Clermont the complete package, says Cheika

THEY have yet to claim the honour of being their nation’s best, nor have they won a Heineken Cup, but Michael Cheika had little hesitation yesterday in describing Clermont Auvergne as the most complete side in France.

Losing finalists in the Top 14 for the last three years, their European ambitions have been similarly frustrated in that time, thanks in no small part to Munster with whom they were pooled twice in a row.

However, they escaped another ‘pool of death’ this year when pipping Leicester and the Ospreys to top spot in pool three and they remain one of the favourites in this year’s race for the Top 14 title.

They travel to Dublin later this week for a Heineken quarter-final against holders Leinster, accompanied by 3,000 of their own supporters which is said to be a record travelling contingent for French clubs, finals aside.

“They seem to have a bit of everything,” said Cheika. “They’ve got big power up front, an excellent set piece. They can be very destructive. And they’ve got interesting play-makers. (Morgan) Parra’s had a fantastic Six Nations. He’s orchestrating everything around the base.

“Then there’s (Brock) James and obviously a lot of threats in their back line and off their bench as well. So, yeah, we see them as probably the best team operating in France at the moment. It really resonates with us. It’s going to be a massive game.”

The counter-argument to all that comes in the shape of Clermont’s recent results. Vern Cotter’s side has suffered something of a speed wobble in their journey towards the season’s climax, one which has seen them slip to fourth in their domestic standings.

Defeats away to Bayonne and, last weekend, to Stade Francais tell a tale and it is instructive to note that they have won just twice away from the Stade Marcel Michelin since early September.

One of those was a routine strut past Viadana in round six of the Heineken Cup, but the other was a much more notable success in Stade Toulousain which lends Cheika’s cautionary words that extra touch of authority.

He adds further weight to his argument by pointing out none of the three clubs above Clermont in France — Perpignan, Toulon and Castres — now have to balance domestic and Heineken duties, although Toulon are in the Amlin Cup.

“They’ve had a lot of changes,” he added. “They’ve had a commitment of eight players to the international team. That’s the first time they’ve had that many players so they’ve used a big squad rotation. We understand how difficult it is because we have to do the same thing.”

Cheika took in Clermont’s defeat to Stade last Saturday and came away duly impressed despite the away side’s nine-point defeat, but you could easily imagine Cotter distributing identical plaudits Leinster’s way this week.

Their status as champions alone merits respect and there was encouraging news on the injury front yesterday with Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan and Kevin McLaughlin all confident of being fit for Friday’s tie at the RDS.

Horgan was due to return to training yesterday. The other two did so as early as last weekend, not long after their team-mates had delivered a first win in Thomond Park for 15 years.

Pleasing though that was, Shane Jennings has already pointed out to his colleagues they followed up their previous victory over Munster with a home European defeat to London Irish.That was then, this is now and much has changed in the six months since. As Cheika said, this is “sudden death football” and you could even say that the goalposts have shifted with the new interpretation of the tackle.

Teams are now being informed that any player that tackles a ball carrier and takes him to the ground must let him go before competing for the ball and Cheika, for one, is all in favour of it.

“We’ve got no issue with that at all. I know there’s been a lot of commentary about it but I think it’s going really well. Like in any interpretation, there’s going to be the odd time with any rule where things go a bit astray but, all in all, if you look at the actual games recently, they’ve been good to watch, so it seems to be working.”

Leinster squad (v Clermont Auvergne): Forwards: L Cullen, J Fogarty, C Healy, J Heaslip, N Hines, B Jackman, S Jennings, S Keogh, K McLaughlin, M O’Kelly, M Ross, D Toner, CJ van der Linde, S Wright.

Backs: S Berne, G D’Arcy, G Dempsey, S Horgan, R Kearney, F McFadden, I Nacewa, P O’Donohoe, B O’Driscoll, E Reddan, J Sexton.