2007–08 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The 2007–08 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the 12th season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began on 8 November 2007 when Sale Sharks hosted Montpellier and ended with the Newcastle Falcons / El Salvador game on 20 January 2008.

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 Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester on 25 May 2008.

Results All times are local to the game location.

{| class="wikitable" |+ Key to colours |- | style="background: #ccffcc;" |      | Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses |- | style="background: #ccccff;" |      | Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Bath Rugby (2)6600286+2220365+1385029 Auch63031119−8109147−381114 Albi62041521−6130177−471211 Overmach Parma61051018−8104157−53037

Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Worcester Warriors (1)6600366+3024549+1965029 Montauban63032812+16175113+623116 București6213722−1577158−810010 Gran Parma6015738−3182259−177013

Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Newcastle Falcons (4)6501343+3126457+2073124 Brive (6)6402215+1617973+1063220 Connacht63032510+1517297+752115 El Salvador6006365−6226414−388000

Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Sale Sharks (3)6510348+2624462+1825027 Montpellier (8)64111214−2114115−11019 Bayonne61051620−4100164−64228 Petrarca Padova6105727−2073190−117015

Pool 5 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTBLBPts Castres Olympique (5)65011912+7160105+551021 Leeds Carnegie (7)64021810+8157101+562119 Calvisano62041329−16123200−77109 Dax61051514+1109143−34137

Seeding and runners-up SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/-1 Worcester Warriors2936+1962 Bath2928+1383 Sale Sharks2734+1824 Newcastle Falcons2434+2075 Castres Olympique2119+55SeedPool Runners-upPtsTF+/-6 Brive 2021+1067 Leeds Carnegie1918+568 Montpellier 1912−1 – Montauban1628+62 – Auch1411−38

See also European Challenge Cup 2007–08 Heineken Cup

References