play-off final, with the winner of this match competing in the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. The three losing teams all competed in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

## Teams

Four teams competed in the play-off, having qualified as either the highest team from each league that did not already qualify for the Champions Cup, or as the winner of the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
The following teams had qualified for the play-off:
| League | Team | Coach | Stadium |
| Aviva Premiership | Northampton Saints | Jim Mallinder | Franklin's Gardens |
| Guinness Pro12 | Cardiff Blues | Danny Wilson | Cardiff Arms Park |
| Guinness Pro12 | Connacht | Pat Lam | Galway Sportsgrounds |
| Top 14 | Stade Français | Gonzalo Quesada | Stade Jean-Bouin |

## Matches

A draw was held on 15 March 2017 to determine the two semi-final matches.

### Semi-finals

* 19 May 2017 18:00 CEST
| Stade Français | 46–21 | Cardiff Blues |
| Try: Nayacalevu 32' c Melikidze 43' c De Giovanni 51' c Macalou (2) 60' m, 68' c Panis 71' m Daguin 76' m Con: Steyn (4/6) 33', 44', 52', 69' Plisson (0/1) Pen: Steyn (1/1) 10' | Report | Try: Cook (2) 21' c, 63' c N. Williams 24' c Con: Anscombe (3/3) 22', 25', 64' |
* Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris Attendance: 4,767 Referee: Greg Garner (RFU)
| FB | 15 | Jérémy Sinzelle |
| RW | 14 | Waisea Nayacalevu | 61' |
| OC | 13 | Jonathan Danty |
| IC | 12 | Meyer Bosman |
| LW | 11 | Sekou Macalou |
| FH | 10 | Morné Steyn |
| SH | 9 | Julien Dupuy | 63' |
| N8 | 8 | Sergio Parisse (c) |
| OF | 7 | Matthieu Ugena | 34' |
| BF | 6 | Antoine Burban |
| RL | 5 | Paul Gabrillagues | 72' |
| LL | 4 | Willem Alberts | 66' |
| TP | 3 | Paul Alo-Emile | 25' |
| HK | 2 | Rémi Bonfils | 67' |
| LP | 1 | Heinke van der Merwe | 50' |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Laurent Panis | 67' |
| PR | 17 | Rabah Slimani | 50' |
| PR | 18 | Giorgi Melikidze | 25' |
| LK | 19 | Mathieu De Giovanni | 34' |
| FL | 20 | Raphaël Lakafia | 66' |
| SH | 21 | Clément Daguin | 63' |
| FH | 22 | Jules Plisson | 61' |
| FL | 23 | Jono Ross | 72' |
| Coach: ||
| Gonzalo Quesada ||
| FB | 15 | Matthew Morgan |
| RW | 14 | Alex Cuthbert |
| OC | 13 | Rey Lee-Lo | 7' |
| IC | 12 | Willis Halaholo | 66' |
| LW | 11 | Rhun Williams | 4' |
| FH | 10 | Gareth Anscombe |
| SH | 9 | Lloyd Williams |
| N8 | 8 | Nick Williams |
| OF | 7 | Ellis Jenkins (c) |
| BF | 6 | Josh Navidi |
| RL | 5 | Macauley Cook |
| LL | 4 | Jarrad Hoeata |
| TP | 3 | Taufaʻao Filise | 61' |
| HK | 2 | Matthew Rees | 61' |
| LP | 1 | Rhys Gill | 57' |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Kirby Myhill | 61' | 72' |
| PR | 17 | Corey Domachowski | 57' |
| PR | 18 | Anton Peikrishvili | 61' |
| LK | 19 | Seb Davies | | 72' |
| FL | 20 | Sion Bennett | 66' |
| SH | 21 | Tomos Williams | | 52' |
| FH | 22 | Steven Shingler | 7' | 52' |
| CE | 23 | Garyn Smith | 4' |
| Coach: ||
| Danny Wilson ||
* Cardiff Blues were demoted to the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup
* 20 May 2017 16:00 BST
| Northampton Saints | 21–15 | Connacht |
| Try: Mallinder 1' c Groom 56' m Con: Mallinder (1/2) 2' Pen: Mallinder (3/3) 15', 23', 70' | Report | Try: Adeolokun 4' c Heffernan 61' m Con: Ronaldson (1/2) 4' Pen: Ronaldson (1/1) 28' |
* Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR)
| FB | 15 | Ahsee Tuala | | 78' |
| RW | 14 | Ben Foden |
| OC | 13 | Nafi Tuitavake |
| IC | 12 | Luther Burrell | | 23' |
| LW | 11 | George North |
| FH | 10 | Harry Mallinder |
| SH | 9 | Nic Groom | | 67' |
| N8 | 8 | Louis Picamoles |
| OF | 7 | Teimana Harrison | | 58' |
| BF | 6 | Jamie Gibson | 78' to 80' |
| RL | 5 | Christian Day | | 64' |
| LL | 4 | Courtney Lawes |
| TP | 3 | Kieran Brookes | | 62' |
| HK | 2 | Dylan Hartley (c) | | 59' |
| LP | 1 | Alex Waller | | 62' |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Mike Haywood | | 78' |
| PR | 17 | Campese Ma'afu | | 62' |
| PR | 18 | Gareth Denman | | 62' |
| LK | 19 | Api Ratuniyarawa | | 64' |
| FL | 20 | Tom Wood | | 58' |
| SH | 21 | Lee Dickson | | 67' |
| FH | 22 | Sam Olver |
| CE | 23 | Rory Hutchinson | | 23' |
| Coach: ||
| Jim Mallinder ||
| FB | 15 | Tiernan O'Halloran |
| RW | 14 | Niyi Adeolokun |
| OC | 13 | Danie Poolman |
| IC | 12 | Craig Ronaldson |
| LW | 11 | Cian Kelleher | 3' |
| FH | 10 | Jack Carty |
| SH | 9 | Kieran Marmion | 66' |
| N8 | 8 | John Muldoon (c) |
| OF | 7 | Jake Heenan | 56' |
| BF | 6 | Seán O'Brien |
| RL | 5 | James Cannon | 51' |
| LL | 4 | Quinn Roux |
| TP | 3 | Finlay Bealham | 68' |
| HK | 2 | Dave Heffernan |
| LP | 1 | Denis Buckley |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Shane Delahunt |
| PR | 17 | JP Cooney |
| PR | 18 | Conor Carey | 68' |
| LK | 19 | Ultan Dillane | 51' |
| FL | 20 | Naulia Dawai | 56' |
| SH | 21 | Caolin Blade |
| SH | 22 | John Cooney | 66' |
| WG | 23 | Matt Healy | 3' |
| Coach: ||
| Pat Lam ||
* Connacht drop to the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

### Play-off final

The draw for the semi-finals was also used to decide that the winner of the second semi-final would have home advantage in the play-off final.
* 26 May 2017 19:45 BST
| Northampton Saints | 23–22 | Stade Français |
| Try: Foden 45' c Tuala 71' c Con: Mallinder (2/2) 45', 73' Pen: Mallinder (3/5) 19', 29', 38' | Report | Try: Nayacalevu 3' c Sinzelle 22' m Camara 34' c Con: Plisson (2/3) 4', 35' Pen: Plisson (1/1) 10' |
* Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Attendance: 10,273 Referee: John Lacey (IRFU)
| FB | 15 | Ahsee Tuala | | 75' |
| RW | 14 | Ben Foden |
| OC | 13 | Nafi Tuitavake | | 53' |
| IC | 12 | Luther Burrell |
| LW | 11 | George North |
| FH | 10 | Harry Mallinder |
| SH | 9 | Nic Groom | | 66' |
| N8 | 8 | Louis Picamoles | | 53' |
| OF | 7 | Tom Wood (c) | 63' |
| BF | 6 | Teimana Harrison |
| RL | 5 | Christian Day | | 60' |
| LL | 4 | Courtney Lawes |
| TP | 3 | Kieran Brookes | | 60' |
| HK | 2 | Dylan Hartley | | 66' |
| LP | 1 | Alex Waller | | 66' |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Mike Haywood | | 66' |
| PR | 17 | Campese Ma'afu | | 66' |
| PR | 18 | Gareth Denman | | 60' |
| LK | 19 | Api Ratuniyarawa | | 60' |
| FL | 20 | Jamie Gibson | | 53' |
| SH | 21 | Lee Dickson | | 66' |
| FH | 22 | Sam Olver | | 75' |
| CE | 23 | Rory Hutchinson | 62' to 72' | 53' |
| Coach: ||
| Jim Mallinder ||
| FB | 15 | Djibril Camara | | 65' |
| RW | 14 | Waisea Nayacalevu |
| OC | 13 | Geoffrey Doumayrou |
| IC | 12 | Jonathan Danty | | 22' |
| LW | 11 | Jérémy Sinzelle |
| FH | 10 | Jules Plisson |
| SH | 9 | Will Genia | | 76' |
| N8 | 8 | Jono Ross |
| OF | 7 | Raphaël Lakafia |
| BF | 6 | Antoine Burban | | 44' |
| RL | 5 | Paul Gabrillagues (c) | | 60' |
| LL | 4 | Willem Alberts |
| TP | 3 | Paul Alo-Emile |
| HK | 2 | Rémi Bonfils | 42' to 52' | 74' |
| LP | 1 | Zurab Zhvania | | 51' |
| Replacements: ||
| HK | 16 | Craig Burden | | 44' | 53' |
| PR | 17 | Rabah Slimani | | 51' |
| PR | 18 | Giorgi Melikidze | | 74' |
| LK | 19 | Mathieu De Giovanni | | 60' |
| N8 | 20 | Sergio Parisse | | | 53' |
| SH | 21 | Clément Daguin | | 76' |
| FH | 22 | Morné Steyn | | 65' |
| CE | 23 | Meyer Bosman | | 22' |
| Coach: ||
| Gonzalo Quesada ||
* Northampton Saints qualified for the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. Stade Français played in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.