Sharks’ opponents not what they were but still formidable

The Sharks’ opponents in Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup semifinal share something with them when it comes to the history of the club - like Natal, which the Sharks were known as until 1996, Clermont-Auvergne also waited to their centenary year before winning their domestic trophy.

Of course, Natal did it when they won the Currie Cup in 1990. Clermont, also playing under a different identity in the earlier years, and they are still often referred to as Montferrand, won the top 14 in their 100th year of trying in 2010 to end a period of anguish, which saw them make the final 10 times and come second each time.

Based in Clermont-Ferrand, the city where Marcel Michelin, the son of the founder of the French tyre manufacturer, built the first factory and also the Stade Marcel Michelin before World War 1, went on to win the French domestic trophy again in 2017. They have also played in several Top 14 finals, but none since 2019, when they lost to Toulouse.

That year also saw Clermont win their second Challenge Cup, with the first win coming in 2017. But they haven’t featured in the business end of any major competition since 2019, which is something that unfortunately for the Sharks they also share with Saturday’s opponents in the playoff game at the Stoop in Twickenham. Both teams have good players on their books but have hit lean times lately.

The one thing the Sharks should be pleased about is that they are not playing Clermont-Auvergne on their home ground. At the Michelin, like with so many home venues for French clubs, they are renowned for being particularly difficult opponents. And you can see it in their results from this season - they’ve had some great results at home, most recently in last Saturday’s clash with Stade Francais. The hosts won that game 41-18, with their French international flyhalf Anthony Belleau supplementing his good tactical game by scoring 16 points with his boot.

IMPROVED DISCIPLINE

The Sharks have been good with their discipline recently, with the number of penalties they concede in each game dropping considerably. And they will need to be good with that again on Saturday if they want to negate the possible impact of the opposition place kicker.

It was also at their home stadium, which the DHL Stormers discovered when they lost there in their first ever Investec Champions Cup match last season can be as hostile and as noisy as it is colourful on match days, that Clermont saw off Ulster in their Champions Cup quarterfinal. Not just saw off, they comprehensively thrashed the Vodacom United Rugby Championship contenders 53-14. In their Top 14 game against mighty Toulouse, they lost by just four points.

Earlier in the Challenge Cup the Toyota Cheetahs were competitive in coming back from a bid deficit to lose the round of 16 game by six points, but as with most French clubs, their potency in European cup competitions becomes more pronounced the deeper they get. Often French teams, because of the tough promotion-relegation system in the Top 14 that sees two teams drop out at the end of every season, struggle to balance their focus across the two competitions they compete in.

Clermont have been listing between 10th and 11th on the log for some time now (they are currently 10th), meaning they are currently comfortably outside of the relegation zone with not that long to go in the season. So they should be going to London supremely motivated to make the final and bid for their third Challenge Cup trophy. Indeed, it was at the Stoop that Clermont won their first Challenge Cup final in 2007 after a few unsuccessful attempts. They beat Bath 22-16 that day and the last time they tasted success in 2019 their victims were the future Champions Cup title holders, La Rochelle, who they beat 36-16 at St James’ Park in Newcastle.

STRONG PLAYERS ON THE BOOKS

Although they aren’t the potent force they were in 2019 and between 2013 and 2017 when they played in and lost three Champions Cup finals, and have won just nine games in 22 with three draws, the Clermont side, as the Stormers will attest from last year’s experience, are still formidable when at full strength.

Among the players on their books are Wallaby lock Rob Simmons, George Moala the Tongan international, the aforementioned French international Belleau, Argentine internationals Tomas Lavinini, Bautista del Guy and Marcos Kremer, the dangerous wing Alivereti Raka and the powerfully built hooker Étienne Fourcade.

After beating Stade Francais so comprehensively they will also be heading to the Stoop with their confidence sky high. As noted, however, fortunately for the Durbanites the game isn’t being played in France, and Clermont haven’t been nearly as good away from home. Not that you can always read much into the away form of French teams as they often travel under-strength.