A good slap to get your ideas back in place.
Before starting his new European campaign in this unprecedented and convoluted Champions Cup, Clermont lost last weekend, at the Marcel-Michelin stadium, against Montpellier (15-21).
“We are disappointed, angry and frustrated because we could have validated a good start to the season in Top 14. You do not validate it.
It's frustrating, ”had enraged Auvergne manager Franck Azéma.
Faced with MHR, ASM had been dominated in conquest.
“Montpellier made the right match with a big pressing, cutting our conquest in touch and put us under pressure in scrum.
It's difficult to put your game in place under these conditions.
We did not know how to exploit our ammunition near their line.
We won thanks to our touch and our scrum in Castres, we are dominated in this match and we have to rework all that, ”he continued.
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No time to think about it.
The Auvergnats quickly switch the European Cup, with a trip more than pre-trial, entry, to Bristol.
“I would have preferred that we started this competition by being installed well at the top of the Top 14 ranking (the ASM is down to 4th place, Editor's note) and without this defeat at home.
But we're going to use what happened this weekend to be as ready as possible, ”insists opener Camille Lopez.
The Clermontois were not spoiled by the draw since in addition to Bristol, they inherited the always difficult province of Munster.
"We know perfectly well that the slightest misstep can be fatal," continues Camille Lopez.
We come up against two very solid teams that have ambitions.
But it is also our case and to go far, we will have to be able to beat strong people. "
The last two winners of the Challenge Cup
An emerging power in the English Premiership, Bristol has just won the last Challenge Cup, succeeding… Clermont.
And, to be sacred, the “Bears” of the west of England brought down two Top 14 teams, Bordeaux-Bègles in the semi-final and then RC Toulon in the final.
So beware.
“It's a big piece, warns Franck Azéma.
A very offensive team, whether in front or behind.
She is very positive in her style of play and takes a lot of initiatives.
They seek to put their opponents under pressure. ”
“There is a bit of the unknown and uncertainty so it's exciting. It reminds me of the format of the fall tests where there was overtime and sudden death ”
Franck Azéma
On this side of the Channel, we are focusing a lot on the Fijian center Semi Radradra, released from Union Bordeaux-Bègles, but the one who is considered - along with the Frenchman Virimi Vakatawa - as one of the very best in the world. at his post will be absent on Saturday, he was injured against Georgia in the Fall Nations Cup.
But we must not reduce Bristol to Radradra.
The "Bears" also have three English internationals in their ranks: pillar Kyle Sinckler, who will be on the substitutes' bench on Saturday, third row Ben Earl and fullback Max Malins.
"All these individualities are at the service of the collective", emphasizes Franck Azéma.
This Bristol-Clermont in the Champions Cup is part of the recent news of the recent England-France in the final of the Autumn Nations Cup.
Franck Azéma draws a parallel between these two competitions in an unprecedented format.
“There is a bit of the unknown and uncertainty so it's exciting.
It reminds me of the format of the fall testing competitions where there was overtime and sudden death.
It is something that we did not know but there is a little more experience seeing what happened.
I found that very interesting. ”
And joking: "I don't think there were many who went to wash their hands or pee during the minute before extra time ... It was intense, it hooked everyone.
I followed until the last second.
We even hoped that there would be reversals to make it last. ”
“You must have seen how the English press talks about the French. So it's going to be pretty much the same, it's their mentality ”
Sebastien Vahaamahina
The other common point of these two Franco-English confrontations is called Andrew Brace.
The Irishman's arbitration during the “Crunch” had caused a lot of talk.
Mr. Brace had in particular been singled out (even if he had not directly named it) by Fabien Galthié and he had been the target of violent criticism on social networks.
He will be on the whistle this Saturday for the Auvergnats' trip across the Channel, while the EPCR withdrew the Toulouse-Exeter match from him to avoid a stormy trip to France.
Last point, the British media.
Ancestral Franco-English animosity is still very much present.
After the affair of the French “farce” of aligning an inexperienced XV of France, Sébastien Vahaamahina brought his stone to the building in a press conference: “You must have seen how the English press speaks of the French.
So it's going to be pretty much the same thing, it's their mentality of telling themselves that we are not capable of this, that, that we are not resistant.
They have their vision of things, we know what we are capable of.
We have confidence in ourselves, we go there with serenity. ”
The match is on.
Like a "Crunch" to replay ...
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