Raynal gets another big gig
NEWS: Ahead of the much-anticipated semifinals of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, EPCR announced the officials.
France's Mathieu Raynal will be in charge for the first of the Champions Cup semifinals when Leinster and Northampton Saints go head-to-head at a sold-out Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday, May 4.
Raynal's assistants will be his countrymen Pierre Brousset and Luc Ramos, with Thomas Charabas as TMO.
The meeting of five-time winners, Stade Toulousain, and first-time semifinalists, Harlequins at Le Stadium in Toulouse the following day will be refereed Andrew Brace of Ireland with Chris Busby and Eoghan Cross running the line. The TMO for this match, which is another sell-out, will be Olly Hodges, also of Ireland.
An all-English team of officials will manage the first of the Challenge Cup semifinals on Saturday, May 4 - which sees the Sharks taking on Clermont Auvergne at the Twickenham Stoop - with Luke Pearce as referee, assisted by Karl Dickson and Matthew Carley, with Tom Foley as TMO.
Later the same day, Georgia's Nika Amashukeli will be in the middle when Gloucester and Benetton meet at Kingsholm and he will have Mike Adamson and Sam Grove-White of Scotland as his assistants, with Ben Whitehouse of Wales appointed as TMO.
CHAMPIONS CUP SEMI-FINALS
Saturday, May 4
Leinster v Northampton Saints
(Croke Park, Dublin - Kick-off: 17.30; 16.30 GMT)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Luc Ramos (France)
TMO: Thomas Charabas (France)
Sunday, May 5
Stade Toulousain v Harlequins
(Le Stadium, Toulouse - Kick-off: 16.00; 15.00 UK time; 14.00 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
CHALLENGE CUP SEMIFINALS
Saturday, May 4
Sharks v Clermont Auvergne
(Twickenham Stoop - Kick-off: 12.30; 13.30 SA time; 11.30 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Matthew Carley (England)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)
Gloucester v Benetton
(Kingsholm - Kick-off: 15.00; 16.00 Italian time; 14.00 GMT)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Mike Adamson (Scotland); Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)