Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup: Semi-final match officials announced
Referees Nika Amashukeli and Luke Pearce, who will take charge of the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals.
The officials for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup semi-finals, which take place in early May, have been announced.
It kicks off with Leinster’s clash against Toulon at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, May 2 where highly rated Englishman Luke Pearce takes charge of the encounter.
Pearce will be supported by countryman Christophe Ridley, who is one of the assistants, and TMO Ian Tempest, while Scotland’s Sam Grove-White runs the touchline alongside Ridley.
The second Champions Cup semi-final sees defending champions Bordeaux-Begles take on Bath at Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole where Nika Amashukeli is the man in the middle.
It is another Anglo-French match for the Georgian, who also did the Six Nations finale between France and England in mid-March.
Steve Borthwick’s men were potentially handed a couple of tough calls in that match with Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who will line up for Bordeaux against Bath next weekend injury-depending, one of the beneficiaries.
The wing touched down after Amashukeli downgraded a penalty advantage to just a knock-on before calling it over, allowing Les Bleus to counter-attack and send Bielle-Biarrey across the whitewash.
Ben Spencer, Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill were the Bath players involved in that match and they will hope to finally get the better of Bielle-Biarrey and co. when they take on Bordeaux in the last-four.
They reached the semi-finals following victories over fellow English sides Saracens and Northampton Saints, while UBB were too strong for Leicester Tigers and six-time winners Stade Toulousain.
As for the other clash, Leinster, who put over 40 points on Edinburgh and Sale Sharks, face an RC Toulon outfit that caused the biggest surprise by overcoming second seeds Glasgow Warriors in the quarter-final at Scotstoun.
Challenge Cup semis
In the second-tier competition, Ulster and Exeter Chiefs begin proceedings on Saturday evening with Frenchman Pierre Brousset being handed the whistle.
He is joined by two more Top 14 officials in the shape of assistant Luc Ramos and TMO Eric Gauzins, while Welshman Craig Evans completes the team.
Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, Montpellier and Dragons go head-to-head before the Bordeaux v Bath Champions Cup tie on Sunday.
Andrew Brace is the man in the middle for that encounter with England’s Karl Dickson and Filippo Russo of Italy the assistants, and Olly Hodges the TMO.
Investec Champions Cup
Leinster v Toulon
Date: Saturday, May 2
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Union Bordeaux-Begles v Bath Rugby
Date: Sunday, May 3
Venue: Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole, Bordeaux
Kick-off: 16:00 local time (15:00 BST)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy), Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
EPCR Challenge Cup
Ulster Rugby v Exeter Chiefs
Date: Saturday, May 2
Venue: Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Kick-off: 17:30 BST
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant referees: Luc Ramos (France), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Montpellier Herault Rugby v Dragons RFC
Date: Sunday, May 3
Venue: Septeo Stadium, Montpellier
Kick-off: 13:30 local time (12:30 BST)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Filippo Russo (Italy)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)