# 2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The 2008–09 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the 13th season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began on 9 October 2008 when RC Toulon hosted Northampton Saints and ended with two games on 25 January 2009.
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 22 May 2009.

## Results

The draw for the pool stages took place on 23 June 2008. The draw was conducted using the ERC European Ranking system which was based on the qualified teams' performances and participation in the Heineken Cup and knock-out stages of the European Challenge Cup over the past four seasons.
All times are local to the game location.
    Key to colours   Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses   Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

### Pool 1

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| London Irish (1) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 3 | +41 | 300 | 34 | +266 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| Connacht (7) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 19 | +1 | 159 | 140 | +19 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Rovigo | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 25 | −18 | 79 | 199 | –120 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Dax | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 29 | −24 | 55 | 220 | –165 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
* 10 October 2008 19:00
| Dax | 12–30 | Connacht |
* Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax
* 11 October 2008 15:00
| London Irish | 78–3 | Rovigo |
* Madejski Stadium, Reading
* 17 October 2008 19:00
| Connacht | 10–27 | London Irish |
* Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway
* 18 October 2008 15:00
| Rovigo | 24–11 | Dax |
* Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo
* 5 December 2008 19:00
| Dax | 0–38 | London Irish |
* Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax
* 6 December 2008 15:00
| Rovigo | 20–35 | Connacht |
* Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo
* 11 December 2008 19:45
| London Irish | 59–7 | Dax |
* Madejski Stadium, Reading
* 12 December 2008 18:30
| Connacht | 30–3 | Rovigo |
* Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway
* 16 January 2009 19:00
| Dax | 22–20 | Rovigo |
* Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax
* 17 January 2009 15:00
| London Irish | 75–5 | Connacht |
* Madejski Stadium, Reading
* 23 January 2009 18:30
| Connacht | 49–3 | Dax |
* Galway Sportsgrounds, Galway
* 24 January 2009 15:00
| Rovigo | 9–23 | London Irish |
* Stadio Comunale Mario Battaglini, Rovigo

### Pool 2

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Northampton Saints (2) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 7 | +30 | 278 | 69 | +209 | 5 | 0 | 29 |
| Bristol | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 21 | −7 | 140 | 168 | −28 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Montpellier | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 101 | 159 | −58 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| RC Toulon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 22 | −15 | 84 | 207 | −123 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
* 9 October 2008 20:45
| Toulon | 3–56 | Northampton Saints |
* Stade Mayol, Toulon
* 10 October 2008 19:00
| Montpellier | 33–15 | Bristol |
* Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier
* 17 October 2008 19:45
| Bristol | 39–11 | Toulon |
* Memorial Ground, Bristol
* 18 October 2008 19:45
| Northampton Saints | 51–7 | Montpellier |
* Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
* 4 December 2008 20:45
| Montpellier | 14–10 | Toulon |
* Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier
* 6 December 2008 15:00
| Northampton Saints | 66–3 | Bristol |
* Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
* 13 December 2008 20:45
| Toulon | 30–9 | Montpellier |
* Stade Mayol, Toulon
* 14 December 2008 15:00
| Bristol | 21–25 | Northampton Saints |
* Memorial Ground, Bristol
* 15 January 2009 20:45
| Montpellier | 24–28 | Northampton Saints |
* Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Montpellier
* 16 January 2009 18:30
| Toulon | 19–37 | Bristol |
* Stade Mayol, Toulon
* 24 January 2009 15:00
| Northampton Saints | 52–11 | Toulon |
* Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
* 25 January 2009 15:00
| Bristol | 25–14 | Montpellier |
* Memorial Ground, Bristol

### Pool 3

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Worcester Warriors (4) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 8 | +28 | 255 | 94 | +161 | 4 | 0 | 24 |
| Bourgoin (8) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 158 | 115 | +43 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Petrarca Padova | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 28 | −17 | 112 | 206 | −94 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| București Oaks | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 26 | −18 | 87 | 197 | −110 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
* 11 October 2008 15:00
| Petrarca Padova | 6–55 | Worcester Warriors |
* Stadio Plebiscito, Padua
* 12 October 2008 16:30
| București Oaks | 10–21 | Bourgoin |
* Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest
* 17 October 2008 20:30
| Bourgoin | 28–29 | Petrarca Padova |
* Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin
* 19 October 2008 16:30
| București Oaks | 17–53 | Worcester Warriors |
* Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest
* 5 December 2008 20:30
| Bourgoin | 29–14 | Worcester Warriors |
* Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin
* 7 December 2008 13:00
| București Oaks | 14–20 | Petrarca Padova |
* Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest
* 13 December 2008 13:00
| Petrarca Padova | 15–17 | București Oaks |
* Stadio Plebiscito, Padua
* 13 December 2008 15:00
| Worcester Warriors | 27–6 | Bourgoin |
* Sixways Stadium, Worcester
* 17 January 2009 15:00
| Petrarca Padova | 25–24 | Bourgoin |
* Stadio Plebiscito, Padua
* 17 January 2009 15:00
| Worcester Warriors | 38–19 | București Oaks |
* Sixways Stadium, Worcester
* 23 January 2009 20:30
| Bourgoin | 50–10 | București Oaks |
* Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin
* 24 January 2009 15:00
| Worcester Warriors | 68–17 | Petrarca Padova |
* Sixways Stadium, Worcester

### Pool 4

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Brive (5) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 8 | +25 | 243 | 89 | +154 | 3 | 1 | 24 |
| Newcastle Falcons (6) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 8 | +16 | 178 | 90 | +88 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| Overmach Parma | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 165 | 120 | +45 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| El Salvador | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 52 | −47 | 46 | 333 | −287 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* 11 October 2008 18:30
| Newcastle Falcons | 63–0 | El Salvador |
* Kingston Park, Newcastle
* 12 October 2008 14:30
| Overmach Parma | 34–29 | Brive |
* Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma
* 16 October 2008 20:45
| Brive | 36–22 | Newcastle Falcons |
* Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive
* 19 October 2008 12:30
| El Salvador | 21–59 | Overmach Parma |
* Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid
* 5 December 2008 19:30
| Brive | 84–6 | El Salvador |
* Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive
* 6 December 2008 14:30
| Overmach Parma | 14–20 | Newcastle Falcons |
* Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma
* 14 December 2008 12:30
| El Salvador | 5–55 | Brive |
* Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid
* 14 December 2008 15:00
| Newcastle Falcons | 21–16 | Overmach Parma |
* Kingston Park, Newcastle
* 17 January 2009 14:30
| Overmach Parma | 29–0 | El Salvador |
* Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma
* 17 January 2009 19:40
| Newcastle Falcons | 9–10 | Brive |
* Kingston Park, Newcastle
* 22 January 2009 20:45
| Brive | 29–13 | Overmach Parma |
* Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive
* 25 January 2009 12:00
| El Salvador | 14–43 | Newcastle Falcons |
* Estadio Pepe Rojo, Valladolid

### Pool 5

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | TB | LB | Pts |
| Saracens (3) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | +19 | 200 | 43 | +157 | 2 | 0 | 26 |
| Viadana | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 120 | 126 | −6 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Bayonne | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 99 | 122 | −23 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Mont-de-Marsan | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 | −14 | 54 | 182 | −128 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
* 10 October 2008 19:30
| Bayonne | 10–21 | Viadana |
* Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne
* 12 October 2008 15:00
| Saracens | 53–3 | Mont-de-Marsan |
* Vicarage Road, Watford
* 17 October 2008 19:00
| Mont-de-Marsan | 8–26 | Bayonne |
* Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan
* 18 October 2008 19:00
| Viadana | 12–35 | Saracens |
* Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
* 6 December 2008 15:30
| Mont-de-Marsan | 15–21 | Viadana |
* Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan
* 6 December 2008 20:45
| Bayonne | 6–16 | Saracens |
* Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne
* 13 December 2008 19:00
| Viadana | 25–6 | Mont-de-Marsan |
* Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
* 14 December 2008 15:00
| Saracens | 36–0 | Bayonne |
* Vicarage Road, Watford
* 16 January 2009
| Bayonne | 33–19 | Mont-de-Marsan |
| | 19:30 | |
* Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne
* 18 January 2009 15:00
| Saracens | 36–19 | Viadana |
* Vicarage Road, Watford
* 23 January 2009 19:00
| Mont-de-Marsan | 3–24 | Saracens |
* Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan
* 24 January 2009 19:00
| Viadana | 22–24 | Bayonne |
* Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana

## Seeding and runners-up

| Seed | Pool Winners | Pts | TF | +/- |
| 1 | London Irish | 29 | 44 | +266 |
| 2 | Northampton Saints | 29 | 37 | +209 |
| 3 | Saracens | 26 | 20 | +157 |
| 4 | Worcester Warriors | 24 | 36 | +161 |
| 5 | Brive | 24 | 33 | +154 |
| Seed | Pool Runners-up | Pts | TF | +/- |
| 6 | Newcastle Falcons | 19 | 24 | +88 |
| 7 | Connacht | 19 | 20 | +19 |
| 8 | Bourgoin | 15 | 18 | +43 |
| – | Bristol | 14 | 14 | −28 |
| – | Viadana | 13 | 8 | −6 |