France’s Jérome Garcès will referee his 50th European top competition match when he takes charge of the opening Round 5 fixture in the Champions Cup next week. He’ll be in the English south west as Bath host the Scarlets at the Recreation Ground on 12 January. His 50th cap comes as Welshman Nigel Owens makes appearances 104 and 105 over the next two rounds in Exeter (v Montpellier) and then Leicester (v Racing 92.)
Garcès’s is one of 40 referee appointments for Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2017-18 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup announced earlier today (3 Jan 2018) by a selection committee chaired by Joel Jutge, EPCR’s Head of Match Officials.
A vital Round 5 clash at the top of Pool 1 will pit Ulster Rugby against La Rochelle which will be refereed by Wayne Barnes of England. John Lacey of Ireland will take charge when the Ospreys host the holders, Saracens, in Pool 2 at the Liberty Stadium.
Matthew Carley of England has been appointed for what looks like a Pool 4 showdown between Racing 92 and Munster Rugby on Sunday, 14 January. The match will be the first European fixture staged at Racing’s magnificent new stadium, the U Arena.
In the Challenge Cup, England’s Tom Foley will be in charge when Edinburgh Rugby attempt to secure qualification for the quarter-finals against holders, Stade Francais Paris. The following day, Joy Neville of Ireland will referee the meeting of Pool 3 leaders, Pau, and Zebre Rugby Club.
France’s Alexandre Ruiz will be in the middle for a key Round 5 clash between Worcester Warriors and Connacht Rugby at Sixways, and Ian Tempest of England will referee the Cardiff Blues v Toulouse fixture in Pool 2 at the Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday, 14 January.
The referees for both rounds five and six are as follows:
Round 5 (11-14 January)
Champions Cup
Pool 1: Ulster Rugby v La Rochelle – Wayne Barnes (Eng)
P1: Harlequins v Wasps – Romain Poite (Fra)
P2: Northampton Saints v ASM Clermont Auvergne – George Clancy (Ire)
P2: Ospreys v Saracens – John Lacey (Ire)
P3: Exeter Chiefs v Montpellier – Nigel Owens (Wal)
P3: Leinster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors – Marius Mitrea (Ita)
P4: Racing 92 v Munster Rugby – Matthew Carley (Eng)
P4: Castres Olympique v Leicester Tigers – Andrew Brace (Ire)
P5: RC Toulon v Benetton Rugby – Luke Pearce (Eng)
P5: Bath Rugby v Scarlets – Jérome Garcès (Fra)
Challenge Cup
Pool 1: Bordeaux-Begles v Dragons – Craig Maxwell-Keys (Eng)
P1: Newcastle Falcons v Enisei-STM – Pierre Brousset (Fra)
P2: Sale Sharks v Lyon – Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
P2: Cardiff Blues v Toulouse – Ian Tempest (Eng)
P3: Agen v Gloucester Rugby – Frank Murphy (Ire)
P3: Pau v Zebre Rugby Club – Joy Neville (Ire)
P4: Edinburgh Rugby v Stade Francais Paris – Tom Foley (Eng)
P4: London Irish v Krasny Yar – Mike Adamson (Sco)
P5: Worcester Warriors v Connacht Rugby – Alexandre Ruiz (Fra)
P5: Oyonnax v Brive – Ian Davies (Wal)
Round 6 (18-21 January)
Champions Cup
Pool 1: Wasps v Ulster Rugby – Jérome Garcès (Fra)
P1: La Rochelle v Harlequins – George Clancy (Ire)
P2: Saracens v Northampton Saints – Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
P2: ASM Clermont Auvergne v Ospreys – JP Doyle (Eng)
P3: Glasgow Warriors v Exeter Chiefs – Romain Poite (Fra)
P3: Montpellier v Leinster Rugby – Luke Pearce (Eng)
P4: Leicester Tigers v Racing 92 – Nigel Owens (Wal)
P4: Munster Rugby v Castres Olympique – Ben Whitehouse (Wal)
P5: Scarlets v RC Toulon – Wayne Barnes (Eng)
P5: Benetton Rugby v Bath Rugby – Pascal Gauzère (Fra)
Challenge Cup
Pool 1: Enisei-STM v Newcastle Falcons – David Wilkinson (Ire)
P1: Dragons v Bordeaux-Begles – Andrew Brace (Ire)
P2: Lyon v Cardiff Blues – Matthew Carley (Eng)
P2: Toulouse v Sale Sharks – Sean Gallagher (Ire)
P3: Zebre Rugby Club v Agen – Vlad Iordachescu (Rom)
P3: Gloucester Rugby v Pau – John Lacey (Ire)
P4: Krasny Yar v London Irish – Pierre Brousset (Fra)
P4: Stade Francais Paris v Edinburgh Rugby – Marius Mitrea (Ita)
P5: Connacht Rugby v Oyonnax – Craig Maxwell-Keys (Eng)
P5: Brive v Worcester Warriors – Dan Jones (Wal)
