The 2021-22 Premiership Rugby Cup group stage concludes on Wednesday night when Newcastle Falcons travel to Northampton Saints, with the format of the competition explained below.
POOL DRAW
POOL 1: Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Worcester.
POOL 2: Leicester, Newcastle, Sale, Wasps.
POOL 3: Harlequins, London Irish, Northampton, Saracens.
HOW IT WORKS
Each team plays the other teams in their pool once, home or away. Each team in Pools 2 and 3 will also play one additional cross-pool match, to ensure all teams play four games during the pool stage.
The three pool winners and one best second-placed team will go through to the semi-finals. The pool winners will be ranked 1, 2 and 3, with the best runner-up being ranked 4.
Click here to view the pool standings.
The semi-finals will be 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 on April 26-27, with each game held at the home venue of the highest-ranked club.
The final will then be held at the home venue of the highest-ranked finalist on May 17-18.
If teams are level on points at the end of the pool stage, rankings will be based on, in order:
Number of wins.
Points difference.
Points for.
Tries scored.
Fewest red cards.
Points scored in head-to-head game.
Drawn out of a hat.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS' FIXTURES
Newcastle Falcons' first Premiership Rugby Cup game saw them defeating Wasps 34-27 on Saturday November 13, then claiming a losing bonus point from their 25-20 reverse at Sale Sharks on Friday November 19 before beating Leicester Tigers 36-28 at home on Friday March 18.
The Falcons' last pool game is away to Northampton Saints on Wednesday March 30, with a 7.45pm kick-off. This game is not being televised nor live-streamed, but there is live radio commentary on BBC Newcastle 95.4fm, DAB and online via the BBC Rugby website or BBC Sport app.
