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The Most Frustrating Rugby Team In France

Clermont

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.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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TRENDING Everyone is saying the same thing after agonising England loss Everyone is saying the same thing after agonising England loss
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