Newcastle Falcons face a pivotal EPCR Challenge Cup clash at home to Italian side Benetton on Friday, but how does the tournament work and where do the respective teams stand?

The 18 competing clubs are split into three pools of six, with each playing four group games.

The group draw is as follows:

POOL 1
Hollywoodbets Sharks
Dragons
Oyonnax
Section Paloise
Toyota Cheetahs
Zebre Parma

POOL 2
Benetton
Emirates Lions
Montpellier
Newcastle Falcons
Ospreys
Perpignan

POOL 3
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Black Lion
Castres Olympique
Edinburgh
Gloucester
Scarlets

Newcastle’s two games so far have seen a 24-19 home loss to Montpellier and a 35-13 defeat away to Emirates Lions in South Africa.

That leaves two pool fixtures at home to Benetton (Fri Jan 12) and away to French club Perpignan (Sun Jan 21), with the Benetton game being included on the season ticket and parking pass.

The top four teams in each group will progress through to the round of 16, with four teams dropping down from the Investec Champions Cup.

Click here to view the current group standings.

If two or more clubs in the same pool are equal on match points their ranking will be determined by (in order) points difference, tries scored, fewest number of players suspended and, if still equal, drawing lots.

The pool winners will be ranked 1 to 3, the second-placed clubs will be ranked 4 to 6, the two highest-ranked third-placed clubs will be ranked 7 and 8, the qualifying Investec Champions Cup clubs will be ranked 9 to 12, the remaining third-placed club will be ranked 13 and the fourth-placed clubs will be ranked 14 to 16.

The round of 16 games will be played over one leg (April 5/6/7), with teams ranked 1 to 8 having home advantage.

Quarter-finals (April 12/13/14) and semi-finals (May 3/4/5) will also be played over one leg, with the highest-ranked team from the pool stage enjoying home advantage.

The final will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday May 24.

Click here to buy tickets for Friday’s Newcastle Falcons v Benetton game.

Another reminder that this game IS included on the season ticket and season parking pass.