Murray Kinsella reports from Clermont-Ferrand
THE PEOPLE OF Clermont-Ferrand very much love their rugby.
Parisians and those based in the strongholds of southern France might joke that les Clermontois have little else to do in their spare time than attend rugby matches, but that ignores the many delights the city and its surrounding regions offer away from l’ovalie.
Whatever about the sightly sneering attitude towards central France from elsewhere, ASM’s supporters certainly do invest an amount of passion and loyalty into the club that is unmatched elsewhere.
Loosehead prop Thomas Domingo’s ‘Delirium Café’ is one of the most popular spots around the impressively vast central square, Place de Jaude, while veteran Aurélien ‘Roro’ Rougerie is also the proprietor of a buzzing bar.
Even when they’re not on the pitch, Clermont’s players are a draw.
Stade Marcel-Michelin is a 18,030 sell-out for tomorrow afternoon’s meeting with Munster [KO 15.15 Irish time] – nothing new there – and any travelling supporters who have not visited the iconic stadium before are in for a treat. To say that ASM’s fans generate a raucous atmosphere is an understatement.
From stands that lean right in over the pitch, Clermont’s support will add to the challenge facing Anthony Foley’s side. Indeed, a comparison between Marcel-Michelin and Thomond Park on the big European days is an easy one to make.
Last weekend, the two large pockets of French fans at the Limerick ground made themselves heard, stamping their authority on the evening with their ‘ici, ici, c’est Montferrand’ chants [here, here, it’s Montferrand]. Expect to hear that refrain at triple or quadruple the volume.
Not many teams have tasted success in Marcel-Michelin aside from ASM themselves, although Clermont did have their remarkable 77-game unbeaten run there ended in last season’s Top 14 barrages phase [quarter-final], being deservedly beaten by Rory Kockott’s Castres.
Early in the current domestic campaign, Clermont and their support suffered another blow at home, as François Trinh-Duc inspired Montpellier to a narrow win. Ever since, it’s been as you were for Clermont at Marcel-Michelin, but the air of invincibility certainly has been shed.
A band of over 1,000 Munster fans are sweeping into the Auvergne region tonight and tomorrow, by whatever route necessary. Paris was a hub for many, others went through Lyon, while some will land in Limoges; all travel in the hope of creating a fresh magical Munster memory.
There won’t be too much time to get the tour of Clermont-Ferrand or climb the volcano of Puys de Dome just outside the city. Instead, The Wally Field Corner, The Salvation Jane, The Still and Delirium Café may be ticked off the bucket list.
Clermont’s fans are notoriously good hosts. Indeed, the ‘yellow army’ have extended an invitation to Munster’s famous ‘red army’ to meet in Place de Jaude two hours before kick-off tomorrow, from where they will walk the three kilometres to the stadium together. Mutual respect.
Michelin, the company, remains an important player in Clermont-Ferrand, even if a student population of 40,000 is ever growing. The tyre manufacturer is intrinsically tied up with ASM, having originally created the club as a means of entertaining its employees away from work.
Lessons learned in integrating workers from elsewhere in France, and abroad, into the Michelin family have filtered into the rugby club. Nick Abendanon, Camille Lopez and Sébastien Vahaamahina’s happiness and form are clear signs that the money and time Clermont invest in ensuring new signings feel at home are worthwhile. Welshman Jonathan Davies is an exception to the rule, we might add.
It’s quite the rosy life for Clermont and their supporters, even if there has been almost countless examples of knock-out stage disappointment over the last four years. The introduction of forwards coach Jono Gibbes, a proven winner at Leinster, is part of the strategy to overcome those incidents.
ASM will have to wait a number of months to learn whether their mental strength in semi-finals and, potentially, finals has grown, but for now Munster are in town planning on throwing a spanner in the works.
Just over a week after Franck Azéma’s side plundered Thomond Park, Munster look to silence the city of Clermont-Ferrand.
I don’t buy this Premier League era, It’s a farce and disrespectful to what came before.
Don’t worry Liverpool won’t be forgotten..
True.. It is a great story, but disrespectful to all the father and son champions before it who are left out by saying premier league era.
Sky invented english soccer- well that’s what they want you to think. This was never more evident than Vardys excellent run of goals this season ignoring Jimmy Dunne, it is only one example it like soccer was not played in England until 1992, like you see in extreme communist regimes where they start at year zero and all previous history is deleted.
Shaun Wright Phillips isn’t Ian Wright ‘s son .He got with her Ma ,thats all .
I have no doubt about that, The most successful club in England and still counting.
Not having a go but technically Man Utd are if you are on about English titles (20-18), and overall major trophy wins (62-60).
Major trophies? Thats way too much either way…. League, FA Cup, League Cup, CL, Europa/UEFA, CWC. Do not count Charity Shield, European Super cup or World Club…..
Would you count UEFA cup is that classed as a major? Considering it’s only open to teams not good enough for champions league.. For me that doesn’t make it a major.
So, when it was just champions enter European cup, and many great teams went into UEFA, considered minor? Any tournament that qualifies you for the following season is major. What do you consider major?
In England League, Champions League, FA Cup and League cup in the that order.. Then maybe world club cup followed by Europa league but I wouldn’t count them as majors especially the Europa League as it isn’t of the highest standard..
World club is a micky mouse FIFA show case of the highest order……. Really…. Europa cup has the teams that just miss out on CL, and CL teams who came 3rd….. Very low quality, huh? Ffs….
The UEFA cup had plenty of good teams when only champions could enter the European cup. The cup winners cup was of lower quality in the 80s/90s. The league stage of the Europa league is cat, no doubt but once hit 1/4 finals, it’s a good standard. The World Club
Championship is only a farce of a competition
As I said not of the highest standard never said low.. I mean great players don’t want to win it as they want the champions league.. It’s good for average clubs and the real prize for winning it now is a spot in the champions league..
Irish, FA cup and League cup is only taken serious by ‘quality ‘ teams if they have no hope in the league. And yes, I know who played League Cup final.
Liverpool 41 United 39 good man!
United are 40 Liverpool 41
The FA cup has not been won yet…. And 25 years of dominance and still behind? No wonder Sky Sports Man Utd like to say it all started in 92.
Who mentioned the FA cup? I hardly included that
Well, I missed something, where you get 40?
Google it and it comes up..
Yes, league, league cup, fa cup, european cup/cl, uefa/europa and European cup winners, get 39.
Well it’s seems world club championship is counted.. I guess that’s understandable as its best team from each winners from the champions league from all around the world..
Btw I still think Europa league shouldn’t count after 1992 as its second rate teams.. But let’s not argue over little things..
World club is a fifa showcase, played in japan, where only South American or European teams will win, where you get hear team names such as mamadodooi extreme warriors or whatever…… In Japan…. Causing a fixture congestion back home…. Yes, major trophy, unlike that mickey mouse cup Europa which has useless teams such as Sevilla, Dortmund, Liverpool, Man Utd, Atletico….. Whatever makes you sleep peacefully….. Funny too, you would say that about a trophy Man U have never even come close to winning….. I know Liverpool have never won World Club, been close…. Christ, it was also skipped for years….. If it was so major, that would never happen.
I rather my team win the world club cup than the Euorpa league and I think every fan would agree with that.. Teams who win the Europa league are teams who come 5th, 6th or 7th in there league.. Teams who win the World Club cup win the champions league.. Just look at the winners of it all top clubs. And the Japan teams you mentioned never won it.. Don’t worry tho Liverpool are still ahead…
Whatever, Europa cup was very important before Man Utd played Liverpool, after that is was a useless cup. World club is a money maker for FIFA, and nothing else, every fan knows that except you. But do not worry, I have no problem acknowledging Man Utd’s dominance that they had, they were brilliant, and yea, as a Pool fan, that is hard, but credit were credit is due…. But you demean a cup, where some of the finest teams in Europe still contest is not right, world club is a joke, no team wants to be there. I am not going to respond after this one, and also, I guess Man Utd stay at 39, your not going to count the cup winners? Where teams near the end could qualify……………?
Every team want to win the world club cup as it means they already won the champions league..
Btw I’m not the making this up just google it and United are 40 and Liverpool 41.. I don’t know why it bothers you so much.. Fair enough you don’t respect the World Cup and I don’t respect the Europa league for the past 20 years ( due to the greater number of teams taking part in the champions league) but nevertheless our opinions don’t matter in the overall count..
Like Father Like Son !
Who are u talking about chef
The team that irish brought up.
But Chef you follow Shamrock Rovers !!
Shels.