The only certainty ahead of the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup... and 10 other stats

The only certainty ahead of the knockout stage is that 2020 will see a new Challenge Cup winner crowned as none of the clubs in the last eight have lifted the trophy. Castres Olympique, Edinburgh Rugby and RC Toulon have all been defeated finalists.

The Challenge Cup last-eight matches get underway on Friday, 18 September with the clash of Bristol Bears and the Dragons at Ashton Gate where France’s Mathieu Raynal will be on the whistle, and on the following day, Ireland’s Frank Murphy will be in the middle for the Stade Chaban-Delmas meeting of Bordeaux-Bègles and Edinburgh Rugby, while his compatriot, Andrew Brace, has been appointed for the RC Toulon-Scarlets tie at Stade Félix Mayol.

The concluding Challenge Cup quarter-final on Sunday, 20 September which pits Leicester Tigers against Castres Olympique at Welford Road will be refereed by Mike Adamson of Scotland.

10 OTHER CHALLENGE CUP FACTS: 

No 1-ranked Toulon are the only club in the quarter-finals to have won all six pool matches.

Edinburgh wing, Duhan van der Merwe, has the highest total of defenders beaten with 28.

Camille Gerondeau of Castres has won the most line outs to date with 45 which includes eight on the opposition throw.

Bristol Bears’ Callum Sheedy needs five points to reach 100 in the Challenge Cup.

If Dragons’ Matthew Screech is selected for the match at Ashton Gate it will be his 35th tournament appearance.

Blair Kinghorn is now Edinburgh’s leading Challenge Cup try scorer with eight.

Darcy Graham’s four tries against Agen in Round 6 is the most by an Edinburgh player in a match in European competition.

Dragons have never lost a Challenge Cup quarter-final match to date, winning twice at home and once away against Gloucester in 2016.

Scarlets will travel to Toulon with confidence having narrowly lost 17-16 in Round 2 at Stade Mayol where Anthony Belleau’s last-gasp conversion edged the home side to victory.

Rory Kockott’s 23 points in the Round 6 win over Worcester Warriors is a record for a Castres player in the tournament.

CHALLENGE CUP CUP MATCH KICK OFF TIMES:

Friday 18 September: Bristol Bears v Dragons, Ashton Gate (19:45)

Saturday 19 September: Bordeaux-Bègles v Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Chaban-Delmas (12:30)

RC Toulon v Scarlets, Stade Félix Mayol (20:15)

Sunday 20 September: Leicester Tigers v Castres Olympique, Welford Road (15:00)

All timings are UK/Irish time.

EPCR