Clermont 2010/11 preview

Defending champions Clermont are determined to retain their Top 14 title.

Defending champions determined to retain their Top 14 title

Clermont, at the 11th time of asking, limped over the finish line, producing a controlled performance to see off Perpignan in the Top 14 final. There had been concerns once again over the propensity to choke on the big occasions, not least when they stumbled out of the Heineken Cup against Leinster having missed eight shots at goal. One fact to note though: both Clermont's second and youth teams won their respective championships as well. And with the playing staff largely the same and no shortage of hunger, Clermont will fancy their chances of repeating this success. Clermont will certainly be up there as contenders late in the season, and with an enormous monkey off their backs now, they'll be far less tense and liable to crumple.

Coach

Vern Cotter heads into his fourth season with the club, but this time bolstered by backs coach Franck Azema, purloined from Perpignan in the off-season. Not that Clermont's backs really needed much improvement, but Azema took a lot of credit for opening up Perpignan's game and will add something extra to Clermont.

Captain

Aurélien Rougerie, the son of an ex-international prop and ex-international basketball player, has been not only at the forefront of many of his team's attacks, but is the most expressive of his team's emotions on any given matchday. Nicknamed 'Roro', which means 'horse', because of his galloping abilities.

One to watch

Morgan Parra is the undisputed king of France's scrum-halves now after years of tinkering between older heads. Kicks for posts and also displays the perfect amount of Bull Terrier for the position. Frequently found picking scraps with locks and flankers when he's not got the ball under control.

Home ground

The Stade Marcel Michelin is probably the best in French club rugby. A refurbishment over 2008 and 2009 lifted the capacity to 16,500, but the narrow and high construction and the noise from a particularly tribal and vocal bunch of fans makes it feel like an awful lot more.

Transfers

In: Sione Lauaki (Chiefs), Ti'i Paulo (Crusaders)
Out: Seremaï Baï (Castres), Christophe Samson (Toulon), Benoît Cabello (Loan, Brive)