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Despite having all the ingredients to win championships, ASM Clermont Auvergne repeatedly come up agonisingly short. They are, writes James Harrington, the most frustrating rugby team in France.
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One of the great French rugby mysteries of modern times – up there with the selection policies of former national coach Philippe Saint-André and referee Jérôme Garcès – is the continuing and perennially frustrating failure of Top 14 giants Clermont to win any silverware.
This is the side that won every home match in all competitions between November 2009 and May 2014 – a winning streak of some 76 games.
This is the team that boasts among its frankly scary backline little general Morgan Parra, hot-scalpel-through-runny-butter Wesley Fofana, bam-bam Rémi Lamerat, silken streak Noa Nakaitaci, opportunist David Strettle, and former European Player of the Year Nick Abendanon.
This is the side that has scored at between 26 and 47 points in its first five matches this season.
This is the club that, on Saturday, benched internationals Camille Lopez, Thomas Domingo, Damien Chouly, Aaron Jarvis and Benson Stanley, and still put 40 points and five tries past Bordeaux.
The week before the Bordeaux massacre, the Jaunards demolished Racing 92, the reigning Top 14 champions, 47-10 and six tries to one.
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Once upon a time, the Montferrand side’s away form was their achilles’ heel. Stade Marcel Michelin may have been a fortress at the top of a cruel mountain surrounded by shark-infested waters, but they didn’t travel well.
They don’t have that excuse any more. They won 8 of 13 on the road to finish the 2015/16 regular season at the top of the table.
But they run into trouble at the business end of the season – when trophies and titles, honour and glory, are up for grabs.
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To say they have not won a title since the 2010 Top 14 championship does not tell the whole story. They were losing finalists in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2015. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, they were knocked out in the semi-finals. In 2014, they lost at home for the first time in 77 matches to go out at the ‘barrages’ stage of the play-offs – effectively the quarterfinals.
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They have reached two European Cup finals in the past three seasons without bringing home the trophy. At the end of the 2014/15 season, when they lost both European and domestic finals, club president Eric De Cromieres was moved to write an open letter of apology to the fans.
But, the nature of top-flight rugby is such that – no matter the disappointments that went before – sides pick themselves up, dust themselves down and try again when the new season comes around.
So, maybe this will be Clermont’s season. At first glance, it seems they have started well enough.
But look closer. Their start to the season is probably best described as ‘odd’. They opened their Top 14 campaign with a trio of away games while a new hybrid pitch was put down at Stade Marcel Michelin. They racked up two draws and a win.
So far, so solid. And most sides would be delighted with eight points from three away games in a league where wins on the road are historically harder to find than rocking-horse droppings.
Clermont, however, ought to be slightly ashamed. In their opener at La Rochelle, they roared into a 14-point lead, but let the hosts score 20 points in 20 minutes to eventually hold them to a 30-30 draw.
After a hard-fought win at Montpellier, Clermont again let a winning position slide at Stade Francais. With less than a minute left on the clock, they were seven points ahead – then their defence went to sleep, and this happened:
Stade’s Jules Plisson coolly slotted the conversion to level the scores.
The fact is Clermont have it all. They have the playing talent. They have the bootroom resources. They have coaches with vision and cunning. They have fans so passionate that the word doesn’t do them justice.
And yet, when it matters, all that skill, experience and passion somehow vanishes without trace. They are arguably the most exciting team to watch in the Top 14. They are definitely the most frustrating.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
42 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
42 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
42 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
13 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
42 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
13 Go to comments