Brace And Murphy To Referee Challenge Cup Semi-Finals

Andrew Brace and Frank Murphy will take charge of the European Challenge Cup semi-finals this weekend, while Karl Dickson will referee Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final clash with Toulouse.

Brace will referee the meeting of Toulon and Saracens in the last-four, with Chris Busby as one of his assistant referees and Joy Neville as television match official.

Murphy will have Eoghan Cross as an assistant referee and Brian McNeice as TMO for the Lyon-Wasps clash. Tim Lowry is the citing commissioner.

The match official appointments for the Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup semi-finals were announced today (Monday), following a meeting of a selection committee chaired by EPCR’s Head of Match Officials, Tony Spreadbury.

England’s Karl Dickson has been appointed to referee the much-anticipated Champions Cup semi-final showdown between Leinster and Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Dickson’s assistants will be the English pair of Christophe Ridley and Anthony Woodthorpe.

Matthew Carley, also of England, will take charge of the all-French confrontation on Sunday between Racing 92 and Stade Rochelais at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens where England’s Luke Pearce and Nika Amashukeli of Georgia will run the line.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP SEMI-FINALS:

LEINSTER v Toulouse, Aviva Stadium, 3pm, Saturday
Referee: Karl Dickson (England); Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley, Anthony Woodthorpe (both England); TMO: Stuart Terheege (England); Citing Commissioner: Beth Dickens (Scotland)

Racing 92 v La Rochelle, Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, 4pm local time/3pm Irish time, Sunday
Referee: Matthew Carley (England); Assistant Referees: Luke Pearce (England), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia); TMO: Ian Tempest (England); Citing Commissioner: Chris Catling (England)

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINALS:

Lyon v Wasps, Matmut Stadium de Gerland, 1.30pm local time/12.30pm Irish time, Saturday
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland); Assistant Referees: Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Eoghan Cross (Ireland); TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland); Citing Commissioner: Tim Lowry (Ireland)

Toulon v Saracens, Stade Félix Mayol, 9pm local time/8pm Irish time, Saturday
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland); Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Chris Busby (Ireland); TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland); Citing Commissioner: Jeff Mark (Wales)