One of the biggest weekends in the European club rugby calendar will kick-off with the first in a series of intriguing Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final Anglo-French contests when last season’s finalists, Stade Francais Paris, host the Exeter Chiefs on Thursday, 5 April next.
The theme of cross-channel rivalry continues with the heavyweight clash of the 2010 finalists, Toulon, and reigning champions, Harlequins, who qualified from this season’s Heineken Cup, at Stade Félix Mayol on Friday, 6 April.
Then it will be the turn of London Wasps – tournament winners in 2003 – to go head-to-head with another Heineken Cup qualifier, Biarritz Olympique, at Adams Park, before a weekend of high-quality action is rounded off with the meeting of Brive and the Scarlets from Wales on Sunday, 8 April. All four matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports,with additional live coverage on Eurosport France, France 4 and S4C.
The five Amlin Challenge Cup Pool winners secured automatic places in the quarter-finals and they were joined in the last eight by Biarritz, Harlequins and the Scarlets – the third, fourth and fifth best-placed runners-up from the Heineken Cup Pools.
Following the completion of the semi-final draw last Sunday, the much anticipated clashes of Toulon and Harlequins, and of London Wasps and Biarritz, will have the added incentive of offering the winners a home semi-final and taking them one step closer to the London 2012 Amlin Challenge Cup final at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday, 18 May, the eve of the Heineken Cup showpiece.
AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINALS
(All kick-offs local time)
Thursday, 5 April
Stade Francais Paris v Exeter Chiefs, Stade Charléty 20.45
Eurosport France / Sky Sports
* STade Francais were defeated by Harlequins in the 2011 final by a last-gasp try from Gonzalo Camacho who is now in the Exeter Chiefs squad.
* Exeter’s Ignacio Mieres was the leading scorer in this season’s Pool stages with 59 points.
* Stade Francais won all six of their Pool matches and only failed to secure a bonus point on one occasion.
* This is Exeter’s first appearance in the knock-out stages of the tournament.
* Exeter’s captain, Tom Hayes, is the younger brother of John Hayes who played for Munster in last season’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final and semi-final.
Friday, 6 April
Toulon v Harlequins, Stade Félix Mayol 20.45
FR4 / Sky Sports
* Toulon were defeated by Cardiff Blues in the 2010 final in Marseille which attracted a tournament record crowd of 48,990.
* Harlequins are the reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions thanks to their dramatic 19-18 win over Stade Francais in Cardiff.
* Toulon’s forwards coach, Olivier Azam, has been on the winning side in two finals – Montferrand (1999) and Gloucester Rugby (2006).
* Harlequins have won the tournament three times beating Narbonne (2001), Montferrand (2004) and Stade Francais (2011)
Saturday, 7 April
London Wasps v Biarritz Olympique, Adams Park 12.30
Sky Sports / Eurosport France
* London Wasps won the 2003 tournament defeating Bath Rugby 48-30 in the final.
* Biarritz’s Iain Balshaw played for Bath in the 2003 final.
* London Wasps’ Director of Rugby, Dai Young, coached Cardiff Blues to victory in the 2010 tournament.
* This will be Biarritz’s first appearance in the tournament since the 1999/2000 season.
Sunday, 8 April
Brive v Scarlets, Stadium Municipal Amédée Domenech 20.15
Sky Sports / S4C
* This will be Brive’s 10th appearance in the knock-out stages of the tournament.
* In their one previous appearance in the quarter-finals in 2010, Scarlets lost 38-12 to Toulon at Stade Félix Mayol.
* Brive scored three tries against Munster in last season’s quarter-final but still lost a thrilling game 37-42 at Stadium Municipal Amédée Domenech.
SEMI-FINALS
(Matches to be played the weekend of 27 / 28 / 29 April)
Toulon or Harlequins v Stade Francais Paris or Exeter Chiefs
London Wasps or Biarritz Olympique v Brive or Scarlets