ERC Press Release: Quarter-final info.

Please note the following criteria for both qualification and ranking are:

1(a) Pool Matches
Four points for a win, two points for a draw (match points). A bonus point will be earned by a team scoring four or more tries and by a team losing by seven or less points. The six Pool winners and two best placed runners-up will qualify for the Quarter-Finals and will be decided by the following
criteria:
(i) the Pool winner will be the Club with the highest number of match points earned in each Pool. The runners-up will be the two second placed Clubs from all six Pools with the next highest number of match points. For the Quarter-Final round, the Pool winners will be ranked 1 - 6 in terms of the number of match points earned. The runners-up will be ranked 7 and 8.

Clubs in the same Pool
(ii) if two or more Clubs are equal on match points and the Clubs are in the same Pool, then qualification / ranking will be based on the matches played between the Clubs concerned:
(a) the Club which has earned the most number of match points from these matches (four points for a win, two points for a draw and bonus points).
(b) the Club which has scored the most tries in these matches.
(c) the Club with the best points difference (scored on the field of play,
5 for a try etc) from these matches.

Clubs from different Pools
(iii) if still unresolved, or the teams have not played each other previously in the Pool stage, qualification/ranking will be based on:
(a) the number of tries scored in all Pool matches.
(b) aggregate points difference from all Pool matches.
(c) the Club with the fewest number of players sent off and / or suspended in all Pool matches.
(d) toss of a coin.

Teams ranked 1 - 4 will have home advantage. The Quarter-Finals will be:
Team 1 v Team 8; Team 2 v Team 7; Team 3 v Team 6; Team 4 v Team 5