The 2019/20 Clermont XV - can it compete in France and Europe?
Having made it to three Heineken Champions Cup finals and come away as runners-up on all occasions, there are few teams who are as rooted for by neutral fans as Clermont Auvergne.
The two-time winners of France’s top domestic competition have also fallen short a remarkable 12 times in the Top 14 or its predecessors, and it’s those narrow misses that pull at fans’ heartstrings and see any and all success by Les Jaunards so eagerly celebrated.
This summer has proven one of significant change at the Marcel Michelin stadium, however, as the club have said goodbye to a number of stalwart servants.
Hooker Benjamin Kayser has hung up his boots after eight seasons with the club, whilst South African lock Flip van der Merwe has also called time on his professional career. Damien Chouly (Perpignan) and Rémi Lamerat (Bordeaux) have left the club, too, with a number of spots in the regular matchday 23 set to open up.
Throw into the mix the losses of players such as Damian Penaud, Camille Lopez and Rabah Slimani to France at the Rugby World Cup, and it’s going to be a relatively new-look Clermont side to start the season.
Once they are back, though, the men in yellow have assembled quite the squad to make a run on the Top 14 and Champions Cup titles in 2019/20. We take a look at their strongest XV below.
- Isaia Toeava
The former All Black brings plenty of experience to the role of full-back, as does alternative Nick Abendanon. Either way, Clermont have a safe pair of hands at the back who can easily launch promising counter-attacks if given the opportunity.
- Damian Penaud
The centre has taken well to his new role on the wing and although he faced his fair share of troubles with France during the Guinness Six Nations, he lit up club rugby for Clermont last season.
- George Moala
Another former All Black, Moala established himself as a versatile player at the Blues before he headed to France last year. Whether at 13 or on the wing, Moala adds attacking firepower to the Clermont XV and helps make up for the loss of Lamerat with his versatility. JJ Engelbrecht will help provide competition, having signed on a short-term deal.
- Wesley Fofana
Fofana will be hanging up his international boots after the Rugby World Cup, which his club will hope means he spends less time on the treatment table and more time on the pitch.
- Alivereti Raka
The Fijian-born wing is a powerhouse with the ball in hand and has spearheaded Clermont’s excellent and clinical play out wide over the last few years. The likes of Peter Betham, Rémy Grosso and Tim Nanai-Williams are also available to the club, as is budding Spanish talent Samuel Ezeala.
- Camille Lopez
Long-established as Clermont’s number one fly-half, Lopez will resume those duties after the Rugby World Cup. Jake McIntyre has been brought in, potentially allowing for Nanai-Williams to be used elsewhere and not as heavily relied on as the back-up fly-half.
- Morgan Parra
Another familiar name in the Clermont XV, Parra will continue his competition with Greig Laidlaw for the starting nine jersey and provide plenty of experience and leadership as the team’s petit general. Rudy Paige has been signed on a short-term deal and will feature heavily during the first couple of months of the season.
- Étienne Falgoux
Falgoux has moved into selection consideration for Les Bleus of late and being an important component in the ever-formidable Clermont pack has been a big part of that. Beka Kakabadze is pushing hard behind him in the depth chart.
- John Ulugia
This is where it gets interesting. At 33 years of age, Ulugia might be a surprising choice, but he was consistent as Kayser’s deputy last season and would seem to be the next man up in the Clermont XV. Portugal international Mike Tadjer has been brought in from Grenoble this summer and should provide competition, as could Yohan Beheregaray.
- Rabah Slimani
The tighthead is an incumbent for both France and Clermont and is one of the most adept scrummaging props currently playing the game. Even at 35, Davit Zirakashvili remains another extremely formidable option.
- Sébastien Vahaamahina
The giant lock has established himself as one of the first names on the Clermont teamsheet over the past couple of seasons and his consistency at the highest club and international levels has improved significantly.
- Sitaleki Timani
The loss of van der Merwe denies Clermont some measure of experience in the engine room, although Timani provides plenty of his own. Paul Jedrasiak is another option and one that brings international class.
- Arthur Iturria
If not deployed in the second row, a spot on the flank has to be found for Iturria, who had an excellent 2018/19 season and was one of the more impressive performers domestically and internationally in France.
- Judicaël Cancoriet
Another player off of the RC Massy production line, Cancoriet and Iturria are the new faces of this Clermont pack, following the departures of Julien Bonnaire and Julien Bardy in recent seasons, as well as Chouly’s move to Perpignan this year. Alexandre Lapandry will rotate into the back row, too.
- Peceli Yato
It’s an impressive feat to keep Fritz Lee out of the Clermont XV, with the New Zealander having been one of the club’s most consistent players in recent years. The Fijian offers just a little more explosion, though, and gets the nod based on that.
Watch: Foden: Stateside
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
26 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
26 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
26 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
26 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
26 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments