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!

The teams are out!

We are off at Twickenham!

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.

Cudmore has passed his concussion test and is back on for Pierre.

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!

Wait, Halfpenny missed! Everything I’ve ever thought about rugby is a lie.

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.

We are off in the second half!

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.

Pierre is back on for Cudmore.

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 TMO says Williams knocked it on. Scrum to Clermont 5m out.

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.

Rougerie is on for Nakaitaci and Julian Bardy is on for Fritz Lee.

Also, Levan Chilachava is on for Carl Hayman, who has played his last European game.

Apologies, it was Nalaga who was replaced by Rougerie.

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.

This conversion attempt is massive…

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!

Clermont are pressing for the winning score. They have the ball just on the 22.

But Bastareaud gets over the ball and wins a penalty!

Toulon have a lineout on their own 10m line with four minutes left…

Toulon knock on from the lineout and Clermont have a scrum with three minutes to go.

Abendanon with a big break brings Clermont into the 22! They are pressing for it!

Lopez goes for a chip kick and Habana fields it well. That is it!

Toulon 24-18 Clermont

Toulon have won their third European Cup in-a-row! Clermont just lacked a bit of composure and Toulon were very clinical.

Armitage was special once again for Toulon, a truly great performance. He will likely win European Player of the Year.