1995–96 Heineken Cup

(Redirected from 1995-96 Heineken Cup)

The 1995–96 Heineken Cup was the first edition of the Heineken Cup, which was to become the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. Competing teams, from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales and, for the only time to date, Romania (teams from England and Scotland were not permitted to enter the competition by the RFU and SRU respectively), were divided into four pools of three, in which teams played each other only once, meaning one home and one away game per team. The winners of the pools qualified for the knock-out stages.

1995–96 Heineken Cup
Tournament details
Countries France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Romania
 Wales
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and Knockout
Date31 October 1995 to 7 January 1996
Tournament statistics
Teams12
Matches played15
Attendance97,535 (6,502 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Adrian Davies (Cardiff)
(58 points)
Top try scorer(s)Philippe Bernat-Salles (Bordeaux)
David Berty (Toulouse)
Thomas Castaignède (Toulouse)
Piero Dotto (Treviso)
Mike Hall (Cardiff)
Alan Harris (Swansea)
Sebastien Loubsens (Bordeaux)
Leandro Manteri (Treviso)
Andy Moore (Cardiff)
Émile Ntamack (Toulouse)
Conor O'Shea (Leinster)
Massimiliano Perziano (Treviso)
(2 tries)
Final
VenueNational Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance21,800
ChampionsFrance Toulouse (1st title)
Runners-upWales Cardiff
(Next) 1996–97 →

Background

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The Five Nations Committee met in December 1994 to discuss proposals for a multi-national European club competition. It was proposed that the top four teams in Wales, England, France, Ireland and Scotland would compete. Welsh, English and French clubs had welcomed the idea, but the RFU were concerned that it might devalue the Courage League.[1] In May 1995, the Committee gave the go-ahead for a pilot European Cup tournament to be held in the autumn of 1995, and a full competition to follow in 1996. Clubs from England, Wales, France and provincial or divisional sides from Ireland and Scotland, and possibly the top club from Romania, would be invited to compete.[2]

However, English and Scottish teams would be unable to participate as it was too late to change their domestic league schedules to accommodate the new competition.[3] The IRFU confirmed that Ireland would enter provincial teams, as their clubs were unlikely to be strong enough for the competition.[4] They were initially offered two places, but Tom Kiernan, Ireland's representative on the organising committee, was able to secure a third. The three places would go to the top three teams in the 1994 IRFU Interprovincial Championship, Munster, Ulster and Leinster.[5] The three Welsh teams would be the top two in the Welsh Premier Division, Cardiff and Pontypridd, and the winners of the WRU Challenge Cup, Swansea.[6] France entered the top two teams in the 1994-95 French championship, Toulouse and Castres, and cup runners-up Bègles-Bordeaux.[7]

In October, ITV secured the UK TV rights for the competition in a three-year deal,[8] and Dutch brewing company Heineken was announced as the competition's sponsor.[9]

Teams

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  France   Wales   Ireland   Romania   Italy

Pool stage

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The twelve teams were arranged into four pools of three, with each team playing the other team in their pool once. Two points were awarded for a win, and one point for a draw. The four pool winners qualified for the knockout stage.

Pool 1

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Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
  Toulouse 2 2 0 0 8 1 7 72 19 53 4 Advanced to the semi-finals
  Benetton Treviso 2 1 0 1 12 1 11 95 26 69 2 Eliminated
  Farul Constanţa 2 0 0 2 2 20 −18 18 140 −122 0
31 October 1995
15:00
Farul Constanţa  10–54  Toulouse
Try: Mihai Foca
Con: Emil Florea
Pen: Emil Florea
Try: Stéphane Ougier
Émile Ntamack (2)
Thomas Castaignède
David Berty (2)
Jean-Luc Cester
Penalty try
Con: Christophe Deylaud (7)
Constanta
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Robert Davies


15 December 1995
20:00
Toulouse  18–9  Benetton Treviso
Pen: Christophe Deylaud (5)
Drop: Christophe Deylaud
Pen: Michael Lynagh (2)
Drop: Michael Lynagh
Les Sept Deniers
Attendance: 6,085
Referee: John Bacigalupo

Pool 2

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Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
  Cardiff 2 1 1 0 7 1 6 60 20 40 3 Advanced to the semi-finals
  Bègles-Bordeaux 2 1 1 0 6 3 3 43 30 13 3 Eliminated
  Ulster 2 0 0 2 2 11 −9 22 75 −53 0
21 November 1995
20:00
Bègles-Bordeaux  14–14  Cardiff
Try: Philippe Bernat-Salles
Pen: Vincent Etcheto
Try: Mark Bennett
Pen: Adrian Davies
Stade Andre Moga
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: David McHugh

28 November 1995
19:15
Cardiff  46–6  Ulster
Try: Mike Hall
Stephen John
Adrian Davies
Andy Moore (2)
Con: Adrian Davies (5)
Pen: Adrian Davies (2)
Report[10]Pen: Mark McCall (2)
Cardiff Arms Park
Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Gérard Borreani

Pool 3

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Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
  Leinster 2 2 0 0 4 3 1 47 43 4 4 Advanced to the semi-finals
  Pontypridd 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 53 35 18 2 Eliminated
  Milan 2 0 0 2 2 3 −1 33 55 −22 0
1 November 1995
14:30
Milan  21–24  Leinster
Try: Roberto Crotti
Marco Platania
Con: Massimo Bonomi
Pen: Diego Dominguez
Try: Conor O'Shea
Niall Woods
Con: Alan McGowan
Pen: Alan McGowan (4)
Stadio Comunale Giuriati
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Franck Maciello

22 November 1995
19:15
Pontypridd  31–12  Milan
Try: David Manley
Neil Jenkins
Pen: Neil Jenkins (8)
Pen: Diego Dominguez (4)
Sardis Road
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Brian Campsall

6 December 1995
19:00
Leinster  23–22  Pontypridd
Try: Conor O'Shea
Alan McGowan
Con: Alan McGowan (2)
Pen: Alan McGowan
Try: Crispin Cormack
Con: Lee Jarvis
Pen: Lee Jarvis
Lansdowne Road
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Daniel Gillet

Pool 4

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Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
  Swansea 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 35 27 8 2 Advanced to the semi-finals
  Munster 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 29 32 −3 2 Eliminated
  Castres 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 29 34 −5 2
1 November 1995
14:30
Munster  17–13  Swansea
Try: Pat Murray
Richard Wallace
Con: Ken Smith
Pen: Ken Smith
Report[12]Try: Alan Harris
Con: Aled Williams
Pen: Aled Williams
Thomond Park
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Ed Morrison

8 November 1995
20:00
Castres  19–12  Munster
Try: Nicolas Combes
Con: Laurent Labit
Pen: Laurent Labit (4)
Report[13]Pen: Ken Smith (4)
Stade Antoine Beguere
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: David Davies

5 December 1995
19:00
Swansea  22–10  Castres
Try: Alan Harris
Garin Jenkins
Pen: Aled Williams (4)
Try: Francis Rui
Con: Cyril Savy
Pen: Cyril Savy
St Helen's
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Chuck Muir

Seeding

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Seed Pool Winners Pts TF +/−
1   Toulouse 4 8 +53
2   Leinster Lions 4 4 +4
3   Cardiff 3 7 +40
4   Swansea 2 3 +8

Knockout stage

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Semi-finals Final
      
1   Toulouse 30
4   Swansea 3
1   Toulouse (a.e.t) 21
3   Cardiff 18
2   Leinster Lions 14
3   Cardiff 23

Semi-finals

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30 December 1995
13:30
Leinster Lions  14–23  Cardiff
Try: Pim m
Pen: McGowan (3)
Report[14]Try: Hall c
Taylor 50' c
Con: Davies (2)
Pen: Davies
Drop: Davies
Moore
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Attendance: 7,350
Referee: Brian Campsall (England)

30 December 1995
14:00
Toulouse  30–3  Swansea
Try: Artiguste c
Manent c
Penalty try c
Con: Deylaud (3)
Pen: Deylaud (3)
ReportPen: Williams
Stade des Sept Deniers, Toulouse
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

Final

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The 1996 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 1995–96 Heineken Cup, the inaugural season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 6 January 1996 at the Arms Park in Cardiff. The match was contested by Cardiff of Wales and Toulouse of France. Toulouse won the match 21–18 after extra time; they took the lead with two tries in the first 10 minutes, but the kicking of Adrian Davies kept Cardiff level. With the scores at 15–12 as the clock ticked past 80 minutes, Davies stepped up again and slotted over a penalty to take the game to extra time. Christophe Deylaud restored Toulouse's lead with another penalty shortly after the game restarted, before Davies tied the scores up again. Then, going into the final few seconds of extra time, the referee penalised Cardiff for using hands in the ruck; Deylaud slotted the resulting penalty to seal Toulouse's victory.

Match details

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6 January 1996
13:30
Cardiff  18–21 (a.e.t.)  Toulouse
Pen: Davies (6)ReportTry: Castaignède
Cazalbou
Con: Deylaud
Pen: Deylaud (2)
Drop: Castaignède
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 21,800
Referee: David McHugh (Ireland)

References

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  1. ^ "Davies warns rugby", South Wales Echo, 8 December 1994
  2. ^ "European Cup gets go-ahead", Irish Independent, 19 May 1995
  3. ^ Jim Stokes, "Clubs put European Cup top of agenda", Ireland's Saturday Night, 23 September 1995
  4. ^ "Ireland confirm Euro entry", Belfast Telegraph, 22 August 1995
  5. ^ Jim Stokes, "Ulster to face Cardiff?", Belfast Telegraph, 29 August 1995
  6. ^ Paul Rees, "English Euro Cup hi-jack", Sport on Sunday, 20 August 1995
  7. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Provinces to play in new European league", Irish Independent, 23 August 1995
  8. ^ "ITV secure Euro rugby cup deal", Evening Herald, 25 October 1995
  9. ^ Barry Coughland, "Euro League scores", Irish Examiner, 28 October 1995
  10. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Quick-fire Cardiff leave Ulster trailing in wake", Irish Independent, 29 November 1995
  11. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Brave Ulster denied", Irish Independent, 14 December 1995
  12. ^ "Munster 17-13 Swansea". EPCR. 1 November 1995. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  13. ^ "Castres Olympique 19-12 Munster". EPCR. 8 November 1995. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Fri 29 December 1995". Leinster rugby. Retrieved 15 January 2024.