The 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup-Challenge Cup play-off was the third play-off for entry into the top-level competition of European Club rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup.

Format

Following a break to ease fixture congestion caused by the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the three-team play-off held in 2015–16 was expanded, and a four-team format was announced. ^{[1] [2]}

The play-off comprised 3 matches, contested by one team from the Premiership, one from the Top 14, and two from the Pro14.^{[ citation needed]}

The two Pro12 teams each played one of the Premiership or Top 14 sides in a single-leg semi-final, held at the home ground of the non-Pro12 side. The winners of these matches then contested a play-off final, with the winner of this match competing in the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. The three losing teams all competed in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.^{[ citation needed]}

Teams

Four teams competed in the play-off, having qualified as either the highest team from each league that did not already qualify for the Champions Cup, or as the winner of the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup. ^[3]

The following teams had qualified for the play-off:

League	Team	Coach	Stadium
Aviva Premiership	Northampton Saints	Jim Mallinder	Franklin's Gardens
Guinness Pro12	Cardiff Blues	Danny Wilson	Cardiff Arms Park
	Connacht	Pat Lam	Galway Sportsgrounds
Top 14	Stade Français	Gonzalo Quesada	Stade Jean-Bouin

Matches

A draw was held on 15 March 2017 to determine the two semi-final matches. ^[2]

Semi-finals

19 May 2017 18:00 CEST

Stade Français	46–21	Cardiff Blues
Try: Nayacalevu 32' c Melikidze 43' c De Giovanni 51' c Macalou (2) 60' m, 68' c Panis 71' m Daguin 76' m Con: Steyn (4/6) 33', 44', 52', 69' Plisson (0/1) Pen: Steyn (1/1) 10'	Report	Try: Cook (2) 21' c, 63' c N. Williams 24' c Con: Anscombe (3/3) 22', 25', 64'

Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris Attendance: 4,767 Referee: Greg Garner ( RFU)

FB 15 Jérémy Sinzelle RW 14 Waisea Nayacalevu  61' OC 13 Jonathan Danty IC 12 Meyer Bosman LW 11 Sekou Macalou FH 10 Morné Steyn SH 9 Julien Dupuy  63' N8 8 Sergio Parisse ( c) OF 7 Matthieu Ugena  34' BF 6 Antoine Burban RL 5 Paul Gabrillagues  72' LL 4 Willem Alberts  66' TP 3 Paul Alo-Emile  25' HK 2 Rémi Bonfils  67' LP 1 Heinke van der Merwe  50' Replacements: HK 16 Laurent Panis  67' PR 17 Rabah Slimani  50' PR 18 Giorgi Melikidze  25' LK 19 Mathieu De Giovanni  34' FL 20 Raphaël Lakafia  66' SH 21 Clément Daguin  63' FH 22 Jules Plisson  61' FL 23 Jono Ross  72' Coach: Gonzalo Quesada

FB 15 Matthew Morgan RW 14 Alex Cuthbert OC 13 Rey Lee-Lo  7' IC 12 Willis Halaholo  66' LW 11 Rhun Williams  4' FH 10 Gareth Anscombe SH 9 Lloyd Williams N8 8 Nick Williams OF 7 Ellis Jenkins ( c) BF 6 Josh Navidi RL 5 Macauley Cook LL 4 Jarrad Hoeata TP 3 Taufaʻao Filise  61' HK 2 Matthew Rees  61' LP 1 Rhys Gill  57' Replacements: HK 16 Kirby Myhill  61'  72' PR 17 Corey Domachowski  57' PR 18 Anton Peikrishvili  61' LK 19 Seb Davies  72' FL 20 Sion Bennett  66' SH 21 Tomos Williams  52' FH 22 Steven Shingler  7'  52' CE 23 Garyn Smith  4' Coach: Danny Wilson

• Cardiff Blues were demoted to the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

20 May 2017 16:00 BST

Northampton Saints	21–15	Connacht
Try: Mallinder 1' c Groom 56' m Con: Mallinder (1/2) 2' Pen: Mallinder (3/3) 15', 23', 70'	Report	Try: Adeolokun 4' c Heffernan 61' m Con: Ronaldson (1/2) 4' Pen: Ronaldson (1/1) 28'

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Referee: Mathieu Raynal ( FFR)

FB 15 Ahsee Tuala  78' RW 14 Ben Foden OC 13 Nafi Tuitavake IC 12 Luther Burrell  23' LW 11 George North FH 10 Harry Mallinder SH 9 Nic Groom  67' N8 8 Louis Picamoles OF 7 Teimana Harrison  58' BF 6 Jamie Gibson 78' to 80' RL 5 Christian Day  64' LL 4 Courtney Lawes TP 3 Kieran Brookes  62' HK 2 Dylan Hartley ( c)  59' LP 1 Alex Waller  62' Replacements: HK 16 Mike Haywood  78' PR 17 Campese Ma'afu  62' PR 18 Gareth Denman  62' LK 19 Api Ratuniyarawa  64' FL 20 Tom Wood  58' SH 21 Lee Dickson  67' FH 22 Sam Olver CE 23 Rory Hutchinson  23' Coach: Jim Mallinder

FB 15 Tiernan O'Halloran RW 14 Niyi Adeolokun OC 13 Danie Poolman IC 12 Craig Ronaldson LW 11 Cian Kelleher  3' FH 10 Jack Carty SH 9 Kieran Marmion  66' N8 8 John Muldoon ( c) OF 7 Jake Heenan  56' BF 6 Seán O'Brien RL 5 James Cannon  51' LL 4 Quinn Roux TP 3 Finlay Bealham  68' HK 2 Dave Heffernan LP 1 Denis Buckley Replacements: HK 16 Shane Delahunt PR 17 JP Cooney PR 18 Conor Carey  68' LK 19 Ultan Dillane  51' FL 20 Naulia Dawai  56' SH 21 Caolin Blade SH 22 John Cooney  66' WG 23 Matt Healy  3' Coach: Pat Lam

• Connacht drop to the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

Play-off final

The draw for the semi-finals was also used to decide that the winner of the second semi-final would have home advantage in the play-off final. ^[2]

26 May 2017 19:45 BST

Northampton Saints	23–22	Stade Français
Try: Foden 45' c Tuala 71' c Con: Mallinder (2/2) 45', 73' Pen: Mallinder (3/5) 19', 29', 38'	Report	Try: Nayacalevu 3' c Sinzelle 22' m Camara 34' c Con: Plisson (2/3) 4', 35' Pen: Plisson (1/1) 10'

Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Attendance: 10,273 Referee: John Lacey ( IRFU)

FB 15 Ahsee Tuala  75' RW 14 Ben Foden OC 13 Nafi Tuitavake  53' IC 12 Luther Burrell LW 11 George North FH 10 Harry Mallinder SH 9 Nic Groom  66' N8 8 Louis Picamoles  53' OF 7 Tom Wood ( c)  63' BF 6 Teimana Harrison RL 5 Christian Day  60' LL 4 Courtney Lawes TP 3 Kieran Brookes  60' HK 2 Dylan Hartley  66' LP 1 Alex Waller  66' Replacements: HK 16 Mike Haywood  66' PR 17 Campese Ma'afu  66' PR 18 Gareth Denman  60' LK 19 Api Ratuniyarawa  60' FL 20 Jamie Gibson  53' SH 21 Lee Dickson  66' FH 22 Sam Olver  75' CE 23 Rory Hutchinson 62' to 72'  53' Coach: Jim Mallinder

FB 15 Djibril Camara  65' RW 14 Waisea Nayacalevu OC 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou IC 12 Jonathan Danty  22' LW 11 Jérémy Sinzelle FH 10 Jules Plisson SH 9 Will Genia  76' N8 8 Jono Ross OF 7 Raphaël Lakafia BF 6 Antoine Burban  44' RL 5 Paul Gabrillagues ( c)  60' LL 4 Willem Alberts TP 3 Paul Alo-Emile HK 2 Rémi Bonfils 42' to 52'  74' LP 1 Zurab Zhvania  51' Replacements: HK 16 Craig Burden  44'  53' PR 17 Rabah Slimani  51' PR 18 Giorgi Melikidze  74' LK 19 Mathieu De Giovanni  60' N8 20 Sergio Parisse  53' SH 21 Clément Daguin  76' FH 22 Morné Steyn  65' CE 23 Meyer Bosman  22' Coach: Gonzalo Quesada

• Northampton Saints qualified for the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup. Stade Français played in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup.

See also

• 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup
• 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup

References