The Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final matches promise some top-class action with each of the eight clubs having won European titles in the past and Biarritz Olympique looking to defend the title they won by beating Toulon at the Twickenham Stoop last season.
- There are 10 Heineken Cup titles and four Amlin Challenge Cup titles among the eight qualifiers for the knockout stage: Toulouse (Heineken Cup 1996, 2003, 2005, 2010), Leinster (Heineken Cup 2009, 2011, 2012), London Wasps (Heineken Cup 2004, 2007; Amlin Challenge Cup 2003), Bath Rugby (Heineken Cup 1998; Amlin Challenge Cup 2008), Gloucester Rugby (Amlin Challenge Cup 2006), Biarritz Olympique (Amlin Challenge Cup 2012).
- Gloucester are the only club in the quarter-finals not to have appeared in a Heineken Cup final.
- France have four representatives in the quarter-finals, England three and Ireland one. No Irish team has ever won this tournament, while France (6) and England (9) have provided 15 champions. Only London Wasps, Bath Rugby and Northampton Saints have won both the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup.
- Last season's Heineken Cup champions, Leinster Rugby, and four-time Heineken Cup champions, Toulouse, are appearing in the Amlin Challenge Cup for the first time.
- The clash of Perpignan and Toulouse in the last eight is a repeat of the 2003 Heineken Cup final won 22-17 by Toulouse at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.
- Stade Francais Paris, who travel to No 1 seeds, Bath, will be looking for better Amlin Challenge Cup fortune this season. They lost out in last season's semi-finals to Toulon and were beaten in the 2011 final by Harlequins.
- Leinster and Wasps last met in Europe in the 2008/09 Heineken Cup pool stage with each side registering a home win. Leinster went to win a first European title that season.
- Perpignan have appeared in two previous Challenge Cup quarter-finals losing to Castres in 2000 and to Narbonne in 2001. Both those matches were away, whereas in April they will play hosts to Toulouse.
- Bath Rugby and Stade Francais have never met in European competition before.
- Gloucester Rugby and Biarritz Olympique last went head-to-head in the 2009/10 Heineken Cup pool stage with a home win for each clubPool stage attendances 2012/13.
- The traditional dramatic conclusion to the Pool stage saw record numbers of fans visit ercrugby.com which registered close to 2.5 million page impressions during Rounds 5 and 6, with 40% of the traffic coming via ERC's new mobile-optimised site.
Pool Attendances
Round 1 32,444
Round 2 53,262
Round 3 48,266
Round 4 48,700
Round 5 32,964
Round 6 45,243
Total 260,879
(third-highest Amlin Challenge Cup pool attendance)
