UP AGAINST CLERMONT’S scarred veterans in tonight’s Challenge Cup decider, La Rochelle will start their debut final shorn of one their pillars of experience, captain Victor Vito.
The 32-year-old back row forward is out of Friday’s final in Newcastle with a shoulder injury with his place taken by French international Gregory Alldritt.
Damian Penaud takes a closer look at the Challenge Cup trophy. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Physically Alldritt can fill the hole left by Vito. He is only one centimetre shorter, at 1.91 metres, and at 115 kilogrammes, is three kilogrammes heavier. But he is 10 years younger, and despite five French caps, far less experienced.
While Vito has collected two World Cup winner’s medals with New Zealand, the youthful Alldritt, like his club, has never appeared in a major final.
La Rochelle’s players have spent the run-up to the final dealing with the issue of experience.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” said centre Geoffrey Doumayrou, who scored a try for Stade Francais when they won the final in 2017.
Coach Jono Gibbes saw it as a chance for his players.
“This is an opportunity for leaders to take responsibility. Some do it, others less so,” he said.
New-Zealand born France prop Uini Atonio echoed the sentiment.
“We have a few guys who have been world champions, Top 14 champions and so on,” he said. “We have a good mix between us. And everyone wants to win this cup.”
Yet experience can be two-edged.
Despite their two national titles in 2010 and 2017, Clermont have long held a reputation as French rugby’s eternal runners up. They have finished second in the national championship 11 times.
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On Friday, they will be breaking a tie with Toulouse with a seventh European final appearance. Yet, after winning their first 20 years ago as Montferrand, Clermont have lost four their five subsequent appearances, including all three in the Champions Cup.
That history gives several Clermont players the chance to set unwanted records.
“I’ve never won a European title,” said winger Alexandre Lapandry, who has played for the team since 2008.
La Rochelle boss Jono Gibbes. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
The 34-year-old Clermont hooker Benjamin Kayser could collect a seventh European final loser’s medal to go with those he has collected with Stade, way back in 2005, Leicester, and four times with Clermont.
Captain and scrum-half Morgan Parra also played in his team’s last four European final losses.
Parra told the French media that he could write their match previews for them.
“La Rochelle have nothing to lose. It is playing its first final. I know the story,” he said. “You’ll say we are favourites and that Rochelle are behind and it will be a miracle if they win. I can already write it for you.”
“It’s going to be a beautiful Franco-French final,” he said “For you Clermont may be favourite. For me it will be 50-50.”
His half-back partner, Camille Lopez, who is 30, said he was going into the match thinking that it could be “perhaps my last final.”
“The European Cup, even if it’s the little one, you have to respect it,” the France international said.
While La Rochelle are not entirely certain of a place in the Top14 playoffs, Clermont have locked up their berth with two rounds to go, a significant improvement on the last season, a nightmarish defence of their French title.
“There’s this hatred from last season,” said Lopez. “Anger has served us all season.”
Clermont:
15. Isaiah Toeava
14. Damian Penaud
13. George Moala
12. Wesley Fofana
11. Alivereti Raka
10. Camille Lopez
9. Morgan Parra (captain)
1. Etienne Falgoux
2. Benjamin Kayser
3. Rabah Slimani
4. Sitaleki Timani
5. Sébastien Vahaamahina
6. Arthur Iturria
7. Alexandre Lapandry
8. Fritz Lee.
Replacements:
16. John Ulugia
17. Beka Kakabadze
18. Davit Zirakashvili
19. Paul Jedrasiak
20. Peceli Yato
21. Greig Laidlaw
22. Tim Nanai-Williams
23. Apisai Naqalevu.
La Rochelle:
15. Vincent Rattez
14. Arthur Retiere
13. Geoffrey Doumayrou
12. Pierre Aguillon
11. Marc Andreu
10. Ihaia West
9. Tawera Kerr Barlow
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Challenge Cup final pits Jono Gibbes' La Rochelle against scarred Clermont
UP AGAINST CLERMONT’S scarred veterans in tonight’s Challenge Cup decider, La Rochelle will start their debut final shorn of one their pillars of experience, captain Victor Vito.
The 32-year-old back row forward is out of Friday’s final in Newcastle with a shoulder injury with his place taken by French international Gregory Alldritt.
Physically Alldritt can fill the hole left by Vito. He is only one centimetre shorter, at 1.91 metres, and at 115 kilogrammes, is three kilogrammes heavier. But he is 10 years younger, and despite five French caps, far less experienced.
While Vito has collected two World Cup winner’s medals with New Zealand, the youthful Alldritt, like his club, has never appeared in a major final.
La Rochelle’s players have spent the run-up to the final dealing with the issue of experience.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” said centre Geoffrey Doumayrou, who scored a try for Stade Francais when they won the final in 2017.
Coach Jono Gibbes saw it as a chance for his players.
“This is an opportunity for leaders to take responsibility. Some do it, others less so,” he said.
New-Zealand born France prop Uini Atonio echoed the sentiment.
“We have a few guys who have been world champions, Top 14 champions and so on,” he said. “We have a good mix between us. And everyone wants to win this cup.”
Yet experience can be two-edged.
Despite their two national titles in 2010 and 2017, Clermont have long held a reputation as French rugby’s eternal runners up. They have finished second in the national championship 11 times.
On Friday, they will be breaking a tie with Toulouse with a seventh European final appearance. Yet, after winning their first 20 years ago as Montferrand, Clermont have lost four their five subsequent appearances, including all three in the Champions Cup.
That history gives several Clermont players the chance to set unwanted records.
“I’ve never won a European title,” said winger Alexandre Lapandry, who has played for the team since 2008.
The 34-year-old Clermont hooker Benjamin Kayser could collect a seventh European final loser’s medal to go with those he has collected with Stade, way back in 2005, Leicester, and four times with Clermont.
Captain and scrum-half Morgan Parra also played in his team’s last four European final losses.
Parra told the French media that he could write their match previews for them.
“La Rochelle have nothing to lose. It is playing its first final. I know the story,” he said. “You’ll say we are favourites and that Rochelle are behind and it will be a miracle if they win. I can already write it for you.”
“It’s going to be a beautiful Franco-French final,” he said “For you Clermont may be favourite. For me it will be 50-50.”
His half-back partner, Camille Lopez, who is 30, said he was going into the match thinking that it could be “perhaps my last final.”
“The European Cup, even if it’s the little one, you have to respect it,” the France international said.
While La Rochelle are not entirely certain of a place in the Top14 playoffs, Clermont have locked up their berth with two rounds to go, a significant improvement on the last season, a nightmarish defence of their French title.
“There’s this hatred from last season,” said Lopez. “Anger has served us all season.”
Clermont:
15. Isaiah Toeava
14. Damian Penaud
13. George Moala
12. Wesley Fofana
11. Alivereti Raka
10. Camille Lopez
9. Morgan Parra (captain)
1. Etienne Falgoux
2. Benjamin Kayser
3. Rabah Slimani
4. Sitaleki Timani
5. Sébastien Vahaamahina
6. Arthur Iturria
7. Alexandre Lapandry
8. Fritz Lee.
Replacements:
16. John Ulugia
17. Beka Kakabadze
18. Davit Zirakashvili
19. Paul Jedrasiak
20. Peceli Yato
21. Greig Laidlaw
22. Tim Nanai-Williams
23. Apisai Naqalevu.
La Rochelle:
15. Vincent Rattez
14. Arthur Retiere
13. Geoffrey Doumayrou
12. Pierre Aguillon
11. Marc Andreu
10. Ihaia West
9. Tawera Kerr Barlow
1. Dany Priso
2. Jean-Charles Orioli
3. Uini Atonio
4. Romain Sazy (captain)
5. Mathieu Tanguy
6. Wiaan Liebenberg
7. Kevin Gourdon
8. Grégory Alldritt.
Replacements:
16. Pierre Bourgarit
17. Vincent Pelo
18. Arthur Joly
19. Thomas Jolmes
20. Zeno Kieft
21. Alexi Bales
22. Jérémy Sinzelle
23. Botia Veivuke.
Referee: Wayne Barnes [England].
Gavan Casey, Murray Kinsella and Bernard Jackman tee up Saturday’s Champions Cup final and look at the backroom problems in Munster:
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