Challenge Cup 2025/26 · Semi-Final
Montpellier
Dragons
GGL Stadium, Montpellier
Championship Standings
Montpellier sit 3rd in the Top 14 with 60 points from 21 matches — firmly in the title race and one of the form sides in France. Dragons sit 14th in the URC with just 25 points from 17 matches, having won only three of their league games all season. The gap in domestic pedigree is enormous.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Toulouse | 21 | 16 | 5 | +225 | 70 |
| 2 |  Section Paloise | 21 | 14 | 7 | +95 | 64 |
| 3 |  Montpellier | 21 | 13 | 8 | +162 | 60 |
| 4 |  Bordeaux Begles | 21 | 13 | 8 | +110 | 59 |
| 5 |  La Rochelle | 21 | 12 | 9 | +45 | 56 |
| 6 |  Toulon | 21 | 12 | 9 | +30 | 54 |
| 7 |  Clermont | 21 | 11 | 10 | +12 | 51 |
| 8 |  Castres | 21 | 10 | 11 | −18 | 47 |
| 9 |  Racing 92 | 21 | 10 | 11 | −22 | 46 |
| 10 |  Bayonne | 21 | 9 | 12 | −35 | 43 |
| 11 |  Lyon | 21 | 9 | 12 | −58 | 42 |
| 12 | Stade Francais | 21 | 8 | 13 | −72 | 38 |
| 13 |  Perpignan | 21 | 7 | 14 | −180 | 33 |
| 14 |  Montauban | 21 | 6 | 15 | −294 | 28 |
Montpellier
W4, L1Montpellier are humming. Four wins from their last five — three by 11+ points — and the only blemish was a 45–29 loss in Toulouse. The 45–22 demolition of Connacht in the quarter-final was a statement: clinical, ruthless, four tries to one. At the GGL Stadium they're averaging 38+ points per game and their attack has been the most prolific in the Challenge Cup.
Dragons
W3, L2Dragons have rediscovered themselves in the Challenge Cup. They've now won three knockout games on the road — stunning Stade Français 36–31 in Paris, then beating Zebre 35–32 in Parma to reach the semi-final. Their URC season has been bleak (just 3 wins, a 47-point home thumping by the Bulls last month), but in this competition they've found a different gear. Three away wins in the knockouts is no fluke.
Head-to-Head Record
3 – 0 – 0
Montpellier wins · Draws · Dragons wins (last 3 meetings)
Montpellier (3)Montpellier have won every meeting between these sides. The most recent was a 18–14 grind in Newport in December 2024 — the closest result of the three. Both sides have met previously in the Challenge Cup (2016) and Champions Cup qualifier (2017).
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | Challenge Cup | Dragons 14–18 Montpellier |
| Aug 2017 | CC Qualifier | Montpellier 40–15 Dragons |
| Apr 2016 | Challenge Cup | Montpellier 22–12 Dragons |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Montpellier 27 – Dragons 14. Montpellier have won all three by an average margin of 13 points.
Extended Form
Montpellier16W, 1D, 8L
Top 14: W12 L8 D1 from 21 matches, 3rd on the table. Challenge Cup: W6 L0 — unbeaten run including 53–13 v Perpignan (R16) and 45–22 v Connacht (QF). Big home wins this season: Bayonne 62–22, Stade Français 44–7, Toulouse 44–14, Racing 92 41–17.
Montpellier are an entirely different team at home. The GGL Stadium has been a fortress — they've hit 40+ points there nine times this season across both competitions. Their +162 point differential is among the best in the Top 14 and reflects how dominant they are when they get the kick-off in Montpellier.
Dragons5W, 1D, 17L
URC: W3 L13 D1 — 14th on the table with 25 points. Challenge Cup: W4 L2, including knockout wins at Stade Français (36–31) and Zebre (35–32). Heavy URC defeats: Bulls 47–7 (H), Glasgow 49–0 (A), Benetton 74–21 (CC pool away).
Dragons' broader season has been a disaster — 17 losses in 23 outings is the kind of record that gets coaches fired. But the Challenge Cup knockouts have been an oasis: three away wins, two of them in the 30s. Their European form has very little in common with their URC form, which makes them a strange beast to predict.
Montpellier XV
Probable XV: Echegaray; Rates, Cadot, Piccardo, Taofifenua; Miotti, Bernadet; Erdocio, Riccitelli, Tolofua, Beard, Chalureau, Camara, Tauleigne, Nouchi (c). A strong, settled side off the back of the 45–22 quarter-final win over Connacht. Final XV not yet officially announced.
Dragons XV
Lineup not yet officially announced. Dragons are expected to field their strongest possible XV after the heroics in Parma — they've ridden a small core of players through the knockouts and head coach Filo Tiatia is unlikely to rotate.
Key Matchups
There isn't a single area on the park where Dragons have a clear edge. Montpellier's pack is Top 14-grade, with Beard and Chalureau a Test-class second-row. Miotti at fly-half has been kicking everything and Taofifenua on the wing is the kind of finisher Dragons simply don't have. The only realistic path for Dragons is to slow the breakdown, win the kicking exchanges, and hope Montpellier go off the boil — the same recipe that worked at Stade Français.
Match Forecast
This is a mismatch on paper. Montpellier are 3rd in the Top 14, hitting 40+ points at home almost every week, and just put 45 on Connacht in the quarter-final. Dragons are 14th in the URC, lost 47–7 to the Bulls at home a fortnight ago, and have a season points difference of nearly −200. Every dimension of the matchup — scrum, lineout, halfbacks, midfield, bench — favours the home side.
The caveat: Dragons have done it twice already. Beating Stade Français in Paris and Zebre in Parma in successive knockout rounds is a real feat, and they'll travel without fear. But Montpellier are a level above either of those sides, and the GGL Stadium is a different kind of venue. If Dragons are within two scores at the hour mark it's a moral victory — the more likely outcome is Montpellier easing through the gears once the bonus point is secured.
Montpellier ease into the final with a four-try bonus point — Dragons' Cinderella run ends in the south of France.