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ASM Clermont Auvergne

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ASM Clermont Auvergne
File:Clermont auvergne badge.png
Full nameAssociation Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne
Nickname(s)Les Jaunards, The Vulcans, Montferrand, Yellow Army
Founded1911; 113 years ago (1911)
LocationClermont-Ferrand, France
Ground(s)Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin (Capacity: 18,030)
PresidentEric De Cromieres
Coach(es)Franck Azéma
Captain(s)Damien Chouly
League(s)Top 14
2015–161st (playoff semi-finalists)
1st kit
2nd kit
3rd kit
Official website
www.asm-rugby.com

Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne (pronounced [klɛʀmɔ̃ ovɛʁnj]) is a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA is the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club AS Montferrandaise, which was founded in 1911 and adopted that name in 1922. Although the rugby section changed its name to the current ASM Clermont Auvergne in 2004, it is still frequently referred to as Montferrand both within and outside France.

The team plays at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin (capacity 18,030) and wears yellow and blue, which are the colours of the city of Montferrand, where Marcel Michelin, the founder's son of the famous French tyre manufacturer, decided to implement the first factory but also the stadium after the creation of ASM for its workers before World War I. L'ASM, as they are also called, are the traditional underdog, always cited among early favourites and praised for their style of play, but never winning when come spring. They have reached the French Championship final twelve times, losing on each occasion until their eleventh trip in 2010, when they finally won the championship. The perennial bridesmaids in their 100th year as a club broke through and conquered France, beating Perpignan in a rematch of the 2009 final.[1]

History

The club was established in 1911 as AS Michelin, though they changed their name to AS Montferrandaise in 1922 due to legal obligation. The club was started by Marcel Michelin, the son of André Michelin, founder of the Michelin tyre manufacturer. The club made its first final of any competition in 1935, where they played Perpignan for the Challenge Yves du Manoir. AS Montferrand lost the match, 3–3 and 9–0. The following year they featured in their first championship final; though they lost to RC Narbonne 6 points to 3. They made the final again in 1937, though that match was also lost, 13 points to 7 to CS Vienne. However the following season the club won its first title; winning the Challenge Yves du Manoir by defeating Perpignan 23 points to 10.

During the 1940s the club contested the Coupe de France on two occasions, in 1945 and 1947. The club lost on both occasions, by one point, 14 to 13 to SU Agen in 1945, and then 14 to 11 against Toulouse in 1947. It would be another 10 years until the club featured in another competition final; losing to US Dax in the 1957 Challenge Yves du Manoir. The club became a force during the 1970s, starting in 1970 with a 3 points to nil championship loss to La Voulte Sportif. The club then contested the Challenge Yves du Manoir twice in a row over the 1972–73 seasons; losing both finals, against AS Béziers and Narbonne respectively. Then they won the competition in 1976, defeating SC Graulhet 40 points to 12 just a few days after the death of the young international winger, Jean-François Philiponeau, struck on the field during an exhibition game. The club then contested the championship final in 1978, though they lost to Béziers. They also lost the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1979, against Narbonne.

In 1994 season the club contested both the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir. They lost the Challenge Yves du Manoir to Perpignan (the third time the clubs had met in the competition final). They also lost the championship, defeated 22 points to 16 by Toulouse. The club contested two finals in the 1999 season as well, the French championship and the European Challenge Cup. They won the European Challenge Cup, defeating fellow French club CS Bourgoin-Jallieu 35 points to 16. However they lost the domestic final, being defeated by Toulouse again, 15 points to 11. The club would meet Toulouse again in the season final of 2001, with Toulouse winning 34 points to 22. In 2004 they contested the European Challenge Cup again, though they lost to English club Harlequins, by one point, 27 to 26.

But the team has known a hard period between 2002 and 2006 and only the arrival of Vern Cotter, at the middle of the year 2006, has boosted the team to his top form. For his first year, Vern Cotter has succeed in change the teamspirit. ASM reached his first final since 2001 (lost in the last minute against Stade Français) and won the European Challenge Cup against Bath during an epic game at the Stoop of Twickenham. For the second and third year with Vern Cotter, Montferrand developed again one of the prettiest games of the championship but lost again the two finals against Toulouse in 2008 and Perpignan in 2009.

In 2010, the team started to think about the Heineken Cup but was drawn against Leicester Tigers and Ospreys in a tough pool. But Montferrand succeeded in reaching first place of the pool and was drawn against the holders of the cup, Leinster Rugby. That was the beginning of one of the best rivalries in rugby. In an epic battle, Montferrand lost 29–28 (with an awful day for their fly-half Brock James).After this loss, they went on to win all of their remaining games to win the French championship against Perpignan (19–6).

In 2012 they reached the semi-final of the Heineken Cup. They were beaten by Leinster Rugby and were inches from winning the game at the end but Wesley Fofana dropped the ball on Leinster's try line.

Clermont reached the Heineken Cup final for the first time in 2013 after they beat Munster Rugby 16–10 in the semi-final. They subsequently lost to Toulon in the HEC final which was held in Lansdowne Road in Dublin on 18 May 2013 by a single point (16–15). In all ors history, ASM Clermont Auvergne has lost 21 finals.

In 2014, Clermont reached the Heineken Cup semi-final of the play-offs for the second consecutive time and lost to Saracens 46 – 6.

2015 saw Clermont make it to the final of the European Cup (now European Rugby Champions Cup) just to lose to RC Toulon 24–18. A few weeks later, they also lost the final of the French Top 14 against capital's club Stade Français 9–6.

Current standings

Template:2016–17 Top 14 Table

Honours

Statue of Vercingetorix decorated with the flag of ASM Clermont Auvergne after the Top 14 championship of 2010.

European results

Heineken Cup and European Rugby Champions Cup

Date Winners Score Runners-up Venue Spectators
18 May 2013 RC Toulon 16–15 Clermont Auvergne Aviva Stadium, Dublin 51,142
2 May 2015 RC Toulon 24–18 Clermont Auvergne Twickenham, London 56,662

European Challenge Cup

Date Winner Score Runners-up Venue Spectators
27 February 1999 AS Montferrand 35–16 CS Bourgoin-Jallieu Stade de Gerland, Lyon 31,986
22 May 2004 Harlequin F.C. 27–26 AS Montferrand Madejski Stadium, Reading 13,123
19 May 2007 Clermont Auvergne 22–16 Bath Rugby Twickenham Stoop, London 10,134

France results

French championship

Date Winner Runners-up Score Venue Spectators
10 May 1936 RC Narbonne AS Montferrand 6–3 Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse 25,000
2 May 1937 CS Vienne AS Montferrand 13–7 Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse 17,000
17 May 1970 La Voulte Sportif AS Montferrand 3–0 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse 35,000
28 May 1978 AS Béziers AS Montferrand 31–9 Parc des Princes, Paris 42,004
28 May 1994 Stade Toulousain AS Montferrand 22–16 Parc des Princes, Paris 48,000
29 May 1999 Stade Toulousain AS Montferrand 15–11 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 78,000
9 June 2001 Stade Toulousain AS Montferrand 34–22 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 78,000
9 June 2007 Stade Français ASM Clermont Auvergne 23–18 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 79,654
28 June 2008 Stade Toulousain ASM Clermont Auvergne 26–20 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 79,275
6 June 2009 USA Perpignan ASM Clermont Auvergne 22–13 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 79,205
29 May 2010 ASM Clermont Auvergne USA Perpignan 19–6 Stade de France, Saint-Denis 79,262
13 June 2015 Stade Français ASM Clermont Auvergne 12–6 Stade de France, Saint-Denis ?

Challenge Yves du Manoir

Year Winner Score Runner-up
1935 USA Perpignan 3–3, 6–0 AS Montferrand
1938 AS Montferrand 23–10 USA Perpignan
1957 US Dax 6–6* AS Montferrand
1972 AS Béziers 27–6 AS Montferrand
1976 AS Montferrand 40–12 SC Graulhet
1979 RC Narbonne 9–7 AS Montferrand
1985 RC Nice 21–16 AS Montferrand
1986 AS Montferrand 22–15 FC Grenoble
1994 USA Perpignan 18–3 AS Montferrand

* Note: by virtue of younger players

Coupe de France

Year Winner Score Runner-up
1945 SU Agen 14–13 AS Montferrand
1947 Stade Toulousain 14–11 AS Montferrand

Current squad

For player movements leading up to the 2016–17 season, see List of 2016–17 Top 14 transfers § Clermont Auvergne.

2016-17 Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union
Benjamin Kayser Hooker France France
John Ulugia Hooker Australia Australia
Raphaël Chaume Prop France France
Vincent Debaty Prop France France
Thomas Domingo Prop France France
Clement Ric Prop France France
Davit Zirakashvili Prop Georgia (country) Georgia
Etienne Falgoux Prop France France
Aaron Jarvis Prop Wales Wales
Paul Jedrasiak Lock France France
Sitaleki Timani Lock Australia Australia
Sébastien Vahaamahina Lock France France
Flip van der Merwe Lock South Africa South Africa
Julien Bardy Flanker Portugal Portugal
Viktor Kolelishvili Flanker Georgia (country) Georgia
Otar Giorgadze Flanker Georgia (country) Georgia
Camille Gérondeau Flanker France France
Alexandre Lapandry Flanker France France
Peceli Yato Flanker Fiji Fiji
Damien Chouly Number 8 France France
Fritz Lee Number 8 New Zealand New Zealand
Player Position Union
Morgan Parra Scrum-half France France
Ludovic Radosavljevic Scrum-half France France
Camille Lopez Fly-half France France
Wesley Fofana Centre France France
Aurélien Rougerie Centre France France
Remi Lamerat Centre France France
Benson Stanley Centre New Zealand New Zealand
Noa Nakaitaci Wing France France
Hosea Gear Wing New Zealand New Zealand
David Strettle Wing England England
Adrien Plante Wing France France
Nick Abendanon Fullback England England
Scott Spedding Fullback France France
Isaia Toeava Fullback New Zealand New Zealand

Notable former players

See also

References

  1. ^ Couret, Jean-Paul (30 May 2010). "Clermont beat Perpignan to end 10-final jinx in Top 14". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
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