English club Sale hit the headlines this week with one of its players, a former international (whose name has not been revealed), implicated in the rape of a teenage girl and immediately suspended. A huge scandal across the Channel. In what state of mind will be the English who move this Sunday on the lawn of Clermont for the account of the third day of the Champions Cup? Demobilized or over-motivated? The Auvergnats, who stumbled from the start against the Northern Irish from Ulster at the Michelin, cannot afford another misstep at home if they want to reach the knockout stages of this edition in a new format.
“All we know is that we have to prepare to play a decisive game where victory is mandatory,”
plants third-line center Fritz Lee.
Read alsoEnglish rugby violently shaken by a rape case committed by a former international playing at Sale
No choice.
Things are currently off to a bad start for the Jaunards.
With a defensive bonus loss to Ulster and then a draw for the postponed trip to Sale, Jono Gibbes' side are down to just three points and now need to fill up on points against Manchester suburban Sharks.
An incongruous situation which angered the opening half Camille Lopez, this week, at a press conference.
"It's a mess, clearly"
“We had just lost at home against Ulster, we had taken a point, we had prepared to go and win there
(in Sale)
because it was important for the rest of the competition
, says the former opener of the XV of France.
So the English will say they got screwed because they lost two points at home. We, I don't know if we can say that we are a winner because what we were looking for is a victory for them to still be competitive in this European Cup.
“And to enrage:”
In the end, it does not benefit either of them. I think it's a mess, clearly. I don't know what to say... Frankly, this competition, I don't know if it means anything.
»
Willingly or unwillingly, Clermont must go all out.
Especially since the “Sharks” of Sale had, themselves, launched their European Cup well by going to win at the Welsh Ospreys.
“It's a very combat-oriented team, with a big defense which is the signature of their coach
(Alex Senderson, editor's note)
who has worked in this sector for a long time with the Saracens.
They also have a good conquest and big ball carriers, ”
warns Jono Gibbes on the ASM website.
We still have a lot of work to do on ourselves.
We are our worst enemy
Camille Lopez
The Auvergnats, who are coming out of a defeat at Paris La Défense Arena against Racing 92, are playing their European future this Sunday, before a more perilous trip to Belfast to challenge Ulster. In the meantime - and as for many months - the Clermont club must gain consistency, efficiency and regularity. It's a lot.
“It's true that we are able to do great things, to play well at times, but we still give too many gifts,
deplores the Clermont opener, who formalized his departure for Bayonne next season
. At our level, this is not possible! We can't expose ourselves like that if we want to switch to positive things. There will always be mistakes, but they don't have to be gross anymore."
The Clermontois had however started the year 2022 with a prestigious success on the Stade Toulousain (16-13) at the Michelin.
Before falling back into their failings at Nanterre against the Racingmen.
This time, the time for
“gifts”
is over .
Sale, third in pool A, arrives in a strong position.
“
We still have a lot of work to do on ourselves.
We are our own worst enemy
,
”
warns Camille Lopez.
Time is running out for ASM, in search of its past luster on the continental scene with three finals played in 2013, 2015 and 2017. A time that seems far away.
