Top 14 Preview: Clermont

The History

Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne was launched in 1911 by Marcel Michelin, son of André, who founded the Michelin tyre company. The club was intended to provide entertainment for the many workers employed by the organisation. Their story since has been littered with near-misses. ASM did enjoy success in the Challenge Yves du Manoir and Challenge Cup, but they finished runners-up in the French championship ten times before finally winning in 2010.

In the Heineken Cup, Clermont have lost a final, semi-final and a quarter-final in recent years. The common perception is that ASM lack the mental edge to win big games, but their 2010 success has been quickly forgotten. In that same time frame, Toulon have lost four finals and won one trophy, but not once has their winning mentality been questioned. Of course it is the manner of Clermont’s defeats which see them labelled as ‘bottlers’ too, but they will continue to challenge for titles.

The Setting

The city of Clermont-Ferrand sits in the Auvergne region of central France, with a population of 141,000. While it is an industrial area, the city has a growing student population of 30,000 and Clermont’s supporters are amongst the friendliest in the world. The Stade Marcel-Michelin is ASM’s home, with space for 18,030 people. With the stands almost leaning over the pitch, the atmosphere is never anything less than fervent. ASM hold a French record of 60 consecutive victories at home, they simply don’t do losses at the Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Last Season

Two superb wins over Leinster have been forgotten amidst Clermont’s end-of-season failure. (c) Andy Patterson.

The campaign promised so much as Clermont played scintillating rugby throughout the season. Top try-scorers by 12 in the Top 14, Vern Cotter’s side topped the regular season table. In the Heineken Cup their 31 tries were unmatched, and they looked like champions-to-be. Everything came unstuck on the home straight though, with the loss to Toulon in the H Cup final followed by a pitiful effort against Castres in the Top 14 semi-final. Flanker Julien Bonnaire summed it up in simple terms: “Let’s call a cat a cat. Last season was a failure. Now we must redeem ourselves.”

Ambitions

ASM approach this season in a strange state following Cotter’s frank criticism of the players and the club’s recruitment policy in the aftermath of the failed season. The New Zealander has agreed to join Scotland at the end of this season, and the impression was that he was attempting to get himself released early by speaking out. However, bridges have apparently been rebuilt and Clermont are focused on winning a trophy. They have the squad to compete on two fronts, but the truly burning desire is Heineken Cup success.

While they have shown a strong tendency to lose high-pressure play-off games, writing Clermont off before the season has even started would be foolish.

The Coach

Cotter is hoping for more days like this one in 2010. (c) Ville de Clermont-Ferrand.

Cotter is a former number eight who played for Counties Manukau as well as four French clubs. His coaching career took in Bay of Plenty and the Crusaders (as forwards coach where he won Super Rugby titles in ’05 and ’06) before Clermont made him head coach for the ’06/07 season. ASM lost the next three Top 14 finals before finally earning a Bouclier de Brennus in 2010. Cotter is as hard-nosed as you would expect from a Kiwi back-row but also encourages his players to offload and attack from their own half.

Cotter’s challenge this season is to ensure that Clermont are better equipped for knock-out games. The sheer quality in their squad means they will feature in the latter stages of both competitions. Pre season at ASM has focused on decision making, demanding that the players work through their options in various match specific scenarios. Cotter told Midi Olympique that ASM “need be capable of better adapting to the context, and if we must, making our plans simpler and more pragmatic.”

Transfer Activity

Clermont were the quietest Top 14 club in terms of transfers this summer, with just three new faces. Having originally agreed a deal to join in June, Mike Delany was drafted in late last season on a medical joker basis and greatly impressed in three starts. Unfortunately, the one-time All Black outhalf has had to undergo shoulder surgery and will miss the opening three months of the season. That meant Clermont had to search for another outhalf, with the experienced Gavin Hume the result.

The 33-year-old South African spent the last nine seasons with USAP, winning a Top 14 title in 2009. Hume has been sharp for ASM in pre season and offers solid back-up to Brock James. The only other addition is scrumhalf Thierry Lacrampe (25) from Castres, who will compete with Ludovic Radosavljevic for a place on the bench behind Morgan Parra. Familiar names leaving Clermont include David Skrela, who drops into the Pro D2 with Colomiers, and Anthony Floch, who joins Montpellier in search of game time.

Key Players

Wesley Fofana is amongst the best centres in world rugby and probably Clermont’s greatest asset. The 25-year-old runs perceptive lines and aided by sizzling pace and a violent fend, the French international is a nightmare for opposition defences. his ability to pick out weak defenders in the defensive line is unrivaled.  While Fofana’s passing game still has some way to go, he is an attacking threat from any situation. Alongside him is captain Aurélien Rougerie, a one-club man and a passionate leader.

Wingers Sitiveni Sivivatu and Napolioni Nalaga provide a guaranteed supply of tries. Sivivatu was exceptional last season, roaming into midfield and often taking the ball as first receiver. The former All Black has the footwork and power to beat tackles every time he touches the ball. Nalaga is more of a direct proposition, but he is near to unstoppable from close range. In between them, Clermont have the luxury of choosing between Lee Byrne’s kicking game and experience or Jean-Marcellin Buttin’s languid, creative brilliance.

Brock James has been the focus of much of the criticism aimed at ASM. (c) Frank Nieto.

Morgan Parra is the archetypal French scrumhalf, directing his forwards, place-kicking and strutting around when he is in control. After ending the season in very poor form, the 24-year-old decided not to tour with France this summer and will benefit from a full pre season schedule. Joining him in the halfback charnière is Brock James, the much maligned Australian. His famous incidences of big-game failure make him an obvious target, but at his best James is a superb outhalf.

Julien Bonnaire remains crucial at the age of 34 through his lineout excellence, work-rate and leadership. Alongside him, number eight Damian Chouly is a strong ball carrier but needs to become more prominent in the high-stake games.

Irish Connection

In a giant tight five featuring French internationals Thomas Domingo and Benjamin Kayser, the key man is Scottish international Nathan Hines. He was certainly among the best locks in Europe last season and would have added greatly to the Lions tour. At 36, the body has started to feel the knocks that little bit more, but Hines never gives anything less than total commitment. Smashing rucks, winning lineouts and shoving at scrum time are the norm for any lock, but what sets Hines apart is his superb handling and passing ability.

Possible Starting XV

15. Byrne/Buttin, 14. Sivivatu, 13. Rougerie, 12. Fofana, 11. Nalaga, 10. James, 9. Parra, 8. Chouly, 7. Vosloo/Lapandry, 6. Bonnaire, 5. Hines, 4. Cudmore, 3. Zirakashvili, 2. Kayser 1. Domingo

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Photos: Andy Patterson, Ville de Clermont-Ferrand, Frank Nieto.

Munster Will Rue Missed Chances

Missed chances in Montpellier. (c) Mathilde Bourel.

Muster getting within a score of Clermont in Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final was always going to be notched down as another ‘heroic’ performance. Based on form over the season, operating budget, home advantage and other reasons, Clermont were clear favourites. While Munster’s display was excellent and should be lauded, the players and management will have serious regrets about the chance that was missed.

The emotion of the Munster players immediately after the final whistle told the story. This wasn’t a case of being well beaten by the better team on the day, but rather of an opportunity missed. Clermont’s mental fragility at this stage of knock-out competitions was evident again, as Munster turned up in a big way. Rob Penney and his squad won’t merely shrug their shoulders and admit to being beaten by the best team in Europe. Instead, they will look to learn as much as possible from this loss.

Joe Schmidt made an interesting observation at his unveiling as Ireland coach, saying, “I am a massive believer that transition is a constant.” While it’s clear that Munster are in the midst of dealing with a changing playing staff, they remain in the business of winning trophies. The loss to Clermont won’t be accepted as something that was inevitable, but rather with a pronouncement of not making the same mistakes next time around.

Clermont took their chances. (c) Mathilde Bourel.

More specifically, while this was an exceptional Munster performance with some top-class individual efforts, there were aspects that let them down. In the video below, the focus is on Munster’s use of possession and their inability to turn it into points on several occasions. Obviously they scored a superb, intelligent try through Denis Hurley and nearly had another after Casey Laulala’s perfectly-weighted grubber, but here the focus is on the opportunities they let slip.

The intention is not to be overly negative about Munster’s showing. They played some great rugby and it was thoroughly encouraging for next season. Paul O’Connell summed it up perfectly after the game:

“Second half we had our opportunities and we didn’t really take them. We got a good try from a great little chip from ROG, but there were plenty of other opportunities when we were in their 22, 10 metres from their line, five metres from their line particularly just before half-time and we didn’t take those opportunities.”

Let’s have a closer look at what O’Connell was talking about:

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I’d appreciate people’s honest, constructive feedback on this type of video post. Is there interest in more of this kind of thing? What could be done better? Let me know. Thanks.

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Photos: Mathilde Bourel is on Flickr, and can also be found on Twitter.

Do Clermont Have Any Weaknesses?

Unforgivable try-butchering from Yannick Nyanga last weekend during Clermont vs. Toulouse.

Clermont’s formula for success is very simple. They have an abundance of players who are superb individually, but crucially, all of them buy into the Vern Cotter mantra of working extremely hard. The Auvergne-based heavyweights have threats literally everywhere across the field, as well as off the bench. Their attacking game plan is nothing revolutionary, just good players making good decisions at the right time. On form, they can score from almost any situation.

Many of these scores come from moments of individual brilliance in open phase play, which is backed up by their excellent support running. The likes of Fofana, Sivivatu, Nalaga, Chouly and Hines will create chances however you defend against them, and they are excellent finishers. It’s very difficult not to see them scoring tries in Montpellier. That much is obvious, but the big question remains, do Clermont have any weaknesses? I’m going to use Clermont’s most recent match, the 39-17 win over Toulouse last weekend, to look for any potential areas to target.

The loss of captain Rougerie is a blow. While the 32-year-old is perhaps edging past his peak, he is of massive importance to Clermont, not just for his leadership. He’s still a good player, and his defensive game is undervalued. Clermont’s backline like to press up hard in defence, even in the opposition’s half. That places great demands on the 13’s decision making, and Rougerie more often than not gets it right. While King and Stanley are superb attacking replacements, they don’t offer the same security as Rougerie on ‘D’.

The loss of Rougerie could make Clermont weaker defensively.

One way to beat a rush defence is to try get around the outside edge of it. In the screen-grab above, Toulouse have tried something like that. From a Toulouse scrum, Clermont come up fast and McAlister flings a wide, flat pass to Fickou in the 13 channel. The aim is to get Fickou outside Rougerie , but he reads it superbly and forces a knock-on. Munster might get some success in this situation now that Rougerie is missing. Lualala has great feet and neither King nor Stanley possess quite the same level of decision-making as Rougerie. ROG threw some encouragingly excellent passes vs. ‘Quins and more of the same may reap rewards.

Another obvious way to break down a defense which likes to get up quick is through well-placed kicks. Unfortunately for Toulouse, McAlister either didn’t spot opportunities or executed badly. Below, you can see that fullback Lee Byrne (last player out on the left) has stepped up into the defensive line. This was something that was repeated on several occasions. Contrary to what you might expect, Parra also steps into the line and Clermont have nobody covering in behind. The closest thing to a ‘sweeper’ is outhalf Delany, coming from the other side of the scrum. A good chip or grubber by McAlister for Fickou and it was try-time. Instead, the outhalf did a goose-step and gave his centre a forward pass.

Clermont like to fill the first-up defensive line, not just close to their own try-line.

The next example (below) is further out, around the halfway line, but the premise is similar. Clermont’s defence is up quickly, without a winger hanging back. McAlister has spotted the opportunity and attempted a cross-field kick for Huget, who can be seen out on the far wing. Unfortunately, McAlister’s kick was poor, too far ahead of Huget, and bounced badly. But again, there’s try written all over the opportunity. Clermont do seem to repeatedly stack the defensive line. Whatever about his weaknesses, ROG still possesses an accurate kicking game, certainly better than McAlister’s, and he will spot these opportunities. Zebo will be ready and waiting.

There may be chances for well-placed ROG kicks.

Staying with kicking, Toulouse got a lot of change from their re-starts. Clermont are going to score on Saturday, so Munster will need to be precise in retrieving possession from these situations. McAlister dropped every single one of his kicks just over the 10-metre line, above hooker Benjamin Kayser. Clermont seemed unsure of who should claim the ball in that zone and Toulouse won possession back at least 4 times in this manner. The screen-grab below shows exactly where Toulouse targeted (in this case Nyanga wins the ball). It may not be a case of going after the exact same zone for Munster, but in O’Connell, O’Mahony, Ryan and Zebo they have excellent kick retrievers.

Clermont were very poor at receiving restarts.

Munster will certainly need to mix up their attacking game this weekend, and using last weekend’s game as a guide, they should look to attack the fringes around the rucks. Again, Toulouse had some success here. Louis Picamoles’ try (video below) was the most obvious example, but there were other instances where the big Toulouse carriers made yards. Scrumhalf Luke Burgess sniped intermittently and also made decent ground. Conor Murray’s skills look suited to the task. However, Clermont are usually far more watertight in these areas and they will certainly step up a level for the Munster game.

Putting it all together, attacking and targeting Clermont around the fringes and with kicks in behind may not result directly in tries, but it will challenge Clermont’s stifling defence. They’re extremely strong in the middle, where they’ll come up hard and smash ball carriers. If you play into their hands, they’ll turn you over and score tries from that sort of broken-up situation. It’s an obvious thing to state, but Munster need to play with lots of variety, constantly challenging Clermont to react.

While the scoreline and various media reports suggest that Clermont wiped the floor with Toulouse last weekend, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Outhalf McAlister missed two kickable penalties and turned down a few other chances for kicks at goal. Toulouse also butchered a genuine try-scoring chance (photo at the top) when Nyanga selfishly failed to pass to Fickou. Admittedly  Clermont’s 2nd-half display was lazier than usual, having built up a strong lead. That won’t happen again this weekend. They are a phenomenal side, that’s beyond doubt. But they can be beaten. 6 losses in the Top 14 this season show that. The odds are heavily in Clermont’s favour but this match is not a foregone conclusion.

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* Apologies for the poor quality screen-grabs. It would be great if people could let me know if they enjoy this sort of piece, where I try to do more detailed analysis. If so, I could look into a better way of highlighting examples in the future, possibly in videos or more detailed photos of play. Let me know what you think.

Heineken Cup Round 1 Previews

Photo via bobaliciouslondon

Friday 11^th November (20.00)

Harlequins vs. Connacht @ The Twickenham Stoop

Connacht are the first Irish province up in the opening weekend of Heineken Cup action. They travel to London to take on high-flying Harlequins on Friday night. ‘Quins have made a flawless start to their Aviva Premiership campaign with eight wins from eight so far. Boosted by last season’s win over Munster in the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final in Thomond Park, Conor O’Shea’s side have begun this season bristling with confidence and represent a serious test for Connacht on their Heineken Cup debut.

With All-Black Nick Evans directing play at outhalf, Nick Easter leading by example from no. 8 and Mike Brown threatening from full back, Harlequins are not short on experience. Jordan Turner-Hall in the centre is dynamic and will be aiming for a senior English international cap this season. Conor O’Shea will hope to keep his side’s feet on the ground and avoid complacency against Connacht.

Photo via boocal

After a solid start to their RaboDirect PRO12 campaign, with three wins from four, Connacht come into this match off the back of a four game losing-streak. The loss of last season’s key players like Sean Cronin, Ian Keatley and Fionn Carr is an obvious blow to Eric Elwood’s side. He will hope that the likes of Eoin Griffin, Paul O’Donohoe and Tiernan O’Halloran can provide supporters with new heroes.

This away fixture is a tough assignment for the Western province but they will be highly motivated. Many of the squad’s longer-serving members will have dreamed of this chance to prove themselves at the top level of European club rugby. Expect a ferocious start from Connacht. That said, Harlequins fantastic form so far this season sees them as clear favourites for this tie.

Saturday 12^th November (13.30)

Montpellier vs. Leinster @ Stade de la Mosson

Leinster begin their title defence on Saturday with a trip to the south of France to take on Montpellier. Leinster will take confidence from their 24-19 win over Munster last weekend at the Aviva, even if they may not have been entirely happy with the performance. They sit joint top of the RaboDirect PRO12 with the Ospreys on 26 points after 8 games. The boost of the returned World Cup players has been tempered by the news that Brian O’Driscoll will most likely miss the remainder of this season.

Still, this Leinster side has quality all over the pitch and also within the squad. The likes of Fergus McFadden and Eoin O’Malley will look to shine in O’Driscoll’s absence and Jonny Sexton will be eager to show Declan Kidney that he is Ireland’s premier flyhalf. Jamie Heaslip’s place at no. 8 is under increasing pressure so expect a big performance form him. Joe Schmidt has the luxury of quality squad players to provide competition in almost every position. On paper, Leinster clearly have enough quality to beat any team, but the post-World Cup form of the international players will be an issue.

Photo via MD+D

Montpellier have endured a dreadful start to the Top 14 in France, winning only two of their nine fixtures so far. Nonetheless, Leinster will have to be wary of a backlash from Fabien Galthie’s team who narrowly lost out to Toulouse in last season’s Top 14 final. France international Francois Trinh-Duc will hope to pick up where he left off in the World Cup final, impressing after coming off the bench against New Zealand. Leinster will also have to halt the rampaging Mamuka Gorgodze in his tracks. L’Equipe named the imposing Georgian the Top 14’s Foreign Player of the Year last season

This is certainly a winnable match for Leinster and provides them with an early opportunity to get an away win. Montpellier certainly won’t roll over in this one, but Leinster should have enough strength to return home with four points.

Saturday 12^th November (15.40)

Ulster vs. Clermont @ Ravenhill

Ulster kick off their European campaign at home to Clermont. Brian McLaughlin will hope his side can build on last season’s run to the quarter finals of this competition. They have been handed a tough task in Pool 4, facing Clermont, Leicester and Aironi. Ulster’s form in the PRO12 has been inconsistent, opening with three wins before a run of four successive losses was ended with the 22-3 won over Connacht last Saturday.

Clermont have a hugely impressive squad on paper, including French World Cup players such as captain Aurelien Rougerie, Julien Bonnaire and Morgan Parra. They also boast a whole other range of internationals like Julien Malzieu, Gonzalo Canale and Elvis Vermuelen. New signings Lee Byrne, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Nathan Hines and David Skrela add an extra dimension and depth to their squad.

Last season, Clermont’s losses when travelling to Racing Metro and Leinster were what cost them a place in the quarter finals. Their 20-13 win at home to Leinster in a high quality match showed the pedigree of Vern Cotter’s side. Clermont come into this fixture sitting in second place in the Top 14, a point behind Toulouse.

Ulster will need to start this game well in order to counter the confidence Clermont will bring to Ravenhill after such an impressive start to the season. McLaughlin will look to his international stars like Ruan Pienaar and new signing John Afoa, as well as Irish stars Stephen Ferris and Andrew Trimble, to lead from the front. Home advantage should just about see Ulster squeeze through in this one.

Saturday 12^th November (18.00)

Munster vs. Northampton @ Thomond Park

Finally, Munster host Northampton in Thomond Park on Saturday evening. Tony McGahan’s men will be keen to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing loss to Leinster. Meanwhile, Northampton are on a five-match winning streak in all competitions, racking up 20 tries in the process. The Saints have welcomed Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes back into the fold, and all four will be delighted to be back playing for their club side after a difficult World Cup with England. Coach Jim Mallinder will have been encouraged by Munster’s loss to Leinster, as well as last month’s defeat in Thomond Park to the Ospreys.

Despite the form and confidence Northampton bring, no one can write off this Munster team. With experience and ability throughout the squad, Munster will fancy themselves to halt the Saints’ recent run. Paul O’Connell has been reinvented and will ensure his team are motivated for another tilt at the Heineken Cup. The injured David Wallace, Keith Earls, Felix Jones, Jerry Flannery and Mike Sherry will all be missed but Munster still have enough in their squad to see off this challenge.

One of the most encouraging aspects of last weekend’s defeat to Leinster was the performance of the scrum. BJ Botha and Wian du Preez will relish the front row battle against Tongauiha, Hartley and Mujati. If they can get on top as they did late in the game against Leinster then this will provide the platform for a Munster win. Lifemi Mafi looks close to his explosive best and O’Gara should look to use him early on to get his side on the front foot. O’Gara will expect to show his mercurial opposite number, Ryan Lamb, how to control a game.

Both teams will approach this game with confidence, and that should make for an absorbing battle. Northampton, last season’s beaten finalists, will surely be aware of what a Munster team who have been questioned by critics and supporters alike are capable of. Expect a close-fought game here. Munster to edge it.

Photos courtesy:  boocal, bobaliciouslondon, MD+D