Bonjour and welcome to today’s liveblog for the all-French Champions Cup final between Toulon and Clermont. While I rifle through my pocket French phrase book for some rugby terminology, take a look at the teams and then we’ll discuss the merits of both sides in a second.
Clermont: 15 Nick Abendanon, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Napolioni Nalaga, 10 Brock James, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Damien Chouly (c), 6 Julien Bonnaire, 5 Sébastien Vahaamahina, 4 Jamie Cudmore, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Vincent Debaty.
Replacements: 16 John Ulugia, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Clément Ric, 19 Julien Pierre, 20 Julien Bardy, 21 Ludovic Radosavljevic, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Aurélien Rougerie.
Toulon: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Drew Mitchell, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Juan Martin Hernandez, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Chris Masoe, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Juan Smith, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Carl Hayman (c), 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Xavier Chiocci.
Replacements: 16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Alexandre Menini, 18 Levan Chilachava, 19 Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 20 Virgile Bruni, 21 Rudi Wulf, 22 Frédéric Michalak, 23 Romain Taofifenua.
A lot of people are picking Toulon since they’ve shown a consistent ability to grind out knockout wins in the last few years. There is also the small matter of the 2013 Heineken Cup final to consider.
Clermont came into the game as big favourites but blew a nine-point second half lead in classic Clermont fashion.
But it’s also worth noting that five of Clermont’s side weren’t involved in that heartbreaking defeat in Dublin.
Nick Abendanon, Noa Nakaitaci, Jonathan Davies, Fritz Lee and Sébastien Vahaamahina are all competing in their first Champions Cup final and won’t be mentally hamstrung by the previous defeats.
You can analyse this game 100 ways but we all know it is going to come down to one man.
Mr Brock James.
Will we get good Brock?
Or bad Brock?
It is very close to call in betting terms too. Toulon are just two-point favourites and you can back them at 4/5 to win.
Clermont are 6/5 and the draw is 18/1.
Toulon’s owner Mourad Boudjellal is in bullish form on Sky Sports:
“Three wins isn’t history, it’s four.’
Passionate man is Boudjellal.
BREAKING: Apparently Brock James is now on the bench and Camille Lopez is starting. If he isn’t injured then it is a very strange decision.
BREAKING: Brock James has pulled up in the warm-up and Camille Lopez will start. New Zealander Mike Delany is onto the bench for Clermont.
Apologies for the double update on James there. We experienced a few technical difficulties but should be good to go from now on!
Habana fields the kick-off and Tillous-Borde hammers the ball into touch on the 10m line.
Almost a try for Clermont! Abendanon offloads sexily around the corner for Nalaga, who sprints down the wing head-on into Habana. Usually the Fijian would truck over the last defender but on this occasion the Springbok forces a knock on 5m from his own line. Epic defence!
Toulon win a penalty at the scrum but Giteau misses touch with the kick. A frantic start from both teams.
Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado is penalised for not rolling away on the halfway line and Clermont kick to the corner.
An ill-advised Camille Lopez drop goal is blocked down but Morgan Parra gathers 10m from the Toulon line. Fofana and Davies both make strong gains to take the ball to within an inch of the line but Jamie Cudmore fumbles and Toulon have a scrum.
Penalty Clermont! Carl Hayman is penalised and Lopez will go for the posts slightly to the right.
Clermont 3-0 Toulon
Clermont take a deserved lead after Lopez nails the kick.
A Matt Giteau show-and-go sees the Australian streak through the Clermont defence but he knocks on in contact as Clermont break. Nakaitaci initiates a counter-attack that ends with a Jonathan Davies grubber into touch just inside the Toulon half.
It’s a scrum to Clermont in their half after Chris Masoe ‘accidentally’ takes out Jamie Cudmore. Nigel Owens only awarded a scrum and Julian Pierre has temporarily replaced the Canadian.
A Lopez cross-kick bounces wickedly outside the 22 and although Halfpenny sweeps up, Fofana and Abendanon are quickly on the scene to win a turnover penalty. Could be 6-0 here.
Toulon 0-6 Clermont
It was unlucky for James to miss out but Lopez has settled in excellently. The Frenchman has slotted his second kick of the game.
Toulon win a penalty at the scrum but opt to play on. They move into the Clermont 22 but the advantage is over by the time Hernandez drops a loose Ali Williams offload 5m out.
But moments later Jonathan Davies and Fritz Lee try to illegally poach the ball and Halfpenny will have a chance to reduce the deficit from straight in front.
Toulon 3-6 Clermont
The Welshman slots the easy kick and Clermont’s lead is cut to three.
Hernandez throws a lovely reverse pass after a dummy on the left wing as Giteau makes a rumble into the Clermont half.
Habana flies in from the side and levels Parra. The scrum-half takes a quick tap before Owens can take further action. Clermont are on the attack just inside the Toulon half now.
Lopez hoists a bomb right on top of Halfpenny in the Toulon 22 but he and Mitchell just about deal with it. Tillous-Borde clears and Clermont have a lineout 30m out.
Jonathan Davies drops the ball in midfield and we will have ANOTHER scrum. The game has been enjoyable but we’ve had too many scrums.
Reminiscent of Limerick when Munster won the Heineken Cup in 2006. They really love their rugby down in Clermont!
TRY! Toulon 3-11 Clermont
Morgan Parra blocks down a Tillous-Borde box-kick and the ball bounces perfectly for Fofana, who races away from Chris Masoe to touch down in the corner.
Lopez pushes the conversion just wide but Clermont still have a healthy eight-point lead.
Toulon win the kickoff and Bastareaud makes a big carry into the Clermont 22. The champions need to strike now.
Toulon win a penalty at the scrum and Halfpenny will go for the posts. Should be an easy 3 for Toulon.
Toulon 6-11 Clermont
Robot Halfpenny makes it look easy, and the lead is down to 5.
Ali Williams does excellently to steal a Clermont lineout and Tillous-Borde pins them back in their own 22 with a high box-kick.
Benjamin Kayser is pinged for hands in the ruck and Halfpenny will have another chance to reduce the lead. The kick is from about 35m out to the right of the posts.
Toulon 9-11 Clermont
Halfpenny makes no mistake with the kick. Toulon have managed the last ten minutes very shrewdly.
Nick Abdenanon creeps offside from a Parra box-kick and Giteau puts the ball in the corner. Toulon will have a lineout just outside the Clermont 22.
Kayser is penalised again, this time for collapsing the Toulon maul. Halfpenny will go for the posts on the right wing on the 22.
Kayser has lost his three previous European Cup final appearances and has worked hard in the last few minutes to make it four from four!
Nick Abendanon launches a counter-attack with an excellent lofted pass to Lopez on the left wing. He feeds Davies, who grubbers dangerously into the Toulon 22. Giteau needed to be very sharp to clear his lines there.
TRY! Toulon 14-11 Clermont
Bastareaud barrels over right on half time! Both teams could have kicked it out but Chris Masoe started the move excellently with a powerful carry and it ended with the big centre crashing over from close-range. Could be a hammer blow for Clermont.
HT Toulon 16-11 Clermont
Halfpenny nails the touchline conversion. Clermont led by eight but a poor finish to the half sees them trail by 5. Are we about to see a three in-a-row?
The clock hits 40, Clermont have a five-point lead and Nick Abendanon chips the ball away, which results in a Toulon try. That ball needed to be launched into the stand. Massive momentum swing in this game.
Clermont are now out to 5/2 to win the game. Seems like good odds considering it’s a one-score game and they have been playing pretty good besides a ten minute spell.
Hernandez once again shows off his skills with a lovely offload that puts Armitage into space in the Toulon half. The champions have possession in the Clermont 22 now.
Giteau gets tackled 5m out and tries a side-door offload that flies into touch. A big missed chance because Halfpenny and Mitchell were outside him waiting for the ball.
Armitage makes a big break off the back of a maul but Sebastien Vahaamahina does excellently to win a turnover penalty. Toulon are really dominating at the moment.
Fofana blasts a kick down the field but it is too long and Toulon will have a 22 drop out.
Matt Giteau chooses not to use a big overlap, instead opting to clear from his 22 but it goes out on the full. Clermont will have a lineout inside the Toulon 22.
Also, Romain Taofifenua is on for Botha and Tomas Domingo is on for Vincent Debaty.
Bastareaud smashes Nakaitaci in midfield and then is straight back on his feet to steal the ball. Nigel Owens then blows up as the Clermont wing is injured.
Also, Alexandre Menini is on for Xavier Chiocci.
Matt Giteau booms a banana kick into the Clermont 22 but Abendanon does excellently to send it back down to just outside the Toulon 22.
Massive error from Nakaitaci. First, he fumbles into touch and then he throws the ball away in disgust. Penalty to Toulon on the 10m line on the left wing.
Toulon 19-11 Clermont
The champions move into a commanding eight-point lead and have scored 16 unanswered. Is it all over?
Clermont need to score in the next few minutes if they want to keep their European dream alive. Toulon have been in charge for the last 30 minutes.
Some great carries from Domingo and Davies finally give Clermont a bit of momentum. They have the ball just outside the Toulon 22 now.
But Toulon just soak up the pressure before Armitage wins a turnover penalty. They have a lineout on the Clermont 10m line now.
Clermont steal the ball excellently just outside their own 22 but then Abendanon kicks it out on the full. Clermont have really fallen apart since their early eight-point lead. Morgan Parra has just been replaced by Ludovic Radosavljevic.
Clermont force another huge penalty under their own sticks and now have a lineout on their own 10m line.
Clermont set a very powerful maul but then Julian Bardy drops the ball, just after coming on. Very sloppy from Clermont.
Also, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is on for Juan Smith.
Clermont win a scrum against the head but as Lopez whips the ball out to Davies, Drew Mitchell obliterates the Welshman. A truly monstrous hit but Clermont still have possession.
Armitage almost wins yet another turnover but Clermont retain possession in the Toulon 22. This is their big chance.
TRY! Toulon 19-18 Clermont
ABENDANON! The Clermont fullback produces a magic chip and chase to score. It was exactly like his one that cost his team in the first half but Clermont are back in it now! What a last 20 minutes we have now.
Toulon almost score straight from the kick off after Clermont make a hash of the restart. Ali Williams touches down in the corner but it looks like Mitchell knocked on in the build-up.
The Abendanon try came after a Clermont knock on where Habana skied his clearance straight to the fullback. It was a very short advantage played by Nigel Owens.
Meanwhile, Clermont win a scrum penalty and now have a lineout about 35m from their own line.
Also, Levan Chilachava is on for Carl Hayman, who has played his last European game.
Radosavljevic pounces on a loose ball in midfield and pins Toulon back inside their own 22 with a lovely grubber kick. It is unbelievably tight at the moment!
Clermont go through ten phases but then fumble. Toulon have a scrum just outside their own 22. Mike Delany has just come on for the injured Nakaitaci. The New Zealander doesn’t usually play on the wing.
Toulon win a penalty at the scrum and they have a lineout on the Clermont 10m line now.
TRY! Clermont 18-24 Toulon
What a try from Drew Mitchell! The Aussie wing takes a short pass from Tillous-Borde and runs a lovely angle to beat four defenders en route to the line. A sublime moment of magic that could be the clincher.
Toulon 26-18 Clermont
Halfpenny nails the big conversion and Clermont need to score twice in nine minutes. Can it be done?
Habana with another intercept! This time the South African wing is caught by the perpetrator though, as Abendanon brings him to ground.
My sincere apologies as Halfpenny actually missed the conversion. Clermont only need a converted try to win!
Toulon knock on from the lineout and Clermont have a scrum with three minutes to go.
Delighted! Fatman and Robin upstaged by Krusty!
Sideshow Fell more like!
I am so proud of the Toffees tonight. A master class by Fellaini!
Great result from Everton tonight, all the talk before the game was about United and Van Persie.
Typically now all of the talk is about Utd’s central defender injury crisis…..
A team like Utd should have plenty of cover for all positions, no excuses please, Everton fully deserved their victory. Come on the Toffees ….
Plenty of cover they have 4 centre halves injured! Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling and Jones, all of them would be starters in most premier league sides.
Disgusting from the united fans, the crowds who sang that disgusting chant should be ashamed.
Let’s hope you’re just as critical when Liverpool and city fans are heard singing their Munich chants…
Brian, disappointed that you think I wouldn’t. You never hear singing to that extent about Munich at anfield and if a few idiots try it, they would quickly be shouted down. I find it fairly sad that no united fan has condemned the singing, it wasn’t by just a few either.
so alan,
1. “disappointed that you think I wouldn’t.” – knowing that Liverpool fans have in fact sang Munich related songs can you please post links to were you have in fact been critical of this?
2. “You never hear singing to that extent about Munich at Anfield” – how exactly do you measure “the extent” of chants sung in bad taste? The loudness ( you have some way of measuring this and/or remembering and comparing to Munich related songs by Liverpool supporters)? The percentage of fans singing? The tone of the singing?
3.”they would quickly be shouted down” – Anfield fans have better morals than Manchester United fans?
4. “I find it fairly sad that no united fan has condemned the singing” – about half and hour after the game and only 9 comments in about a big match and you find it “‘sad” that this important event at the game hasn’t been addressed yet???
4. no utd fans shouted down these chants and no utd fans rushing on to thescore.ie to condemn it…alan, am i to believe, that in your heart, with all you have just said, that you believe that liverpool supporters are BETTER people than Man Utd fans? Honestly Alan?
Eh, so you’re not going to condemn then so
whatever makes you happy baron munchhausen…
I think you are painting the picture as to why so many people hate united.
And for the record I’ve spoken to a few utd fans this evening and all have condemned it. So they’re not all idiots
thank you, first of all, for addressing all my points made to you in the original comment.
i was merely pointing out that that all clubs have moron fans and that united aren’t any worse or better than liverpool fans. so many people hate utd fans for the same reason so many people hated liverpool fans in the 80′s and how so many people will hate man city or chelsea in the future.
I don’t need to address any points, what was sang tonight was disgusting, as are Munich, heysel, ibrox chants. You just found it more important to deflect attention.
yeah english soccer fans in disgusting chant shocker. thanks for the heads up…
Time to sell Rooney while he’s still worth something. Looks overweight and just not putting in a shift.
Poor display from utd their keeper had best match since joining
Textbook Scholesie tackle! That fat kid up front for United’s hair plugs have grown over the summer
Typical utd play two midfielders in defence and lose the match how many times have utd done that over the last few years- fergie buy a defender and shoot the twitter happy Ferdinand who’s over the hill and always injured
Will Fergie get banned for throwing that rattle on the pitch?
The first game if the season away to Everton, just paid €24 million pounds for Arsenals best player, lost the league title on the last kick of the game to their nearest and dearest, City, not 3 months ago and all that’s on their mind is Liverpool. I suppose it’s flattering really.
A disastrous start but Man U will still win the league.
Lmao yea you keep thinking that, where was the savior RVP????
Apparently he’s already handed in a transfer request, told Fergie he wants to win something this season
Lol
De Gea looking ropey again, doesn’t bode well for United’s season ahead, maybe they could get Gary Bailey to come out of retirement too
Put on a pair if glasses gaius de gea has been fantastic in the first half
you watching espn classic?
Everton 1 Manchester United 0, let’s be ‘avin ya!!!
At least United have got their toughest game of the season out of the way. Was always going to be tough with Carrick at centre back and Valencia at right back.
But Kagawa looked like he’s going to be a real star for them, I don’t think he gave the ball away once.
And they’ll still be there or thereabouts when the medals are being handed out next May.
You might be right but for a while tonight I thought I was watching Rugby – United having loads of possession and all backward passes. Of course Fergie will get the act together but a major improvement is required
Toughest game of the season. Everton is a harder game than city, Chelsea or and i can say Liverpool because you don’t win at Anfield that often. Ridiculous comment to make. Typical really, every united defeat is the same. Carrick at centre half, the best winger in the league at right back. Would suggest that the problems lay elsewhere other than 24 million for a striker that has averaged 12 goals a season since coming to England. Before you reply with the usual man united/sky sports opinion I am a Liverpool fan and we are atrocious but difference is im not completely delusional about where we are at.
Toughest game of the season? Not a hope in hell. City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Spurs would be bigger opponents than Everton I think
Won’t sleep a wink tonight. – like fcuk!!
Ask to leave the bar for my own safety as one other person and myself cheered as the beauty of a header went in :) had to stay after that great game utd didn’t show up at all.
of course fowlers gonna say that isn’t he. That nose plaster must ne a bit tight.
wat were they singing?
They were singing “If it weren’t for Scousers we could stand” in reference to the hillsborough disaster
Going to bed disappointed at the result but happy in the knowledge that liverpool will be wallowing in 8th or 9th place possibly lower and rodgers will more than likely be sacked by the end of the season!
Whos Wooton?
No dolce vita for united then….
Alas, not even Fatman and Robin could save MU. :-)