The 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the first play-off for entry into the top-level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.
In March 2014, following the announcement of new European club competitions, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup, it was announced that the final place in the Champions Cup competition would be awarded by a play-off.
For the 2014–15 season, this was a two-legged play-off between the seventh placed teams from the 2013–14 Aviva Premiership season, and the 2013–14 Top 14 season. Following the completion of both legs, the team with the highest aggregate score took the twentieth berth in the 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup, the new top-tier competition, while the loser will play in the second tier 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
Teams League Team Coach Stadium Aviva Premiership Wasps Dai Young Adams Park Top 14 Stade Français Gonzalo Quesada Stade Jean-Bouin
Legs On 29 April 2014, it was announced that the play off would take place over two legs, with each side hosting one leg. The draw to decide which team would hold home-advantage for each leg took place on 6 May 2014
First leg
FB 15 Andrea MasiRW 14 William HeluOC 13 Elliot DalyIC 12 Chris Bell (c)LW 11 Tom VarndellFH 10 Andy GoodeSH 9 Joe SimpsonN8 8 Nathan Hughes OF 7 James Haskell BF 6 Ashley Johnson RL 5 Tom Palmer LL 4 Joe LaunchburyTP 3 Phil Swainston HK 2 Carlo Festuccia LP 1 Matt Mullan Replacements:HK 16 Tom Lindsay PR 17 Simon McIntyre PR 18 Taione Vea LK 19 Kearnan Myall N8 20 Guy Thompson SH 21 Brett SheehanFH 22 Joe CarlisleCE 23 Charlie HayterCoach: Dai Young FB 15 Hugo BonnevalRW 14 Julien AriasOC 13 Waisea NayacalevuIC 12 Meyer BosmanLW 11 Djibril Camara FH 10 Morné Steyn SH 9 Julien Dupuy N8 8 David LyonsOF 7 Sylvain Nicolas BF 6 Antoine BurbanRL 5 Pascal Papé (c)LL 4 Alexandre Flanquart TP 3 Rabah Slimani HK 2 Laurent Sempéré LP 1 Sakaria Taulafo Replacements:HK 16 Laurent Panis PR 17 Heinke van der Merwe PR 18 Davit Kubriashvili LK 19 Anton van Zyl FL 20 Scott LaValla SH 21 Jérôme Fillol FH 22 Jules Plisson WG 23 Jérémy Sinzelle Coach: Gonzalo Quesada Touch judges: Dudley Phillips (IRFU) Michael Black (IRFU) Television match official: Simon McDowell (IRFU)
Second leg
FB 15 Hugo Bonneval RW 14 Julien AriasOC 13 Waisea NayacalevuIC 12 Jonathan DantyLW 11 Digby Ioane FH 10 Jules PlissonSH 9 Jérôme Fillol N8 8 Sergio ParisseOF 7 Scott LaValla BF 6 Antoine Burban RL 5 Pascal Papé (c)LL 4 Alexandre Flanquart TP 3 Davit Kubriashvili HK 2 Laurent Sempéré LP 1 Heinke van der Merwe Replacements:HK 16 Michael van Vuuren PR 17 Sakaria Taulafo PR 18 Rabah Slimani LK 19 Anton van Zyl N8 20 David Lyons FH 21 Morné Steyn SH 22 Julien Dupuy CE 23 Meyer Bosman Coach: Gonzalo Quesada FB 15 Andrea MasiRW 14 William HeluOC 13 Elliot DalyIC 12 Chris Bell (c)LW 11 Tom VarndellFH 10 Andy Goode SH 9 Joe Simpson N8 8 Guy Thompson OF 7 James Haskell BF 6 Ashley Johnson RL 5 Tom Palmer LL 4 Joe LaunchburyTP 3 Phil Swainston HK 2 Carlo Festuccia LP 1 Matt Mullan Replacements:HK 16 Tom Lindsay PR 17 Simon McIntyre PR 18 Taione Vea LK 19 Kearnan Myall N8 20 Ed Jackson SH 21 Charlie Davies FH 22 Joe Carlisle CE 23 Charlie Hayter Coach: Dai Young Touch judges: Ian Davies (WRU) Sean Brickell (WRU) Television match official: Derek Bevan (WRU)
Result Wasps won the playoff 50 - 35 on aggregate and qualified for the 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup. Stade Français competed in the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
See also 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup
References