After two matches in the Champions Cup, ASM Clermont returns to Top 14 action this Saturday (2:30 p.m.) with a trip to La Rochelle. A confrontation under high tension for Christophe Urios and his players, who face a La Rochelle team that is much more consistent than at the start of the season. Pour The MountainJulien Laïrle, ASM forwards coach, and young hooker Barnabé Massa shared their expectations for this muscular duel.
La Rochelle: a renewed power
La Rochelle’s season took a turn with the return of several injured players, making the team even more formidable. Julien Laïrle does not hide his respect for the opponent: « La Rochelle is a fairly frontal team. They play on their strong assets, which are physical guys, capable of carrying the balls. They are dominant in cohesion. »
The power of the La Rochelle forwards will be a major challenge: “They have a very efficient conquest, like the mauls and the scrum. I find a bunch of forwards who have become homogeneous again compared to their start to the season. »
And that’s not all. According to Laïrle, the danger does not only come from the pack: “It’s a team that is brutal in its forwards and imaginative in its three-quarters. Defensively, they will give us more problems than Leinster were able to do this weekend. »
Barnabé Massa: “A big fight awaits us”
The young Clermont hooker Barnabé Massa, arrived from Grenoble, anticipates a fierce confrontation in the phases of conquest : “It’s a really, really tight team. We know that the front game will be essential. »
The ASM, well aware of the challenges, is preparing to respond blow for blow: “We expect a big fight, whether in the scrum sector or even on the mauls. »
A decisive shock for the future
For Clermont, this trip is a good opportunity to show that they will have to be counted on to qualify for the final stages. But in La Rochelle, the maritime forwards have no intention of letting the visitors impose their rhythm.
