Explosive Fijians can forge French renaissance in European Champions Cup
With the 2017 18 European rugby season about to start, here is one for you: how many of France’s formidably wealthy, massively wellstocked clubs have lifted the continent’s grandest prize this century? The answer, remarkably, is just two: Toulouse and Toulon. The heavy mob of Clermont Auvergne, Racing 92, Montpellier and co are all still waiting to crack the code.
Even a side like Castres, who consistently punch above their weight in the Top 14, contrive to underperform year in year out in Europe, reaching the knockout stages once in 13 attempts and failing to win any of their past 10 games against Irish opposition. The allegation has long been that, deep down, hoisting the French title seems more of a priority. Whether it is the extra travel, the slight shift in game tempo, a greater emphasis on away results or a relative lack of interest, the middle-ranking French sides have traditionally flattered to deceive.
Altering that trend will require a significant mental readjustment and few mortgages will be risked on, say, Castres flying home from Munster or Leicester victorious this season. What can be said with some certainty, though, is that British and Irish clubs should brace themselves for the impact of the explosive individual talent being stockpiled across the Channel, some of it still with Cellophane wrapping attached.
Those familiar with the Parramatta Eels in Australia’s NRL will certainly be intrigued to see what happens as and when Semi Radradra is registered for the tournament in the colours of Toulon. Radradra is set to return to rugby league next year and, like Sonny Bill Williams before him, looks to have the ability to make an impact in either code. He made his debut for Toulon last weekend in their narrow defeat to Bordeaux and there is nothing remotely semiskimmed about the big man’s tackling or ball-carrying.
Once he is fully up to speed, the prospect of him appearing in the same XV as his compatriot Josua Tuisova is positively frightening. Still only 23, the latter was part of Fiji’s gold medal-winning sevens squad in Rio and possesses the kind of bullocking strength and pace that makes defenders perennially nervous. Toulon already have Bryan Habana, Chris Ashton, Vincent Clerc and JP Pietersen on their books; if they struggle for tries this season there will be something horrendously awry inside them.
The Fijian conveyor belt has also unearthed another gem in the form of the 22-year-old Alivereti Raka, who has the pace to give the Ospreys backs a serious hurry-up should he feature for Clermont at the Liberty Stadium this weekend. Raka – who shares his name with the Fijian word for rugby – has already scored a key try in a victorious Top 14 final and has just had his club contract extended by another three years, a pretty good sign that his employers like what they see. With the equally promising Damian Penaud inside him and Wesley Fofana back to fitness after a lengthy injury lay-off, the Michelin men are not going to be dull to watch.
Then there is La Rochelle, who also look to play with all guns blazing whenever they are given the chance. Their resident Fijian star is Levani Botia, who kicked off last season at centre before switching to the backrow but the presence of the former All Blacks Victor Vito, Rene Ranger and, once he arrives, Tawera KerrBarlow also guarantees a steely core. One of the great rearguard efforts of last season was Gloucester’s epic 16-14 Challenge Cup semi-final win which ended La Rochelle’s 15-game unbeaten run at the Stade MarcelDeflandre and the revitalised side from the Atlantic coast are currently lurking in the Top 14’s top four.
The sides placed above them are Lyon and Toulouse, both of whom will be playing Challenge Cup rugby this season, and Montpellier, who really should be contenders to sweep aside all comers under the experienced guidance of Vern Cotter. Normally it is only the Barbarians who get to select a backline including the giant Fijian Nemani Nadolo, the All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden and South Africa’s Ruan Pienaar behind a pack featuring Bismarck du Plessis and Louis Picamoles.
Racing also have a Who’s Who of international talent, from Dan Carter to the jet-heeled Fijian Virimi Vakatawa, although as yet the Parisians’ season has yet to catch light. They lost to La Rochelle at the weekend and, along with Clermont, find themselves in the lower half of the Top 14 table after seven rounds. An excess of individual stardust can sometimes be counter-productive, not that Toulon found it a huge problem when they were winning three titles in a row between 2013-15. Is French club rugby about to enjoy a spectacular renaissance in European fortunes this year, with their posse of flying Fijians to the fore? All the ingredients certainly exist for a spectacular lift off.
Rewriting history
If anyone knows what has gone on at Twickenham over the past decade it should be Rob Andrew, whose new book is currently being serialised. In the first extracts, the former England fly-half has taken a pop at Stuart Lancaster, whom he helped to appoint, and has suggested there is little chance of Eddie Jones being succeeded by an English coach because none have been groomed for the role. Presumably they are saving the chapters entitled “Mea Culpa” and “How To Survive In Sports Politics” until later in the week.
One to watch this week …
The first weekend of Europe is a great time to make a statement: this time last year Saracens went to Toulon and scored a 31-23 win that set the tone for the rest of the tournament. In terms of measuring the strength of the top Irish and French sides there is no more telling contest this weekend than Leinster versus Montpellier. Last season in the same fixture Leinster won 57-3; should the cosmopolitan French side go to Dublin and win this time, it will send an unmistakable message.