IRISHMAN CONOR GASTON will start on the left wing for Jeremy Davidson’s Aurillac in their Pro D2 promotion play-off final against Bayonne tomorrow [KO 3.15pm Irish time].
A win would see Davidson’s side cap a remarkable season with promotion into the Top 14.
Davidson has worked wonders with Aurillac. Darren Kidd
Darren Kidd
Ulster man Gaston has been with Aurillac since 2013, having spent a year with London Irish in 2012/13. The powerful wing made his Ulster debut in 2010 and earned a total of five appearances for the province before leaving for England in 2012.
The 25-year-old has largely been an ever-present in Davidson’s team since arriving in France and he has made 20 starts in the current campaign, scoring three tries. Now Gaston will look to play his part in one of the biggest days in Aurillac’s history.
Former Ulster, London Irish, Castres, Ireland and Lions second row Davidson has been the driving force behind the club’s rise in his role as head coach.
Aurillac, despite having the fourth lowest budget in the league, finished the Pro D2 regular season in third position.
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A 28-13 win at home to Mont-de-Marsan in the promotion play-off semi-finals has now left the Cantal-based club one win away from earning a place in the Top 14.
Gaston is a key man for Aurillac. Stade AurillacoisStade Aurillacois
Davidson has consistently overachieved with Aurillac, guiding them into the play-off semi-finals in 2013 and narrowly missing out on a semi-final last season with a sixth-placed finish.
The average budget in the Pro D2 this season was in the region of €7.25 million, but Aurillac had just €4.52m to work with.
Champions Lyon, who were promoted with six regular season games left after a dominant campaign, had almost €20m to work with, while Bayonne had a budget of €11.3 million.
As such, a win in the promotion final tomorrow would represent a truly incredible achievement for Aurillac in front of a sold-out crowd at Toulouse’s Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Davidson, whose playing days were brought to a premature end in 2003 due to a knee injury, began his coaching career with a four-year stint at Dungannon RFC.
He subsequently re-joined former club Castres as forwards coach for two years but then returned to home province Ulster in 2009, working as an assistant coach to Brian McLaughlin.
Davidson played on two Lions tours. INPHO
INPHO
In 2011, the lure of becoming head coach of Aurillac brought Davidson back to France and he has quietly gone about helping the minnows to grow and grow. Their achievement of reaching a semi-final in 2013 on a budget of just €2.6 million was particularly noteworthy.
Davidson was interviewed for the forwards coach position at Top 14 outfit Clermont in 2013, and was very close to securing the job, but ex-Leinster man Jono Gibbes pipped him to the role.
Focusing Aurillac on an organised attacking style of rugby against the more muscular Pro D2 sides, Davidson has been “putting the banger up against the Ferrari” to great success since 2011 and is now on the brink of a remarkable milestone.
Last year, Aurillac rewarded Davidson’s efforts by handing him a five-year contract that runs until 2022.
Even if Aurillac are beaten by favourites Bayonne tomorrow, the 42-year-old has marked himself out as a head coach of impressive ability.
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Irish wing Gaston starts with Davidson's Aurillac on brink of stunning promotion
IRISHMAN CONOR GASTON will start on the left wing for Jeremy Davidson’s Aurillac in their Pro D2 promotion play-off final against Bayonne tomorrow [KO 3.15pm Irish time].
A win would see Davidson’s side cap a remarkable season with promotion into the Top 14.
Ulster man Gaston has been with Aurillac since 2013, having spent a year with London Irish in 2012/13. The powerful wing made his Ulster debut in 2010 and earned a total of five appearances for the province before leaving for England in 2012.
The 25-year-old has largely been an ever-present in Davidson’s team since arriving in France and he has made 20 starts in the current campaign, scoring three tries. Now Gaston will look to play his part in one of the biggest days in Aurillac’s history.
Former Ulster, London Irish, Castres, Ireland and Lions second row Davidson has been the driving force behind the club’s rise in his role as head coach.
Aurillac, despite having the fourth lowest budget in the league, finished the Pro D2 regular season in third position.
A 28-13 win at home to Mont-de-Marsan in the promotion play-off semi-finals has now left the Cantal-based club one win away from earning a place in the Top 14.
Davidson has consistently overachieved with Aurillac, guiding them into the play-off semi-finals in 2013 and narrowly missing out on a semi-final last season with a sixth-placed finish.
The average budget in the Pro D2 this season was in the region of €7.25 million, but Aurillac had just €4.52m to work with.
Champions Lyon, who were promoted with six regular season games left after a dominant campaign, had almost €20m to work with, while Bayonne had a budget of €11.3 million.
As such, a win in the promotion final tomorrow would represent a truly incredible achievement for Aurillac in front of a sold-out crowd at Toulouse’s Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Davidson, whose playing days were brought to a premature end in 2003 due to a knee injury, began his coaching career with a four-year stint at Dungannon RFC.
He subsequently re-joined former club Castres as forwards coach for two years but then returned to home province Ulster in 2009, working as an assistant coach to Brian McLaughlin.
In 2011, the lure of becoming head coach of Aurillac brought Davidson back to France and he has quietly gone about helping the minnows to grow and grow. Their achievement of reaching a semi-final in 2013 on a budget of just €2.6 million was particularly noteworthy.
Davidson was interviewed for the forwards coach position at Top 14 outfit Clermont in 2013, and was very close to securing the job, but ex-Leinster man Jono Gibbes pipped him to the role.
Focusing Aurillac on an organised attacking style of rugby against the more muscular Pro D2 sides, Davidson has been “putting the banger up against the Ferrari” to great success since 2011 and is now on the brink of a remarkable milestone.
Last year, Aurillac rewarded Davidson’s efforts by handing him a five-year contract that runs until 2022.
Even if Aurillac are beaten by favourites Bayonne tomorrow, the 42-year-old has marked himself out as a head coach of impressive ability.
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