EPCR Challenge Cup Round 2 Review

Montpellier Hérault Rugby are top of Pool 1 after two rounds.

Round 2 of the EPCR Challenge Cup delivered thrilling action this weekend, with record-breaking wins, epic comebacks and last-minute deciders. Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Benetton Rugby and Stade Français Paris now lead their Pools as the competition heads into the Christmas break. Read on for a full review with results, updated standings, key stats and top performers.

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Round 2 – Top Performers

Points: Hugo Reus (USAP) 16

Carries: Alun Lawrence (Cardiff Rugby) 17

Metres: Alexandre Tchaptchet (Lyon Olympique Universitaire) 125

Defenders beaten: Romain Taofifenua (Racing 92) 8

Line-outs won: Florian Verhaeghe (Montpellier Hérault Rugby) 10

Tackles: Gwilym Evans (Ospreys) 26

Round 2 – Key Stats

• Iakopo Mapu (Stade Français Paris) dominated contact in the latest round with 7 dominant contacts and 50 post-contact metres (both ranked 1st).

• Paul Boyle (Connacht Rugby) topped the individual try-scoring charts in the latest round with 3 tries.

• Renzo du Plessis (Lions) beat 7 defenders (2nd in round) and ranks 4th in the competition for dominant contacts this season with 8.

• Leonardo Marin (Benetton Rugby) beat 7 defenders in the latest round (2nd most) while ranking 3rd for season carries with 27.

• Joey Manu (Racing 92) was the standout distributor with 6 offloads in the latest round (1st) while adding 107 metres in carry distance.

Leigh Halfpenny returned to Cardiff Rugby as his club beat Ulster Rugby 29-26 in Round 2.

Two-time champions Montpellier Hérault Rugby made it two from two in Pool 1 on Friday night, storming back from behind to beat Zebre Parma 31-7 and top the pool with a maximum 10 points.

Benetton Rugby followed suit on Saturday in Treviso, outgunning USAP 44-31 to claim their second straight win and take control of Pool 2, one point clear of Newcastle Red Bulls. Newcastle also remains unbeaten after a late 78th-minute surge saw them edge past the Lions.

Stade Français Paris rallied from a first-half deficit to claim a bonus-point win over Toyota Cheetahs in Amsterdam, topping Pool 3 with a two-point lead over Exeter Chiefs. The Chiefs were held to a 31-31 draw by Racing 92 thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time try.

Ospreys dominated US Montauban at Stade Sapiac for a second bonus-point victory, keeping their perfect Pool 1 record.

There was more success for Wales under the Saturday night lights in Cardiff, as Callum Sheedy’s last-gasp penalty completed Cardiff Rugby’s comeback from 26-12 down to stun Ulster Rugby in an EPCR Challenge Cup thriller, that ensured Leigh Halfpenny’s homecoming ended in unforgettable fashion.

Connacht Rugby swept aside Black Lion in the Irish rain, with Paul Boyle grabbing a first-half hat-trick as the hosts ran riot. They carried on the assault in the second half, sealing a ruthless 52-0 victory.

The final match of the weekend saw Dragons RFC make history at home with their first win in any competition since December 2024, beating last year’s finalists Lyon Olympique Universitaire to climb to fourth in Pool 2, while Lyon start their campaign with two losses.