Challenge Cup
This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Challenge Cup news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoClinical Sharks put the bite on 14-man Begles
By CHRIS ROGERS Double: Chris Ashton SALE made it three wins from three matches as Chris Ashton and Paolo Odogwu both...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoQuins sent crashing by Ioane’s late breakaway
By ADAM ELLIS HARLEQUINS came crashing down from the high of beating Exeter as a last-minute try from wing Monty Ioane...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoLeiataua sin-bin opens door for Godwin
By DARAGH SMALL Connacht …22 Perpignan…10 KYLE Godwin’s late try clinched the win for Connacht who had to withstand a late...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoBlanc score adds late gloss to the Slade show
■By ALEX BYWATER COLIN Slade’s try-double helped end Worcester’s unbeaten Challenge Cup run at the Stade du Hameau on Friday night....
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoBristol killed off by second-half blitz
■By WILL CARPENTER Fast start: Harry Thacker gets the applause after scoring Bristol’s first try after six minutes PICTURE: Getty Images...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoWoeful first half leaves Dragons in distress
By ALEX BYWATER THE FINAL score suggested Dragons had given Northampton a game. In reality, the 80 minutes was very different....
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoWarriors put weakened Ospreys to the sword
By ALEX BYWATER Starter: Worcester’s Jamie Shillcock beats the tackle of Ospreys’ James Hook to score their first try PICTURE: Getty...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years ago‘Greedy’ Ashton lands hat-trick to bite the Irish
By COLIN NEWBOULT IT JUST had to be Chris Ashton who stole the show. After seven weeks away, following a suspension...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoBreakaway try ends Quins hopes of top spot
By ROB COLE HARLEQUINS missed an opportunity to go top of their European Challenge Cup pool as they slipped to a...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoCanna holds his nerve to sink Bristol at the death
By TIM LEWIS PAT LAM cut a frustrated figure as his Bristol side suffered last gasp heartache at the hands of...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoRussians given ten-try thrashing by French
ROUND-UP LA ROCHELLE continued with their superb form in Pool 4 when they thrashed Enisei-STM64-26. The Top 14 outfit outscored their...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoSaints ‘make an offer’ to Fekitoa
BY NEILFISSLER ON THE BLIND SIDE Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Choice: Malakai Fekitoa NORTHAMPTON Saints have joined the race to...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoTigers join the hunt for Bok superstar Eben
Best in world: Eben Etzebeth LEICESTER Tigers have enquired about the post- World Cup availably of Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth. The...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoMontpellier give Skelton yet another option
MONTPELLIER are the latest French club to ask Will Skelton about his plans for next season with his Saracens contract coming...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoBealham try seals win after pair from Godwin
Pool 3 KYLE Godwin scored tries in each half as Connacht got their Cup campaign off to a convincing start at...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoSharks tear chunks out of 14-man Perpignan
By SAM JACKSON BYRON McGuigan’s hattrick helped Sale Sharks to a bonus-point victory to start their Challenge Cup campaign on Friday,...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoToo big and too strong, Clermont bash Saints
By NEALE HARVEY Joy: Peceli Yato of Clermont celebrates scoring Consolation: Tom Collins breaks away to score for Saints PICTURE: Getty...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoDee’s double helps Dragons earn the maximum
By ROB COLE THE Dragons quickly put the bitter disappointment of losing at home to Cardiff Blues last weekend behind them...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoNorth stars as debut boy Harri makes history books
By STEFFAN THOMAS Pool 2 ALLEN Clarke praised the performance of George North as the Wales wing crossed for his fifth...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoWarriors make big statement in Paris
By TIM LEWIS WORCESTER made a blistering start to their European campaign with a bonus point win in Paris. A brace...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoEmphatic first 40 sets Bristol up for big win
By WILL CARPENTER PAT Lam called for a big response from his players after last week’s defeat to Worcester and the...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoRussians concede 12 tries Round-up
Gain and pain: Nathan Earle touches down for Quins’ fourth try despite the efforts of Loris Tolot, but injured himself in...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoGustard: Chisholm is ready for Eddie
By GARY FITZGERALD PAUL Gustard claims Eddie Jones could do a lot worse than give James Chisholm a chance with the...
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Challenge Cup
/ 7 years agoAmbitious Ealing on the trail of Simpson
Wanted: Joe Simpson EALING Trailfinders are again hot on the hunt for Wasps scrumhalf Joe Simpson who is out of contract...
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Club Rugby
/ 8 years agoEd Slater to captain Gloucester in Challenge Cup final clash with Cardiff
Rested players come back into the starting XV for Gloucester's trip to Bilbao
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoInjury issues may scupper Gloucester’s bid for glory
BRENDAN GALLAGHER sets the scene for next week’s Anglo-Welsh finale of the Challenge Cup Decisions: Johan Ackermann As somebody once said...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoUgly ducklings’ springboard to bigger success
Brendan Gallagher looks at how the Challenge Cup has been the launching pad for some big names Coming force: Harlequins triumph...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoDeano: We must be better for Tigers
DEAN Richards says his side will have to go up a notch if they are to beat Leicester next week and...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoBlues defy heat of Pau’s pack to claim final place
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Fast start: Gareth Anscombe beats Pau’s Julien Pierre to the ball to score PICTURES: Getty Images Retaliation: Seb...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoWilson: My best win for Blues
DANNY Wilson hailed his side’s win as the best of his three-years in charge at Cardiff Blues. The victory set-up a...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoHenson still big part of Dragons planning
NEWS EXTRA By STEFFAN THOMAS HE MAY not have played since the end of January, but Gavin Henson remains a key...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoWoodward shows he’s England class
By TOM BRADSHAW Teamwork: Tom Marshall dives over for Gloucester’s first try, set up by Jason Woodward, right PICTURES: Getty Images...
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Club Rugby
/ 8 years agoTEAMS: Cardiff Blues v Pau
Blues hoping to continue European journey to send Wilson off in style
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Club Rugby
/ 8 years agoTEAMS: Gloucester v Newcastle Falcons
(Photo: Getty Images) By Jake Jones Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann has urged his Gloucester side to ‘get out of the...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoUnbeaten Pau put champs to sword
By TOM RICHARDSON DEFENDING champions Stade Francais were knocked out of the Challenge Cup in a thrilling quarter-final by Top 14...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoFlood runs hot to set up Tait for try-double
By ALAN HEDLEY Looking good: Alex Tait and Toby Flood, right, celebrate after Tait scores Falcons’ third try Flyer: Zach Kibirige...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoNavidi leads from the front as clinical Blues capitalise on Edinburgh mistakes
By ALEX BYWATER CARDIFF Blues set up a home Challenge Cup quarter- final with Pau as Edinburgh shot themselves in the...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoGloucester get to grips with the ref and the Irish
By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Strength: Henry Trinder fights his way to the line PICTURE: Gloucester Rugby GLOUCESTER, losing finalists last year, produced...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoReturn of the ruck would cut head injuries instantly
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK BRING back the ruck, and do it now, before it is too late....
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoClubs do turkey trot
NIGEL Melville, the RFU’s professional rugby director, has made the right call by going on record in these pages that one-up,...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoSimmonds award snub is shocker
CONGRATULATIONS to Exeter’s second team for beating a full strength Bath 28-11 in the final of the Anglo Welsh cup. However,...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoNow play on
INTERESTING how some controversial officiating calls you never hear the end of, while others are accepted. The high-ball knock-on by Rob...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoNiyi’s first half treble secures home quarter
By JOHN FALLON NIYI Adeolokun ran in a brilliant hat-trick as Connacht sealed a home quarter-final. Kieran Keane’s men were devastating...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoFowlie hits double but Irish crash out
Krasny Yar …17 London Irish …24 By SAM LEWIS LONDON Irish thought they had boosted their chances of qualifying for the...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoLong wait goes on for Warrirors
Brive …33 Worcester …7 By TOM VALE BRIVE beat Worcester in a torrid rearranged game in Tulle to secure a place...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoHat-trick hero Radwan helps Falcons finish pool unbeaten
Enisei-STM …19 Newcastle …33 By DARREN THOMPSON NEWCASTLE director of rugby Dean Richards praised his players after they comfortably saw off...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoItalians earn first win
Zebre…38 Agen…30 ZEBRE recorded their first Challenge Cup win of the season, beating Agen in the Pool 5 ’dead rubber’. A...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoKunatani crosses at the death to kill off Sharks
By PAUL RILEY Toulouse …28 Sale …21 SALE fell to another late decisive try in France for the second time this...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoGritty Dragons grind out bonus point win
Early salvo: Elliot Dee scores Dragons’ first try PICTURE: Huw Evans By STEFFAN THOMAS BERNARD Jackman was delighted with his side’s...
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Challenge Cup
/ 8 years agoStade rule in Paris to rock the Scots
Std Francais …17 Edinburgh…10 By TOM ROBBINS STADE Francais held firm in the French capital to ensure their position in the...












