Is this finally Clermont's year?
Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:53
Under various names Clermont has been in eight finals of France's championship and lost all eight. On three of those nine occasions they were beaten by Toulouse, their opponents again this year.
Their final record is as follows:
1936: Narbonne vs Montferrand, 6-3
1937: Vienne vs Montferrand, 13-7
1970: La Voulte Sportif vs Montferrand, 3-0
1978: Béziers vs Montferrand, 31-9
1994: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 22-16
1999: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 15-11
2001: Toulouse vs Montferrand, 34-22
2007: Stade Français vs Clermont Auvergne, 23-18
Most of the players in this year's squad for the Final were in last year's Final when, with two minutes to go, the Fijian wing Radike Samo scored a try which the Argentinian flyhalf Juan Martín Hernández converted. That was the score that beat Clermont.
The last ten minutes of that match were thrilling. Clermont were leading 15-9 when Argentinian scrumhalf Agustín Pichot scored a try which Hernández converted. 16-15 to Stade Français.
With six minutes to go Clermont got the lead back when Australian flyhalf Brock James kicked yet another penalty goal. 18-16.
Then with two minutes to go Samo scored and Clermont lost.
Those in the 2008 squad for the Final who were in the Clermont side for the 2007 Final are Laurent Emmanuelli, Davit Zirakashvili, Mario Ledesma, Jamie Cudmore, Thibault Privat, Loic Jacquet, Alexandre Audebert, Sam Broomhall, Elvis Vermeulen, Pierre Mignoni, Brock James, Seremaia Baï, Gonzalo Canale, Julien Malzieu, Aurélien Rougerie and Anthony Floch.
Those who played last year and are not in this year's Final are Martín Scelzo, Tony Marsh, Brice Miguel, Gonzalo Longo, Alessandro Troncon and Grant Esterhuizen.
New to the final this year are Thomas Domingo, John Smit, Christophe Samson, Julien Bonnaire, John Senio, Marius Joubert, Napolioni Nalaga and Benoît Baby.
