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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Taufua: We won on our defence

29 May 2022 0 comments

LYON captain Jordan Taufua was delighted with the historic win and credited his side’s resilient defence in matching Toulon’s physicality. He said: “Full credit to […]

Europe’s elite clubs are facing trip into unknown

29 May 2022 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THE European Cup final in Marseille was not billed as a watershed moment, but Europe’s elite club […]

Couilloud can push Dupont all the way

29 May 2022 1 comment

ON THE evidence of Baptiste Couilloud’s command performance in Lyon’s 30-12 European Challenge Cup victory over Toulon in Marseille, they have a scrum-half capable of […]

Griffiths departure will suit top agents

29 May 2022 0 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER THE departure of Bath chairman Eddie Griffiths last week was certainly welcomed by some of the country’s leading player […]

Jones and his team enjoy French trip

29 May 2022 0 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER EDDIE Jones and his coaching team cannot pick players who play outside the Premiership, but that didn’t stop them […]

Blindside on the money – again

29 May 2022 1 comment

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER BLINDSIDE continues to deliver the very best in transfer news – and last week brought confirmation of two moves […]

Dolphins lining up injury-hit Radradra for Aussie return

29 May 2022 0 comments

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Deal: Semi Radradra joined the Bears in 2020 SEMI Radradra is being lined up […]

Treviso in move for James

29 May 2022 1 comment

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEILFISSLER SALE Sharks outside centre Sam James is locked in talks with Italian outfit Treviso about making the switch to […]

Chinnor to take Marshall from Saints

29 May 2022 0 comments

AMBITIOUS National League One outfit Chinnor have landed Reece Marshall, who last week it was announced was being released by Northampton Saints when his contract […]

Fine XV of England selection oversights

29 May 2022 2 comments

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Eddie Jones is hardly the first England coach to take an unusually gifted player to one side and leave him there, […]

Homer’s odyssey was a PR disaster

29 May 2022 1 comment

RUGBY’S authorities, such as they are, should be throwing the book at the seven-a-siders from England and Argentina who dragged their sport through the mire […]

Cheslin Kolbe returns in time for Challenge Cup Final

26 May 2022 0 comments

Springbok superstar Cheslin Kolbe returns for Toulon in time for their European Challenge Cup final against Lyon at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Despite both […]

Kpoku chasing dream finish

15 May 2022 1 comment

FORMER Saracens lock Joel Kpoku is dreaming of lifting some silverware with Lyon after a powerful performance in the victory over Wasps. The young forward, […]

Max Malins stars as Saracens overcome spirited Cardiff side to set up quarter-final with Gloucester

17 April 2022 0 comments

Saracens……40 Cardiff……….33 Max Malins starred as Saracens overcame a spirited Cardiff fightback in an entertaining game at the StoneX Stadium. The victory set up an […]

Dai Young: Welsh rugby needs to build from the bottom up

17 April 2022 1 comment

Tough times: Dai Young DAI Young thought he knew what he was taking on when he took charge of Cardiff for the second time a […]

Edinburgh’s second half charge sinks sorry Bath

17 April 2022 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh ……..41pts Tries: Boffelli 10, 63, Kinghorn 31, Schoeman 53, Bennett 69, Boyle 78 Conversions: Boffelli 32, 54, 64, 79 Penalties: Boffelli […]

Saints at sea after Biggar’s red card

17 April 2022 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ……..31pts Tries: Thorley 4, Rapava-Ruskin 7, Alemanno 21, Socino 47 Conversions: Hastings 4, 7, 21, 47 Penalties: Hastings 52 Northampton….21pts Tries: […]

Barbeary hat-trick as fast-starting Wasps hold off fierce French fightback

17 April 2022 2 comments

By JAMES HARRINGTON Biarritz …………..29pts Tries: Peyresblanques 28, Hirigoyen 42, Soury 68, Armitage 57 Conversions: Bosch 43, 58, 68 Penalties: Bosch 14 Wasps …………….39pts Tries: […]

Jaded Falcons sent crashing

17 April 2022 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Newcastle ……..17pts Tries: Montgomery 51, Hodgson 65 Conversions: Connon 52, 66 Penalties: Connon 28 Glasgow …………27pts Tries: Matthews 4, Steyn 7, 58; […]

Warriors fall short but get plaudits from Diamond

17 April 2022 1 comment

By TOM SHEEDY Lyon ………………..31pts Tries: Couilloud 5, Taofifenua 16, Devisme 48, Barassi 77 Conversions: Sopoaga 6, 17, 49; Berdeu 79 Penalties: Berdeu 58 Worcester […]

Carbonel puts the boot into Benetton

17 April 2022 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Toulon …………36 Benetton ……..27 TOULON will face London Irish in the semi-finals after they comfortably beat Benetton to book their place in […]

Clinical first half sets up 10-try win for Irish

17 April 2022 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD London Irish ….64pts Tries: Creevy 6, 24; Rona 18, Pearson 34, Gonzalez 36, Rowe 39, Rogerson 71, Joseph 75, Cornish 78, Van […]

Saracens dig deep to find a gem in Christie

17 April 2022 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Saracens v Cardiff Today. Kick-off 1pm, StoneX Stadium THE season Saracens spent in the Championship allowed them to scrutinise players who […]

Albornoz inspires Treviso fightback

10 April 2022 1 comment

By SAM JACKSON Benetton ……..17 Perpignan ……..7 ARGENTINIAN Tomas Albornoz jumped off the bench to inspire Benetton into the last 16 of the Challenge Cup […]

Falcons leave it late to steal the show

10 April 2022 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle ……..25pts Tries: Davison 17, Burrell 28, McGuigan 58, Nordil-Kelemeti 80 Conversions: Connon 80+1 Penalties: Connon 40+1 Zebre ………………22pts Tries: Andreani 46 […]

Edinburgh on the Boyle with eight-try slaughter to stretch unbeaten home run

10 April 2022 2 comments

By GARY HEATLY Edinburgh ……..54pts Tries: McInally 3, Boyle 10, 20; Pyrgos 32, Nel 39, Moyano 45, 79;, Phillips 69 Conversions: Van der Walt 3, […]

Gloucester bank on Socino to save face

10 April 2022 1 comment

By ROGER PANTING Dragons…………..21pts Tries: Basham 18, Rosser 26, Keddie 40 Conversions: S Davies 18, 26, 40 Gloucester ……..26pts Tries: Socino 13, 62, 67; Rees-Zammit […]

Amitage leads way against his old club

10 April 2022 0 comments

By TOM SHEEDY Biarritz …………20 Toulon…………..17 IN a superb contest, Steffon Armitage, now 36, rolled back the years to lead Biarritz to victory over a […]

It’s shooting practice for ace Farrell

10 April 2022 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Brive ………………….5pts Tries: Tuicuvu 14 Saracens ……….55pts Conversions: Farrell 22, 37, 41, 58, 72, 76 Penalties: Farrell 6 Tries: Christie 10, Mawi […]

Burns in control to steer Warriors towards survival

23 January 2022 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Zebre ………………24pts Tries: Cronje 31, D’Onofrio 36, Trulla 66, Lucchin 79 Conversions: O’Malley 31 38 Worcester ……..36pts Tries: Annett 3 16; Searle […]

Lewington glad England don’t need Vunipolas

23 January 2022 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD PREVIEW… Saracens v London Irish Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, StoneX Stadium ALEX Lewington claims having the Vunipolas around StoneX Stadium more often in […]

Classy Mignot try caps victory

23 January 2022 1 comment

Lyon …………….25 Benetton……….10 LYON confirmed their place in the Challenge Cup Round of 16 with their fourth win in four matches on Friday night. Tries […]

Covid grounds Falcons

23 January 2022 1 comment

NEWCASTLE’S Challenge Cup tie against Toulon was cancelled after the Falcons recorded nine positive Covid cases. The club were due to face the French side […]

Owsley gets his reward for hard work with double

23 January 2022 1 comment

By GARY HEATLY Edinburgh ……..66pts Tries: Young 5, 26; Ritchie 28, Graham 33, Owsley 37, 42; Muncaster 52, Watson 66, Bennett 72, Pyrgos 79 Conversions: […]

Good times are rolling again at Gloucester

23 January 2022 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Gloucester ……..68pts Tries: Ludlow 6, Moyle 10, Reid 20, 49; Socino 29, Atkinson 35, Varney 55, Singleton 70, Harris 74, Rees-Zammit 79 […]

Gutsy Ospreys make it tough for French aces

16 January 2022 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Ospreys …………..10pts Tries: K Williams 21 Conversions: Anscombe 21 Penalties: Anscombe 31 Racing 92 ……….25pts Tries: Imhoff 34, Vakatawa 57, Thomas 72 […]

Sanderson knows Clermont pose major threat to Sale (but don’t mention the elephant in the room)

16 January 2022 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Clermont v Sale Today. Kick-off 5.30pm, Stade Marcel-Michelin Discipline: Tom Curry HAVING negotiated several hurdles and been the subject of off-field […]

We’ll throw the kitchen sink at them says Boyd

16 January 2022 0 comments

By PAUL REES PREVIEW… Northampton v Ulster Sunday. Kick-off 3.15pm, Franklin’s Garen CHRIS BOYD wants to leave Northampton with something to show for his four […]

Sexton on bench for ‘fired up’ Leinster

16 January 2022 0 comments

Preview Leinster v Montpellier Today, Kick-off 1pm IRELAND captain Johnny Sexton is back in the Leinster squad after a two-month injury lay-off. The fly-half has […]

Italian pack power is too strong for the Dragons

16 January 2022 1 comment

By ANDREW DEERING Benetton ……….23pts Tries: Herbst 14, Padovani 55, Baravalle 76 Conversions: Smith 57 Penalties: Smith 23, 71 Dragons …………..9pts Penalties: Davies 3, 25, […]

Final flurry can’t rescue Warriors

16 January 2022 3 comments

By TOM BRADSHAW Worcester ……..23pts Tries: Van der Merwe 62, Doel 68 Conversions: Smith 63, 69 Penalties: Smith 3, 7, 25 Toulon…………….34pts Tries: Du Preez […]

Unbeaten Lyon ease to win in Perpignan

16 January 2022 0 comments

ROUNDUP LYON ran out comfortable winners away at Perpignan to stay top of Pool B with three wins from three. Roman Taofifenua got Lyon’s opening […]

Creevy red card can’t halt Exiles’ progress

16 January 2022 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD London Irish ….21pts Tries: Rowe 25, Hoskins 45, Cracknell 77 Conversions: Jackson 26, 46, 78, Edinburgh ……..20pts Tries: McBurney 22, Moyano 31 […]

Wacokecoke agility is what it’s all about

16 January 2022 2 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Biarritz …………..13pts Tries: Jalagonia 63 Conversions: Bosch 64 Penalties: Herron 34, 71 Newcastle ……..17pts Tries: Stuart 5, Wacokecoke 80 Conversions: Connon 7, […]

Euro re-matches to be announced this week

9 January 2022 0 comments

By PAUL REES THE Champions Cup organisers will decide by the end of the week whether to rearrange the five matches called off in Round […]

Twelvetrees leads way to eight-try bonanza

19 December 2021 0 comments

By TOM BRADSHAW Gloucester……..54pts Tries: Singelton 20, Meehan 26, Reid 30, Alemanno 42, Penalty 51, Varney 59, May 68, Clement 75 Conversions: Hastings 27, 31, […]

Outpowered Dragons still make fight of it

19 December 2021 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Dragons …………28pts Tries: Doge 39, Seiuli 45, Wainwright 58 Conversions: S Davies 39, 58 Penalties: S Davies 18, 29, 65 Lyon ………………..41pts […]

Kolbe returns in Toulon’s bonus win

19 December 2021 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Toulon …………28 Zebre…………….14 CHESLIN Kolbe made his long-awaited Toulon debut as his side eased past Zebre at Stade Felix Mayol on Friday […]

Creevy at the double as Exiles enjoy away day

12 December 2021 1 comment

By JOHN WILLIAMS Pau ………………….17pts Tries: Levron 58, Joseph 77 Conversions: Levron 59, 78 Penalties: Levron 14 London Irish ….26pts Tries: Penalty 12, Creevy 19, […]

Valiant Gloucester kids fall just short

12 December 2021 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD Lyon ………………..19pts Tries: Taufua 46 Conversions: Doussain 47 Penalties: Doussain 10, 24, 58; Pelissie 70 Gloucester ……..13pts Tries: Jordan 59 Conversions: Twelvetrees […]

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