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Investec Champions CupExeter Chiefs

Exeter given added incentive to beat Northampton as Champions Cup officials change semi-final stadium rules

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Champions Cup officials have confirmed changes have been made to their 2019/20 semi-final format, with clubs such as Exeter Chiefs now allowed to play these matches at their home ground rather than at a neutral venue in their country.

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Semi-finals have been played at a variety of venues in recent times. For instance, defending champions Saracens defeated Munster at Coventry in 2019 rather than in London, Racing beat Munster in Bordeaux in 2018 instead of Paris, and Munster lost their 2017 home semi to Saracens in Dublin. 

However, the path has now been cleared for all teams to be able to play at home, a luxury only ever technically enjoyed by the likes of Leinster and Toulouse who have traditionally moved their semi-finals to bigger, familiar grounds nearby in their cities.  

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The Rugby Pod has its say on the red card tackle that has ruled Saracens’ Owen Farrell out of this weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-final at Leinster

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The Rugby Pod has its say on the red card tackle that has ruled Saracens’ Owen Farrell out of this weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-final at Leinster

Both of the delayed 2019/20 season’s semi-final will take place on Saturday, September 26, a week after this weekend’s quarter-finals.  

The winners of Leinster v Saracens and Clermont v Racing 92 Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals will meet in the first semi-final, with the second later that day featuring the winners of Exeter v Northampton and Toulouse v Ulster.

On an exceptional basis to facilitate the conclusion of the season, EPCR have confirmed that the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage in the semi-finals.

In the Challenge Cup, the winners of Bristol v Dragons and Bordeaux v Edinburgh will play their semi-final on Friday, September 25, with the winners of Toulon v Scarlets and Leicester v Castres meeting the next day.

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The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage, as per the traditional Challenge Cup format. 

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP SEMI-FINALS – Saturday 26 September

SF 1: Winner Leinster/Saracens v winner Clermont /Racing 92
Kick-off: 13.00 UK-Irish time or 14.00 French time

SF 2: Winner Exeter/Northampton v winner Toulouse/Ulster Rugby
Kick-off: 15.30 UK-Irish time or 16.30 French time

Semi-final 1
If Leinster (ranked No1) and Clermont (ranked No4) win their quarter-finals, Leinster will have home venue advantage
If Leinster (ranked No1) and Racing 92 (ranked No5) win their quarter-finals, Leinster will have home venue advantage
If Clermont (ranked No4) and Saracens (ranked No8) win their quarter-finals, Clermont will have home venue advantage
If Racing 92 (ranked No5) and Saracens (ranked No8) win their quarter-finals, Racing will have home venue advantage

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Semi-final 2
If Exeter (ranked No2) and Toulouse (ranked No 3) win their quarter-finals, Exeter will have home venue advantage
If Exeter (ranked No2) and Ulster (ranked No 6) win their quarter-finals, Exeter will have home venue advantage
If Toulouse (ranked No3) and Northampton (ranked No 7) win their quarter-finals, Toulouse will have home venue advantage
If Ulster (ranked No6) and Northampton (ranked No 7) win their quarter-finals, Ulster will have home venue advantage

CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINALS

Friday 25 September
SF 2: Winner Bristol/Dragons v winner Bordeaux/Edinburgh
Kick-off: 19.45 UK time or 20.45 French time

Saturday 26 September
SF 1: Winner Toulon/Scarlets v winner Leicester/Castres
Kick-off: 20.00 UK time or 21.00 French time

Semi-final 1
If Toulon (ranked No1) and Leicester (ranked No4) win their quarter-finals, Toulon will have home venue advantage
If Toulon (ranked No1) and Castres (ranked No5) win their quarter-finals, Toulon will have home venue advantage
If Leicester (ranked No4) and Scarlets (ranked No8) win their quarter-finals, Leicester will have home venue advantage
If Castres (ranked No5) and Scarlets (ranked No8) win their quarter-finals, Castres will have home venue advantage

Semi-final 2
If Bristol (ranked No2) and Bordeaux (ranked No3) win their quarter-finals, Bristol will have home venue advantage
If Bristol (ranked No2) and Edinburgh (ranked No6) win their quarter-finals, Bristol will have home venue advantage
If Bordeaux (ranked No3) and Dragons (ranked No7) win their quarter-finals, Bordeaux-Bègles will have home venue advantage
If Edinburgh (ranked No6) and Dragons (ranked No7) win their quarter-finals, Edinburgh will have home venue advantage

Notes
• The Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-finals in England and Ireland are currently scheduled to be played behind closed doors.
• Attendances for quarter-finals in France will be limited and clubs can apply to their local authorities for increases. 

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Comments on RugbyPass

I
IS 20 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Dmac 10 alb 12 and tupea in 13 or proctor in 13 it's a combination that works and worked well against Fiji and Fiji are better than Italy

26 Go to comments
I
IS 24 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Bb a 9.5 you got to be joking he was straight trash he wasn't even a 5 the attack was so bad so bad we score almost the same amount if points with dmac on that we did with barret

26 Go to comments
J
JW 28 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Yeah hope they have plans to give Roigard more game license in that sense. There were a few times when the tight work was really good rolling down the field but the endeavor of the Italians did beat it a lot too didn't it. No dominant class midfielder is there, almost prefer to have the Italian midfield!

26 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 30 minutes ago
TJ Perenara clarifies reference to the Treaty in All Blacks' Haka

Yeah, I'm down with unity.


E pai ana o korero TJ.

1 Go to comments
J
JW 33 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Laughed when Lakai didn't even have the decency to tell Cane he'd been subbed.


Bugger being the one to tell a guy he's off in his last game lol

26 Go to comments
J
JW 35 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

I can't really see it. He says Dmac is a great bench option, worlds best 23 I think he said he would be in that Bledisloe game if he wasn't otherwise his 10, but that would only be in the advent of injury for me. Should have kept BB and Jordan as they were, no point in changing them. Too small to make an impact as 23 (fullback) is why I'd describe why as well. Jordie fits that bill perfectly though.


Normally they rate them a bit lower if they have no impact don't they. Dmac came on and only really performed better as a 10, when he came into that role from fullback, where he just commits defenders and did a couple of nice flat passes. Otherwise as a fb replacement, very ineffectual (not really saying much in a game like this).


I really hope that Razor is just conserving Dmac because he's going to have no off season (going to top14 supposedly) and will return him to 10 next year. Otherwise just please please oh lord just give him to Toshiba in a swap to get the Mo'ongu signing over the line for next year (too late now).


I don't think I can handle an more of these selections.

26 Go to comments
J
JB 45 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Hoping Riley Higgins kicks on. Proctor must be 13 moving forward.

26 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 46 minutes ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

Rassie should be "miles ahead" of Razor, he's been involved with the Boks as full-time Director of Rugby since 2017. And the Boks should be ahead of the current ABs, they have kept all of their superstars.


Clearly, we are rebuilding from the floor up. But the one place that the Boks are not "miles ahead" is on the paddock. A brand new, relatively untested coaching team, with a new team still in the making, came close in Sth Africa.


Change takes time. Whatever this magic instant innovation potion is you allude to, it doesn't exist. Just ask Rassie. It's taken the Boks years to develop. I've no doubt Razor will get us there.

15 Go to comments
J
JB 46 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

BB and exceptional kicking do not belong in the same sentence.

26 Go to comments
J
JB 47 minutes ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Smith loves BB and doesn't try to hide it. Takes any credibility he may have away. BB gets a free ride by the NZ media and I just don't know why.

26 Go to comments
U
Utiku Old Boy 55 minutes ago
TJ Perenara's departing verdict on future of All Blacks No. 9 jersey

Well said TJ. You can be proud of your AB career and your passion for the country, the AB team and Canes and Wellington has always been unquestioned. Enjoy the new chapter(s).

1 Go to comments
U
Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
Former All Blacks grade the 2024 campaign

Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.

1 Go to comments
U
Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

Keep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.

15 Go to comments
C
Cantab 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

NZ were not great and allowed themselves to be bustled by the opposition. Some traditional forward drives and grubbers behind the advancing rush defenders may well have paid dividends in creating more space for the fancy moves. Our midfield backs rarely made an impression once again

26 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 1 hour ago
'They smelt it': Scott Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' vulnerability

I saw a stupid statistic trotted out on Sky Sport comparing the win % of the last 4 ABs coaches first 14 tests. Fair enough I thought.


Ted & Shag were both about 85% I think, Foster at 78% & Razor at 71%. The implication was, of course, that Razor hadn't done as well as the others. A closer look though shows Foster's first 14 tests were v AUS (7) ARG (4) FIJ (2) & TON (1). There was no explanation about this, despite the obvious discrepancy rendering the "statistics" completely useless.


Not good enough Goldie, Kristie, whoever dreamt up this fiasco.

15 Go to comments
J
JWH 1 hour ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

DMac didn't do anything to deserve a 6, but the ABs did look better when he came on. I don't think BB is the right man for the job, neither is DMac (too small), but DMac seems to be playing to Razor's gameplan more than Baz

26 Go to comments
L
Lisa Decker 1 hour ago
‘Right a few wrongs’: Ex-Wales flyer’s message of intent with Crusaders

Dr Hope love spell, you just fixed my relationship. We have been fighting every day and you’ve just fixed it and I cannot thank you enough. Thank you Dr Hope for saving my broken relationship and my boyfriend is back to me. If you have any problem in marriage/relationship. contact him and i guarantee you that he will help you. Here’s his contact: Email him at: marriagehelper91@gmail.com /WhatsApp him: +2349137446738 Thank you Dr you're the most wonderful spiritual Dr I have ever seen.

12 Go to comments
L
Lisa Decker 1 hour ago
‘Right a few wrongs’: Ex-Wales flyer’s message of intent with Crusaders

Dr Hope love spell, you just fixed my relationship. We have been fighting every day and you’ve just fixed it and I cannot thank you enough. Thank you Dr Hope for saving my broken relationship and my boyfriend is back to me. If you have any problem in marriage/relationship. contact him and i guarantee you that he will help you. Here’s his contact: Email him at: marriagehelper91@gmail.com /WhatsApp him: +2349137446738 Thank you Dr you're the most wonderful spiritual Dr I have ever seen.

12 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 1 hour ago
‘Right a few wrongs’: Ex-Wales flyer’s message of intent with Crusaders

Even with absences we still had the cattle to make the playoffs. As it was, we nearly blindly stumbled our way into the top 8. Which shows just how easy it was to get there. And still we failed. As for Razor, there are many instances of him patching up the Crusaders roster. Numerous. Several players I'd never heard of. Also, using AB legend John Afoa was a classic.


But, some of the games we were losing were from schoolboy errors, or downright confusion. Either the players were really dumb (they weren’t) or they were poorly coached. Given the repetitive nature of errors, brain fades, poor decision making, & loose structures, this all lands with the coaching group.


With only six playoff spots now in SR, & Aussie franchises now consolidated to four, 2025 looks like a tight one. I'm picking we'll have to tough it out under Penney & hope for the best.

12 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 2 hours ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Agree we need a 10, 12, 13 refresh. ASAP. Well, next season now lol. Reiko should be put back on the wing. He'll be an absolute menace there. Imagine 11 Reiko 14 Clarke 15 Jordan as the backfield unit.

26 Go to comments
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