Brock James 2007

 

Clermont punish Wasps' bravery

By Liam Joseph at Montferrand
Daily Telegraph, Saturday 8th December 2007

Clermont Auvergne 37 Wasps 27

There may be a better game in the Heineken Cup this season but it's doubtful. This was the kind of match that defines the European Cup, and Wasps' brave defeat - they didn't even garner a bonus point for their Herculean efforts - certainly opens up Pool Five.

This match always had a good feel about it. Wasps have hit a purple patch of early-season form and Clermont are the coming side in French rugby who always put their bodies on the line at home. For once the pre-match hype was fully justified.Wasps were agonisingly close in an epic game After the habitual early sparring - two penalties to Brock James, one to Danny Cipriani - it was Clermont who landed the first big blow with a superbly crafted try for wing Julien Malzieu after slick approach work from James and a deft contribution and final pass from Springbok centre Marius Joubert.

James converted from wide out and Clermont threatened to stretch that lead further when Gonzalo Canale chased James's kick ahead, but Wasps counter-attacked and James Haskell smashed through one tackle in trademark fashion for a fine individual try.Cipriani provided the extras but Clermont retaliated and laid siege to the Wasps line as half-time approached. Lawrence Dallaglio's men resisted with much discipline and courage but just when it seemed they had survived, Alexandre Audebert threw out a pass to Mario Ledesma lurking on the right wing.The Pumas hooker dived for the line and although referee Alan Lewis called for the TV official, nobody, including Clermont coach Vern Cotter, expected the score to be awarded. Irishman David McHugh begged to differ and gave the thumbs-up to Lewis.

Unlucky to be trailing 20-10 at half-time, Wasps responded like champions after the break with two tries in 10 minutes, Tim Payne burrowing over from short range as Wasps flexed their muscles and that man Haskell, aided greatly by John Hart, forced his way over after a wayward line-out throw by Clermont. This was breathtaking stuff worthy of a final but Clermont didn't lose their heads and again got their noses ahead with three penalties by James. With the excitement at fever pitch, Alex King - a Wasps stalwart for over a decade - entered the fray as a replacement for Clermont. Just over 20 minutes to go and everything to play for. No time for mixed emotions.

It was Clermont who found an extra gear while Wasps, hard pressed in defence, gave away a silly penalty when Phil Vickery trod on Thomas Privat. Lewis thought seriously about sin-binning the England captain before relenting and issuing a stern lecture.Wasps were still chasing the win and ultimately it proved costly when Simon Amor was dispossessed in his own 22 trying to make something out of nothing. The outstanding James, most people's man of the match, and Ledesma put Aurelien Rougerie away for the final score in the sixth minute of injury time, denying Wasps even a losing bonus point.

A breathtaking match and to think the two sides must do it all again at High Wycombe on Saturday.

BBC Sport

Aurelien Rougerie scored a last-minute try for Clermont Auvergne to deny defending champions Wasps a losing bonus point in the Heineken Cup. Tries from Julien Malzieu and a controversial one from Mario Ledesma saw the hosts lead 20-10 at the break, with James Haskell replying for Wasps. The visitors took the lead through Tim Payne and Haskell before Brock James kicked Clermont eight points clear. Daniel Cipriani cut the gap to five before Rougerie's crucial intervention.

Two penalties from James to one from Cipriani saw the hosts lead 6-3 after 13 minutes and they extended their advantage through Malzieu's converted try. Wasps cut the gap when Haskell went over for a converted try just after the half-hour mark but on the stroke of half-time came an important moment. Argentina hooker Ledesma looked as though he had not managed to get the ball down under pressure from Mark van Gisbergen as he burrowed over in the corner with four tacklers surrounding him. But the decision went to the Television Match Official and he decided the score was good.

Australian fly-half James converted from the touchline to restore Clermont's 10-point lead at the break, only for Wasps to hit back straight from the restart, with prop Payne ploughing over for a converted try. James took the lead back out to six points with a penalty but Wasps never know when they are beaten in Europe and they went in front when Haskell drilled his way over for a converted try after Clermont lost control of a line-out. It looked as though Wasps were going to secure a famous win on French soil but Clermont went back on the attack and James landed three penalties out of three to put the hosts 32-24 clear.

The much-touted Cipriani, who had missed a very kickable chance 10 minutes before, stepped up to cut the gap to five points. But just when it looked as though Wasps were going to head home with a valuable bonus point they were turned over inside their own 22 and quick hands gave home captain Rougerie the chance to dive over in the corner and send the home fans wild.

Times Online

James, as ever, kicked the conversion from the touchline to give Clermont their half-time advantage. It was one that they capitalised on, and Wasps will have to start much better to put one over the French side in Saturday's return at Adams Park.
Star man: Brock James (Clermont Auvergne)

www.wasps.co.uk

There was drama and disappointment as London Wasps went from within touching distance of an historic victory to surrendering their bonus point in the final play of the game at the Parc Des Sport Marcel Michelin this afternoon.

Following a controversial try from Mario Ledesma that gave the French team a ten point lead at half time, a jaw-jutting comeback from Wasps early in the second half allowed them to hit the front for the first time with half an hour to go. However, they may rue the mistakes that allowed Clermont fly half Brock James to kick four second half penalties and take his team ahead again, keeping Wasps chasing the game as the game's dramatic climax approached.

Cipriani's gutsy 76th minute penalty had put Wasps back within bonus point territory, and when Tom Voyce kicked a penalty to the corner with a minute of injury time remaining, Wasps supporters may have dared to dream of an historic victory. However, the line out was lost and instead it was Clermont who scored the final dramatic try that snatched the bonus point out of Wasps hands.

The game got off to a relatively inauspicious start. In the opening exchanges neither side could maintain possession and thus achieve any rhythm in their game, though Clermont crept ahead by two penalties to one. The game finally sparked into life in the 14th minute, when a half break from Riki Flutey provided the first flash of danger. Though Clermont conceded a penalty under the consequent pressure, Danny Cipriani could not convert the chance from out wide on the left hand side.

The French side responded when from the 22 restart, Brock James spotted his winger Malzieu in space wide to his left, Only an excellent tackle from Wasps captain Lawrence Dallaglio denied the Clermont speedster a 70 metre sprint to the line, and shortly after that another scything tackle was required, this time from Man of the Match, James Haskell as he cut down a dangerous looking counter attack from Clermont full back Anthony Floch.

With 20 minutes gone, Clermont scored the first try from a simple first phase move. Stacking the short side at a scrum, James spun out a miss pass and Marius Joubert was in space on the wing. Paul Sackey could not stop Joubert from offloading as he drove him into touch, and left winger Julien Malzieu was on the South African's shoulder to collect the inside pass and score.

James was growing in confidence, able to mix up his game as the pack in front of him gained the upper hand over Wasps in the middle third of the half. Dallaglio and Co had to be alert as James alternated between chipping over the midfield, putting in pinpoint crossfield kicks for his dangerous wingers, or just popping off to his ball carrying front rowers Ledsma and Schelzo who ran at the heart of the Londoners defence.

Wasps stood strong however, and bided their time for an opportunity of their own. It came just after the half hour when again it was Flutey who made the initial break, with Skivington, Reddan and Voyce supporting to set up an attacking platform on the Clermont 22. With quick ball, Payne bashed up the middle and from there James Haskell simply ran straight and hard for Wasps first score. Collecting Reddan's long pass, he ran at the gap between back rowers Elvis Vermeulen and Sam Broomhall, and his powerful leg drive took him through the grasping tackles of both to gallop the final 10 metres to the line.

The score did not dent the French team's confidence however, and it seems luck was also on their side when they were awarded a dubious try just before half time. With their forwards continuing to enjoy the upper hand, Clermont had set up a driving maul on the Wasps 22 that took them to within five metres of the line. Close quarter charges from the forwards edged them closer still, but Wasps defence was stubborn and, finding no way through, Clermont moved the ball wide to the left, and then back to the right for hooker Ledesma to try and squeeze in at the corner.

The video replay appeared to show that the Argentinean international had lost control of the ball after his attempt to ground it had hit James Haskell's boot, full back Mark Van Gisbergen getting a hand on the ball himself to save the score. However, TMO David McHugh did not see it in the same way, and instructed referee Alan Lewis to allow the score, giving Clermont a 20-10 lead at half time.

The start of the second half saw Wasps respond to this set back in the best possible style, taking the lead after 50minutes with tries from Tim Payne and James Haskell. The first came almost directly from the restart. Wasps gathered, and after Ibanez drove on Reddan put a high up and under into the Clermont half. Riki Flutey was underneath it to palm the ball back, Simon Shaw, John Hart and Haskell taking it on towards the 22. Given quick ball, Cipriani grubbered behind the Clermont midfield for Fraser Waters to gather under pressure and set up the ruck. Vickery, Ibanez and Haskell bashed for the line, but when Clermont got a hand to Reddan's pass from a ruck, the ball dribbled back to Payne, who charged up the side of the ruck and over for the try.

Having noted the success of Reddan's up and under, Cipriani continued with the tactic, Flutey again gathering to set up another promising attack. Shaw was again in support, passing to Voyce and then Van Gisbergen, but Clermont captain Aurelien Rougerie did brilliantly to stop Van Gisbergen sliding in to score in the corner.

Clermont were still in danger though, with a five metre line out to execute in order to relieve the pressure. Ledesma threw long to Vermeulen at the back, but George Skivington and John Hart at the back of the Wasps line were alive to the throw, and stripped the ball from Vermeulen's hands. Hart's beautiful little pop out of the back door fell perfectly into the hands of Haskell, who twisted out of the tackle of Joubert to ground the ball over the line.

Cipriani's conversion put Wasps ahead 23-24, but the lead was short-lived as a Wasps' mistake allowed James, - who had an immaculate afternoon with the boot, missing only his last kick of the day to return stats of 8 from 9 'to kick his side ahead with his second penalty of the second half.

However, it was James's mistake from the restart, when he fumbled the kick off reception, that gave Wasps a chance to score again. Chasing back to collect the ball, he hooked it away only as far as Reddan on the 22. The scrum half slung a pass to Ibanez who moved it on to Cipriani, but the fly half couldn't get his pass over the leaping Joubert, and Clermont's defence gained valuable seconds to re organise and snuff out the danger. Lewis gave Wasps a penalty for offside as a result, but Cipriani could not land the difficult kick.

James, however went on the nail two further three pointers from silly Wasps mistakes that gave his side a 32-24 lead after 72 minutes, meaning no bonus point for Wasps as it stood. Despite missing with his previous attempt Cipriani then proved his mettle when, just two minutes after James's kick, he nailed a crucial long range penalty of his own to put Wasps back into bonus point territory. And when Wasps won another penalty with a minute remaining on the clock Wasps supporters may have dared to think an historic win was within reach.

Tom Voyce kicked for the corner to set up a Wasps line out, but the ball was not cleanly taken and though they were able to keep possession after Ledesma hacked the loose ball downfield, Wasps were forced back into their own half by an aggressive Clermont defence. Though Wasps battled manfully to get back up field, when the ball rolled out of the back of a ruck Clermont pounced and spun the ball wide for their captain, Aurelien Rougerie to go over in the corner and snatch a four points to nothing win for his team.

Commenting after the match, which was his 50th European appearance, Captain Lawrence Dalaglio said, "We were sloppy in the first half and those tries we conceded were very easy and I'm really disappointed with that.

'What I think about the Ledesma try is irrelevant but it goes both ways. "Sometimes you get those decisions and sometimes it goes to the opposition."But I was more disappointed with the way we gave away those tries.This is a really tough pool and I'm disappointed we've not managed to pick up a bonus point, but all credit to the lads for the way we came back in the second half. Now we have to do the business at home next week. It sets up the match nicely and it will be a real contest. "If they thought we were fired up for this match, you should see us in the return,"

The result puts Wasps and Clermont level on points, with 9 each after three games though Munster now head the pool on 10 points after they beat Llanelli 48-21 on Saturday evening.

Referee: Alan Lewis,Man of the Match: James Haskell

From the Clermont website, 8th December 2007

Clermont claim the upper hand

Saturday 8th December 2007
From: planet-rugby(http://planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3551_2954776,00.html)

James Haskell: Makes the most of some weak Clermont defence to score

Clermont capitalised on several moments of Wasps ill-discipline to send the Heineken Cup champions home empty-handed on Saturday, in a rugged 37-27 victory in the Heineken Cup.

Wasps were punished for a gamble in the dying throes of a enthralling game. There will be those who argue it was a needless gamble, and those who commend Wasps' adventure, but let's reserve judgement until the end of this gripping pool, as only then will the true value of a missed bonus point become clear. Truth be known, this defeat was born out of the Wasps' own indiscipline, the sort that crept into their game as early as the second minute and from then on the rot spread. Six of those infringements were punished by the impeccable boot of Brock James, but there were several more in less advantageous positions. There will also be no doubt that Wasps will look to one critical moment in the game, the sort of moment that a game, and in this case a pool, can hinge on. Patient approach work from Clermont created the space on the blind side for the tenacious Mario Ledesma, who in turn dipped his shoulder and bullocked over for what seemed a perfectly legitimate score. Several television replays showed that the hooker clearly failed to score, James Haskell's despairing boot preventing the grounding before Mark Van Gisbergen wrestled the ball from Ledesma's failing grip. Yet the TMO controversially awarded the try to deal the champions a devastating blow on the stroke of half time.

An opening quarter that stumbled along will be remembered for three penalties, two for James and one for Danny Cipriani, and little else. Both sides looked to wrestle control from the other, only to achieve a stalemate that threatened to spoil the spectacle.Then, against the flow of the game, Clermont struck in superb fashion. A midfield scrum allowed them to probe the blind side through Pierre Mignoni and then Marius Joubert. It was Joubert who attracted the Wasps cover defenders before slipping a dreamy pass back into Julien Malzieu who did the rest.

Wasps, on the ropes, flexed their muscle and hit back with a score of their own, although Sam Broomhall and Julien Bonnaire will rather forget the incident altogether. Haskell took up possession of the ball faced with the formidable back row pair and set his direction straight at them. Contact was taken and somehow Haskell emerged on the other side with a simple route to the line. Broomhall and Bonnaire were left clutching at thin air.

It was then, as Wasps looked to claim a footing in the game, that Ledesma scored to open up a telling gap at the interval. It was a gap that Wasps had little regard for, taking just a minute of the second half to cut it by seven, Tim Payne finishing off a fine flowing move.The indiscipline then began to eat away at the very core of Wasps, Brock James slotting the first of four second-half penalties from straight in front. Haskell did help himself to a second score, thanks largely to the one poor Clermont line-out of the game, nonetheless it was a try that swung the lead the way of the champions for the first time.

Knowing that they had a chance to consolidate their favourable position Wasps proceeded to surrender their lead inside a minute, this time Phil Vickery the guilty party, not for the first or last time. Two successful penalties from James soon become three when Simon Shaw was caught offside, and then three became four with Vickery's idiotic stamp on the prone Thibaut Privat.

Staring the prospect of going home empty-handed in the face Wasps were thrown a lifeline after Malzieu was caught with his hands in the cookie jar at the ruck. Cipriani shouldered the pressure - he had failed twice before - and delivered the required result with a fine kick. Time for Wasps to chance their arm, one sensed.Indeed they did chance their arm and it cost them dear, as it was when they desperately went after a winning score that the ball was lost and Aurélien Rougerie ran away with a try, the game, and Wasps' precious bonus-point.

Man of the match: For Wasps there was the dynamic Raphaël Ibañez and outstanding James Haskell, but it was the Clermont players who stole the show. Mario Ledesma was immense, turning in a vintage performance, but it was his fly-half Brock James who steals the award from him. It was his boot that won this game, primarily the points it contributed but also the manner in which he pinned Wasps back time and again.

The scorers:
For Clermont: Try: Malzieu, Ledesma, Rougerie, Cons: James 2,Pens: James 6
For Wasps:Tries: Haskell 2, Payne, Cons: Cipriani 3, Pens: Cipriani 2

The Teams:

Clermont Auvergne: 15 Anthony Floch, 14 Aurélien Rougerie (c), 13 Marius Joubert, 12 Gonzalo Canale, 11 Julien Malzieu, 10 Brock James, 9 Pierre Mignoni, 8 Elvis Vermeulen, 7 Sam Broomhall, 6 Julien Bonnaire, 5 Thibaut Privat, 4 Jamie Cudmore, 3 Martin Scelzo, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Laurent Emmanuelli.
Replacements: 16 Mirko Lozupone, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Christophe Samson, 19 Alexandre Audebert, 20 John Senio, 21 Alex King, 22 Benoît Baby.

London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Riki Flutey, 11 Tom Voyce, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (c), 7 James Haskell, 6 John Hart, 5 George Skivington, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Phil Vickery, 2 Raphael Ibanez, 1 Tim Payne.
Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Nick Adams, 18 Richard Birkett, 19 Dan Leo, 20 Simon Amor, 21 Josh Lewsey, 22 Tom Rees.

Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: George Clancy (Ireland), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)

King rounds on former soldiers

Monday 3rd December 2007
http://www.planetrugby.com/

"I feel like a traitor" were Alex King's first words in an interview with an English newspaper on Monday, as he was caught coming out of a pre-match briefing with his new coaches in France.The reason? The briefing had been supposedly given by King himself, as the fly-half prepares to face up to his former Wasps team-mates in the colours of his new club Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. ............... "I must say I'm looking forward to going back to Adams Park because I didn't really get a chance to say goodbye to a number of the players and fans. I've already been having some banter with Lawrence Dallaglio on the phone and it should be a very special game.

Not that he is guaranteed a starting spot either. Clermont are blessed with riches in most positions, and fly-half is no exception, with Australian Brock James currently ruling the roost at the Stade Marcel Michelin."I have not been able to get a starting place yet, but it was always going to be difficult getting in ahead of Brock James," he said.
"He is a class act and has become very important to the side. I'm still learning patterns of play and strategies - although I'm sure I'll be used to give an insight into the Wasps game plan.

"I'm surprised more English players haven't tried their luck in France," he said."It improves your perspective on the game and life. It is a fantastic contrast to playing in England and it helps you to find out more about yourself by removing you from your comfort zone."

Clermont lay down the challenge

Sunday 11th November 2007

Pivotal: Brock James supplied a try, four conversions and a penalty to Clermont's tally
Clermont Auvergne opened their Heineken cup campaign with an impressive 48-21 bonus-point victory over the Scarlets at Stade Marcel Michelin on Sunday.
Last season's Challenge Cup winners made the step up to the top-flight of Europe with consummate ease and raced away to an early lead in a pulsating game. Julien Bonnaire's try just after half-time wrapped up the bonus point before the Scarlets rallied with two tries in as many minutes. But any hopes of a comeback were quashed soon after as Aurélien Rougerie completed his hat-trick and Brock James scored a well-earned try.

It seems fitting that this fine opening weekend of European rugby ending with a ten-try cracker packed with more action and adventure than a teenager's dream weekend. Much was expected from the clash between these two attack-oriented sides and they didn't disappoint. Indeed, referee Chris White was reduced to a mere onlooker for all but the opening period as passes stuck and off-loads were collected. But not even the Scarlets would complain about the final score - Clermont were deserving winners and must now be considered favourites to crowd European champions come the end of May. Whilst the Scarlets' take on free-flowing rugby looked laboured, Clermont's players were surely born to run with ball in hand - and they are mighty clever, too. James and Pierre Mignoni made all the right decisions behind an obedient pack and the backline made cunning use of the decoy-runner.

First points came early and from the back of collapsed scrum. The nod went the home side's way, and James made no mistake off the tee. Stephen Jones then decided to maintain friendly relations with his former fan-base by pumping a kickable penalty into the corner. But, in a harbinger of things to come, the advantage was lost to some over-elaborate inter-passing in the wake of the line-out.

Anthony Floch, Clermont's long-range marksman, was the next man at the tee after Rougerie was molested off the ball, but his effort fell well short. Yet the missed kick mattered not one wit. From the drop-out, Jones took an age before deciding to send out a long pass, and Rougerie collective the gift and galloped in for an opportune try. James added the extras and Clermont were 10-0 up with 16 minutes played.

The local fans had hardly settled back into the seats before Regan King had danced down the right, shrugging off three tackles before feeding Dafydd James, and the Wales wing dotted down in the corner as he has so often before. Jones added the tricky conversion and suddenly we had a free-flowing fiesta on our hands. Cheeky skills started to break out all over the field, with varying degrees of success. A fumble in defence from the visitors lead to a scrum outside the red 22 and James threaded a beautiful grubber into the path of Julien Malzieu, and the France hopeful beat his opposite number to touch down for an unconverted try. And before the Scarlets could steady themselves, Clermont had their third.

Alexandre Audebert showed great composure as he made a trundling break down the right, selling a dummy before drawing the defence and sending Rougerie free. There was a hint of a double movement as the big France star twisted across the line, but the video referee confirmed that the Welsh visitors were in big trouble. Despite the succession of sucker punches, the Scarlets kept true to their game-plan, keeping the ball alive and in hand wherever and whenever possible. But Clermont's superior handling skill laid the seeds of doubt in Welsh heads, and Alix Popham highlighted the growing frustrations with an armless tackle on a ball-less player.

From the ensuing penalty, Clermont decided to switch tactics and sparked up a series of rolling mauls. How close they got on a number of occassion, but how well the Scarlets defended their line, proving they have the physicality to match any side in the competition. Yellow wave after yellow wave was repelled, with King and Matthew Watkins to the fore, and the siege was finally lifted by the whistle signalling the end of the first half. But bravery in defence does not win matches, particularly when you find yourself pinned to your sticks and 13 points adrift at the break. The Scarlets were in a sizable hole, and the home crowd knew it.

The visitors started the second half in a positive mood, sending their big men at the French fringes. But Clermont pounced as Welsh hands broke down out wide. In came the support players and Mignoni shepherded Julien Bonnaire over the line. With the half barely three minutes old, the home side already had their bonus point, and James added the conversion for good measure. As the drums sounded up around Stade Marcel Michelin, the awful truth hit home for the Welsh: only a superhuman fightback could save them from the ignominy of returning home with nothing to show from their travels.

To their credit, they made a good fist of the response, managing to set up camp in the home side's half. Suddenly, Dwayne Peel rounded the back of a red line-out on the yellow 22 and jinxed his way to the line past a flummoxed set of Clermont backs - not a finger touched him. Jones added the conversion as the French crowd fell silent. Peel's moment of individual brilliance sparked the Scarlets back to life and Jones was soon lining up another conversion as King got on the end of slick move that came sprawling out of their own half. Jones converted his kick and suddenly the sides were just seven points apart. But the hosts refused to panic. A chip ahead from James soon had them planted on the red line. The ball was moved right and Rougerie showed great strength to power past two tacklers to score.

James secured the extras before adding a try to his impressive tally, finishing off a simple move by taking Mignoni's pass on the short side. Another conversion from the Australian fly-half duly followed and suddenly we were back to where we were just ten short minutes before, with the Scarlets trailing by 20 points. Clermont were enjoying life again, and the appearance off the bench of South Africa captain John Smit and former Wasps pivot Alex King would have put the wind up the Welsh.

With the Englishman now kicking for territory, it was left to Clermont's forwards to deliver the coup de grace, and Thomas Domingo rumbled over the whitewash from the tail of a line-out for his side's seventh and final try before King opened his French account with the conversion. Coming back from the brink is feasible, but doing it twice in a game is beyond the capabilities of most teams - and so it was for the Scarlets. With the game gone but with that all-important fourth try still dangling within their grasps, they threw body and soul into the last ten minutes of the game, but Clermont held them back with equal ferociously.

Points will surely decided the fate of the four sides unlucky enough to find themselves in Pool Five, and the first round of action seems to have already offered up a candidate for sacrifice: whilst Munster snatched a point off Wasps, the Scarlets return home with nothing. It's an early and harsh assessment, but that's the horrible beauty of this wonderful tournament. If you want happy endings for all, move below the equator.

Man of the match: Regan King and Alix Popham kept Welsh fires burning from start to finish, but this award will remain here in France. Aurélien Rougerie came looking for work and was duly rewarded with a hat-trick. Julien Bonnaire did the dirty work in the tight and Pierre Mignoni pulled all the right stings from scrum-half, but it is Brock James who takes the spoils for an intelligent performance in which he hardly put a foot wrong.

The scorers:
For Clermont Auvergne: Tries: Rougerie 3, Malzieu, Bonnaire, James, Domingo Cons: James 4, King Pen: James
For Scarlets: Tries: D James, Peel, King Cons: S Jones 3

The teams:

Clermont Auvergne: 15 Anthony Floch, 14 Aurélien Rougerie (c), 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Seremaïa Bai, 11 Julien Malzieu, 10 Brock James, 9 Pierre Mignoni, 8 Elvis Vermeulen, 7 Alexandre Audebert, 6 Julien Bonnaire, 5 Thibaut Privat, 4 Loic Jacquet, 3 Martín Scelzo, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Laurent Emmanuelli. Replacements: 16 John Smit, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Christophe Samson, 19 Emmanuel Etien, 20 Arnaud Pic, 21 Pierre-Manuel Garcia, 22 Vilimoni Delasau.

Scarlets: 15 Morgan Stoddart, 14 Dafydd James, 13 Regan King, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Matthew Watkins, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Dwayne Peel (c), 8 Alix Popham, 7 Gavin Thomas, 6 James Bater, 5 Scot MacLeod, 4 Vernon Cooper, 3 Deacon Manu, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Iestyn Thomas. Replacements: 16 James Hayter, 17 Bruce Douglas, 18 Adam Eustace, 19 Dafydd Jones, 20 Gavin Cattle, 21 Rhys Priestland, 22 Garan Evans.

Referee: Chris White (England) Touch judges: Ashley Rowden (England), Paul Dix (England)

Courtesy .... www.planetrugby.com

Clermont survives final fightback

From correspondents in London May 20, 2007

CLERMONT Auvergne survived a spirited fightback from Bath to win the European Challenge Cup for the second time at Twickenham Stoop today (AEST).
The French trailed 3-6 at the break but clinched a 22-16 victory with tries from Julien Malzieu, Tony Marsh and Brock James.

Clermont had dominated play but lacked efficiency in finishing, letting four potential tries slip through its fingers before the break.
Bath lead at half-time thanks to penalties from England fly-half Olly Barkley after 13 and 37 minutes.
A try from winger Joe Maddock, converted by Barkley, lifted Bath spirits and only the video referee stopped Clermont conceding when Peter Short reached over.
Barkley kicked his third penalty of the night in the dying minutes off the game but could not reduce the deficit.

"We were probably lucky to come away with a win, to be honest," said Clermont's New Zealand centre, Tony Marsh. "There was desperate defending there at the end."
Bath captain Steve Borthwick added: "Courageous effort at the end. I'm proud of the boys. It hurts to lose any final but we've got to learn from it - we need to start from minute one - and come back stronger next season."

Clermont reclaimed the title it last won in 1999 and broke an English stranglehold on the event going back to 2001.

.. Agence France-Presse

With thanks to 'Coach', of Western Force, for the picture below.

Click on the image below to enlarge it ....

Taken in January 2007 during Clermont's win over Castres. Brock scored 17 points.
With thanks to Frenchy-ASM of Clermont-Ferrand for the photographs