Get Newsletter

Challenge Cup Final: Harlequins v Montpellier

O'Shea will leave the London club – who previously won the Challenge Cup in 2001, 2004 and 2011 – at the end of the season to take over from Jacques Brunel as head coach of Italy.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It would be nice to send Conor away with a trophy," said England fullback Mike Brown, the Irish coach having overseen Harlequins' last Challenge Cup Final victory in 2011 and having also led the club to the Premiership title a year later.

"Montpellier are full of South Africans and will not take a backward step. We know it is going to be tough. We have a good track record in France and in this competition. There is no reason why we cannot win."

The season, however, has been disappointing on the domestic front, with Quins slumping to seventh in the Premiership. Their last league match saw Exeter run out convincing 62-24 winners.

But Europe has been a happier hunting ground for the Londoners, and with six wins from seven, they have led the tournament in all major categories including points scored (293), tries scored (39), metres made (4,065) and clean breaks (101).

Importantly, qualification for next season's Champions Cup is up for grabs for the winner.Challenge Cup Final: Harlequins v Montpellier

Quins' sole loss came away to Montpellier earlier in the year after the French side avenged a 18-41 loss at The Stoop with a 42-9 victory at Altrad Stadium in the final round of the pool stages.

ADVERTISEMENT

Montpellier are coached by Jake White, architect of South Africa's 2007 World Cup victory, and the team unsurprisingly boasts a large number of the coach's countrymen.

"I hope we go and arrive full metal jacket and if we do, it will be a Challenge Cup Final between Champions Cup teams," said O'Shea.

"It is not easy to win anything. It is Montpellier's first Final: they have a massive budget and we will go to them [go to France]."

Montpellier have gelled this season and currently sit second in the Top 14, White employing a large pack and an abrasive gameplan based around astute kicking and tough defence.

ADVERTISEMENT

It has not won the southern club many fans outside Montpellier, with concerns voiced that the influx of so many foreigners is misjudged. Results, however, have shown that taskmaster White has achieved some synchronicity between his players.

"This squad proves there is a fine cohesion between the French and South African players. This is not a surprise for me –  only for you," said White, who currently has 12 South African players in his squad.

In a blow for Montpellier, France flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc will miss Friday's game because he lacks match fitness.

The 29-year-old, who will join Toulon next season, picked up an ankle injury playing for France in the Six Nations in mid-March.

He made a brief comeback as a late replacement in his club's Top 14 game at La Rochelle at the weekend but will have to sit out the Final in Lyon.

"The choice is difficult, we wanted to offer him this chance, but it's not possible," said White, with South African Demetri Catrakilis taking the No.10 shirt.

In other team news Australian scrumhalf Nic White got the call up over Benoit Paillaugue, who is recovering from a shoulder sprain.

Club captain Fulgence Ouedraogo said the pressure was on Montpellier in the club's first ever appearance in a European final since their creation in 1986.

"We have the possibility of winning a title, to give pleasure to all the team, the club and the city," the France flank said.

"We want to be the first to lift a Challenge Cup, the first to perhaps win the Top 14."

Challenge Cup Final: Harlequins v Montpellier

Champions Cup qualification: As Harlequins have missed out on automatic qualification for next season's Champions Cup, they need to win in Lyon on Friday to secure the 20th place in the tournament. If Montpellier lift the trophy and if they are subsequently confirmed as a qualifier for the 2016/17 Champions Cup by dint of their league position, they will earn a place for the seventh-ranked club in the Top 14. Montpellier will become the 10th club from the Top 14 to play in a Challenge Cup Final. The previous nine are: Bourgoin, Castres Olympique, Colomiers, Agen, Pau, Narbonne, Montferrand/ASM Clermont Auvergne, RC Toulon and Stade Francais Paris.Challenge Cup Final: Harlequins v Montpellier

Prediction: This will be the fifth meeting between the clubs in the competition; Harlequins have won three of the previous four encounters, although Montpellier won their most recent clash in Round Six. The finalists qualified from Pool Three with the home side winning each of their meetings, and with both victories coming by margins of over 20 points. Montpellier have won eight of their last nine in the Challenge Cup against Premiership opposition although their one defeat in that run was against Harlequins in Round One. Harlequins have won seven of their nine knockout matches against clubs from the Top 14 in the competition. Danny Care has been directly involved in nine tries in the competition this season (five tries, four assists), more than any other player. The Springbok-laden Montpellier team may just have too much experience for Harlequins, who will rely on a combination of Welsh and English internationals. But Montpellier to win by less than 10 points – it is Europe after all.

Teams:

Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 George Lowe, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care (captain), 8 Nick Easter, 7 Luke Wallace, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 Sam Twomey, 4 James Horwill, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Joe Marler.

Replacements: 16 Dave Ward, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Mat Luamanu, 20 Jack Clifford, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Ross Chisholm.

Montpellier: 15 Benjamin Fall, 14 Timoci Nagusa, 13 Anthony Tuitavake, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Marvin O'Connor, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic White, 8 Akapusi Qera, 7 Pierre Spies, 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo (captain), 5 Paul Willemse, 4 Jacques Du Plessis, 3 Jannie Du Plessis, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis, 1 Mikehil Nariashvili.

Replacements: 16 Mickael Ivaldi, 17 Yvan Watremez, 18 Davit Kubriashvili, 19 Sitaleki Timani, 20 Kelian Galletier, 21 Benoit Paillaugue, 22 Robert Ebersohn, 23 Jesse Mogg

Date: Friday, May 13

Venue: Grand Stade de Lyon, Lyon

Kick-off: 21.00 (20.00 BST; 19.00 GMT)

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Marius Mitrea (Italy), Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)

TMO: Jim Yuille (Scotland)

Agence France-Presse

Challenge Cup Final: Harlequins v Montpellier

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Write A Comment