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

By Online Editors
(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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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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