The Jaunards once again face a “heavy” and powerful team up front to end the year 2024. A final test to validate a successful first part of the season, for the moment.
The main courses follow one another in Clermont. In the middle of this magical period, the Jaunards are preparing to eat a Montpellier fougasse after enjoying a robust Irish dish and La Rochelle grattons which almost delighted their taste buds. Behind Leinster and La Rochelle, ASM ends the year with a new “heavy” team to face. On the eve of traveling to Charente-Maritime, Christophe Urios was already more wary than anything of this last meeting of 2024, against Montpellier. “Some boys like Étienne (Falgoux, NDLR) or Fritz (Lee) needed to breathe, especially given the fight that awaits us next week, anticipated the Clermont manager. If Leinster does not resemble La Rochelle, the MHR, on the other hand, has a team profile almost similar to the Rochelais.” Indeed, going from Will Skelton to Billy Vunipola or from Levani Botia to Lenni Nouchi will not be an opportunity to play “light”. On the contrary, Barnabé Massa's teammates will have to confirm their lightning progress in forward play and conquest. Because after having demolished the packs of forwards from Vannes, Castres or Trevisans, the Thomas Ceyte gang was waiting to move on to revealing the two of the three best teams in Europe to gauge themselves. In touch, almost everything is going well with a precise Massa-Fourcade tandem and a Tixeront who has been hovering for several months.
The scrum, a sector to consolidate
On the other hand, the Jaunards suffered in a closed scrum on the Leinster pitch but were able to rectify the situation at Marcel-Deflandre, particularly at the end of the game, with an angry penalty obtained in the yellow and black camp which could have allowed the Auvergnats to sign the big blow of the 12th day. But the room for improvement remains immense for a team that has seen so many changes in the offseason. Giorgi Akhaladze, for example, took his revenge after being punished in Dublin, by showing enormous activity in the running game and, above all, by holding off against the diabolical right axis of the Rochelais. Faced with the power of the Montpellier forwards, who undermined the Ile-de-France residents last weekend, the scrum will have to go up a notch to keep its own balls, and launch an attacking game which only requires erupt since the symphony played against Bordeaux-Bègles on November 2.
Weight returns in the pack
To do this, Christophe Urios will still be spoiled for choice when it comes to composing his front eight. Behind the irremovable Marcos Kremer, chosen first by the Aude manager, several options are available to the ASM boss to counter the Hérault golgoths. Étienne Falgoux and Fritz Lee will notably make their return to Michelin this Saturday, while Thibaud Lanen and Thomas Ceyte have relaunched perfectly in La Rochelle. Without making any noise, but still as intractable in the ground game, Alexandre Fischer should also be favored by his coach, he who has so far succeeded in stringing together high-flying performances. With the strength of its pack, Clermont will therefore try to remain undefeated at home in the first leg to end the year with a bang…
Clermont ahead of its passage times
A shining symbol of the colossal progress made by the ASM in recent months, the Jaunards have 33 points in the standings after twelve days, or seven points more than the last two seasons, at the same period. Fifth before the last meeting of the first leg, the Auvergnats were able to rectify their very poor start to the away season, notably recovering five points between Lyon and La Rochelle. A good start which now requires confirmation.
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