Clermont coach denies demeaning sup with selection gamble

THOSE who believe Clermont Auvergne demeaned the Heineken Cup by making 14 changes from the side that hammered Llanelli Scarlets for yesterday’s clash with Munster saw little reason to change their views after yesterday’s game at Thomond Park.

However, In spite of a 36-13 thrashing, their New Zealand coach, Vern Cotter, stopped short of admitting that with such a large and expensive squad of players, he was using the game as trial to see just what his best first 15 combination might be.

Cotter argued that he had players training for nine weeks who needed game time. He also liked the idea that there “was no better team to measure yourself against than Munster.”