2005–06 European Challenge Cup pool stage

The 2005–06 European Challenge Cup pool stage was the opening stage of the tenth season of the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier competition for European rugby union clubs. It began with all twenty teams playing on 22 October 2005 and ended when Bristol hosted Narbonne on 22 January 2006.

2005–06 European Challenge Cup pool stage
Season	2005–06 European Challenge Cup
Date	22 October 2005 – 22 January 2006
Qualifiers
Seed 1	Gloucester
Seed 2	Newcastle Falcons
Seed 3	London Irish
Seed 4	Northampton Saints
Seed 5	Worcester Warriors
Seed 6	Bayonne
Seed 7	Connacht
Seed 8	Brive
← 2001–02 (Previous) 2006–07 → (Next)

Main article: 2005–06 European Challenge Cup

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 the Twickenham Stoop in London on 21 May 2006.

Results

All times are local to the game location.

Key to colours

	Winner of each pool, advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses
	Three highest-scoring second-place teams advance to quarterfinals. Seed # in parentheses

Pool 1

Team[1]	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	TB	LB	Pts
Northampton Saints (4)	6	5	0	1	32	12	20	194	96	98	5	0	25
Narbonne	6	4	0	2	16	11	5	125	113	12	2	0	18
Bristol	6	3	0	3	26	21	5	203	150	53	3	1	16
Viadana	6	0	0	6	9	39	−30	81	244	−163	0	1	1

22 October 2005[2] 15:00

Northampton Saints	47–25	Viadana

Franklin's Gardens Attendance: 10,802

22 October 2005 18:30

Narbonne	20–13	Bristol

Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié Attendance: 5,250

---

28 October 2005[3] 19:30

Viadana	14–20	Narbonne

Stadio Luigi Zaffanella Attendance: 500

30 October 2005 15:00

Bristol	36–28	Northampton Saints

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,662

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9 December 2005[4] 19:30

Viadana	23–39	Bristol

Stadio Luigi Zaffanella Attendance: 600

10 December 2005 15:00

Northampton Saints	32–20	Narbonne

Franklin's Gardens Attendance: 11,572

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16 December 2005[5] 19:30

Narbonne	7–22	Northampton Saints

Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié Attendance: 3,500

18 December 2005 15:00

Bristol	89–5	Viadana

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,426

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14 January 2006[6] 15:00

Northampton Saints	45–8	Bristol

Franklin's Gardens Attendance: 12,227

14 January 2006 18:30

Narbonne	29–14	Viadana

Parc des Sports Et de l'Amitié Attendance: 2,500

---

21 January 2006[7] 19:30

Viadana	0–20	Northampton Saints

Stadio Luigi Zaffanella Attendance: 0

22 January 2006 15:00

Bristol	18–29	Narbonne

Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,762

Pool 2

Team[1]	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	TB	LB	Pts
London Irish (3)	6	6	0	0	32	11	21	239	81	158	3	0	27
Agen	6	3	0	3	23	15	8	163	143	20	3	0	14
Pau	6	2	0	4	12	19	−7	107	153	−46	2	1	11
Overmach Parma	6	1	0	5	8	30	−22	74	206	−132	0	0	4

22 October 2005[2] 15:00

Overmach Parma	23–50	Agen

Sergio Lanfranchi Attendance: 490

22 October 2005 18:30

Pau	13–20	London Irishÿ

Stade du Hameau Attendance: 5,800

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29 October 2005[3] 18:30

Agen	23–6	Pau

Stade Armandie Attendance: 8,000

30 October 2005 15:00

London Irish	64–0	Overmach Parma

Madejski Stadium Attendance: 5,760

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10 December 2005[4] 18:30

Pau	29–3	Overmach Parma

Stade du Hameau Attendance: 2,000

11 December 2005 15:00

London Irish	29–21	Agen

Madejski Stadium Attendance: 4,452

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17 December 2005[5] 14:30

Overmach Parma	20–11	Pau

Sergio Lanfranchi Attendance: 200

17 December 2005 18:30

Agen	24–32	London Irish

Stade Armandie Attendance: 12,000

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14 January 2006[6] 14:30

Overmach Parma	11–19	London Irish

Sergio Lanfranchi Attendance: 1,000

14 January 2006 18:30

Pau	36–12	Agen

Stade du Hameau Attendance: 4,000

---

21 January 2006[7] 14:00

London Irish	75–12	Pau

Madejski Stadium Attendance: 4,647

21 January 2006 15:00

Agen	33–17	Overmach Parma

Stade Armandie Attendance: 5,000

Pool 3

Team[1]	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	TB	LB	Pts
Gloucester (1)	6	6	0	0	49	6	43	331	53	278	5	0	29
Bayonne (6)	6	4	0	2	31	11	20	202	93	109	4	0	20
București	6	1	0	5	7	40	−33	71	253	−182	0	1	5
Toulon	6	1	0	5	9	39	−30	64	269	−205	0	1	5

22 October 2005[2] 15:00

București	16–20	Toulon

Steaua Stadium Attendance: 500

22 October 2005 19:00

Bayonne	10–26	Gloucester

Stade Jean Dauger Attendance: 5,000

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29 October 2005[3] 15:00

Gloucester	106–3	București

Kingsholm Attendance: 7,500

29 October 2005 18:30

Toulon	19–28	Bayonne

Stade Mayol Attendance: 5,000

---

10 December 2005[4] 14:00

București	10–38	Bayonne

Steaua Stadium Attendance: 600

10 December 2005 18:30

Toulon	3–74	Gloucester

Stade Mayol Attendance: 4,200

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16 December 2005[5] 19:30

Bayonne	45–6	București

Stade Jean Dauger Attendance: 1,200

17 December 2005 15:00

Gloucester	66–5	Toulon

Kingsholm Attendance: 9,037

---

13 January 2006[6] 19:00

Bayonne	62–0	Toulon

Stade Jean Dauger Attendance: 4,000

14 January 2006 14:00

București	13–27	Gloucester

Steaua Stadium Attendance: 700

---

21 January 2006[7] 14:00

Gloucester	32–19	Bayonne

Kingsholm Attendance: 8,000

21 January 2006 15:00

Toulon	17–23	București

Stade Mayol Attendance: 1,000

Pool 4

Team[1]	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	TB	LB	Pts
Newcastle Falcons (2)	6	6	0	0	44	10	34	324	81	243	4	0	28
Brive (8)	6	3	0	3	30	19	11	203	169	34	4	2	18
Borders	6	3	0	3	19	23	−4	155	177	−22	2	1	15
L'Aquila	6	0	0	6	14	55	−41	103	358	−255	0	1	1

22 October 2005[2] 14:30

Newcastle Falcons	51–19	Brive

Kingston Park Attendance: 6,080

22 October 2005 15:00

L'Aquila	25–32	Borders

Stadio Communale Frattem Attendance: 1,000

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29 October 2005[3] 18:30

Brive	64–22	L'Aquila

Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 4,107

30 October 2005 16:00

Borders	11–26	Newcastle Falcons

Netherdale Attendance: 4,029

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10 December 2005[4] 15:00

L'Aquila	0–86	Newcastle Falcons

Stadio Communale Frattem Attendance: 1,000

11 December 2005 16:00

Borders	25–22	Brive

Netherdale Attendance: 1,050

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17 December 2005[5] 18:30

Brive	34–28	Borders

Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 5,850

18 December 2005 14:30

Newcastle Falcons	90–14	L'Aquila

Kingston Park Attendance: 5,216

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14 January 2006[6] 15:00

L'Aquila	19–47	Brive

Stadio Tommaso Fattori Attendance: 800

15 January 2006 14:30

Newcastle Falcons	47–20	Borders

Kingston Park Attendance: 5,866

---

21 January 2006[7] 14:00

Borders	39–23	L'Aquila

Netherdale Attendance: 923

21 January 2006 15:00

Brive	17–24	Newcastle Falcons

Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 6,700

Pool 5

Team[1]	P	W	D	L	Tries for	Tries against	Try diff	Points for	Points against	Points diff	TB	LB	Pts
Worcester Warriors (5)	6	5	0	1	24	12	12	181	103	78	3	1	25
Connacht (7)	6	4	0	2	25	14	11	190	119	71	3	1	20
Catania	6	2	0	4	15	41	−26	116	257	−141	1	1	8
Montpellier	6	1	0	5	26	23	3	170	178	−8	2	2	7

22 October 2005[2] 14:00

Worcester Warriors	36–18	Montpellier

Sixways Attendance: 6,078

22 October 2005 14:30

Connacht	62–17	Catania

Sportsground Attendance: 600

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28 October 2005[3] 19:30

Montpellier	13–19	Connacht

Stade Sabathé Attendance: 2,000

29 October 2005 16:00

Catania	14–19	Worcester Warriors

Stadio Santa Maria Goretti Attendance: 900

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9 December 2005[4] 19:30

Montpellier	74–12	Catania

Stade Sabathé Attendance: 1,000

10 December 2005 14:00

Worcester Warriors	30–20	Connacht

Sixways Attendance: 6,137

---

17 December 2005[5] 14:00

Connacht	22–21	Worcester Warriors

Sportsground Attendance: 2,200

18 December 2005 15:00

Catania	37–34	Montpellier

Stadio Santa Maria Goretti Attendance: 400

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14 January 2006[6] 14:00

Connacht	43–10	Montpellier

Sportsground Attendance: 2,500

14 January 2006 14:00

Worcester Warriors	44–8	Catania

Sixways Attendance: 600

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20 January 2006[7] 19:30

Catania	28–24	Connacht

Stadio Santa Maria Goretti Attendance: 900

20 January 2006 19:30

Montpellier	21–31	Worcester Warriors

Stade Sabathé Attendance: 2,500

Seeding and runners-up

Seed	Pool Winners	Pts	TF	+/-
1	Gloucester	29	49	+278
2	Newcastle Falcons	28	44	+243
3	London Irish	27	32	+158
4	Northampton Saints	25	32	+98
5	Worcester Warriors	25	24	+78
Seed	Pool Runners-up	Pts	TF	+/-
6	Bayonne	20	31	+109
7	Connacht	20	25	+71
8	Brive	18	30	+34
–	Narbonne	18	16	+12
–	Agen	14	16	+20

See also

• European Challenge Cup
• 2005–06 Heineken Cup