Quartet make Challenge Cup history

For the first time in the history of the European Challenge Cup all four semifinalists are previous winners of the competition.

The English Premiership quartet have all tasted glory in Europe before – with Harlequins leading the way with a record hat-trick of triumphs in the Challenge Cup (2001, 2004 and 2011.

Their hosts in the final four, Northampton Saints, were winners in 2009, while London Wasps triumphed in 2003 and Bath in 2008.

Saints, Wasps and Bath are also previous winners of the European Cup, making them three of only four teams who have won both titles.

The other one is Leinster, who added the 2013 Challenge Cup to their European Cup successes in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

The last time four English clubs reached the tournament semifinals was in 2008 – when Bath defeated Sale Sharks 36-14 and Worcester Warriors got the better of Newcastle Falcons by 31-16.

Picking winners this weekend won't be easy as all four teams are in the top seven places in the Premiership table – Saints second, Bath third, Quins fifth and Wasps seventh,

But history is certainly on the side of Harlequins given that on the three occasions they have reached the semifinals – 2001, 2004 and 2011 – they have gone on to lift the trophy.

They will be facing Saints for the first time in European competition.

Bath will head to Adams Park as the No.1 seeds after a faultless Pool campaign, and a comfortable win over Brive in the quarterfinals, on the back of a very good European record in recent seasons,

Since their defeat by ASM Clermont Auvergne in the 2007 Final, Bath have won 22 out of 23 matches in the Challenge Cup, their only loss was at home to Stade Francais Paris in last season's quarterfinal.

The only time Wasps and Bath have met in the Challenge Cup was in the 2003 decider which was won 48-30 by Wasps at the Madejski Stadium.

For the record, the biggest tournament semifinal win was recorded by Sale Sharks when they defeated Connacht Rugby 59-9 in 2005.