The teams will play each other for the eighth time in European action on Saturday at the Stade Marcel-Micheln. Scarlets’ first triumph over Les Januards came in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals, which they won 32–30 the previous year.
Jonathan Davies, the current center for the Scarlets, played with Clermont for two seasons, making it to the 2015 Champions Cup final. Other players who have played for both clubs include Kiwi playmaker Regan King (shown), Canadian international Jamie Cudmore, Stephen Jones, and Lee Byrne.
Europe’s second-tier competition has seen three winners, Clermont (1999, 2007 & 2019). Additionally, they were defeated as finalists once (2004).
Pumas Tomas Lavanini and Marcos Kremer, Tongan center George Moala, and seasoned Samoan No. 8 Fritz Lee—all of whom competed in the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023—make up the current Clermont team.
The greatest victory Clermont has ever had in the competition came in the 1998–1999 season at the Stade Marcel Michelin, where they defeated Aberavon 97–13. Then, they were referred to as Montferrand.
With five victories from 12 games, Clermont, who are led by former Bordeaux-Begles coach Christophe Urios, are presently ranked ninth in the Top 14 standings.
They defeated Edinburgh 31–18 at home in the first round of the Challenge Cup this season, but the next weekend they were defeated 28–17 at Kingsholm by Gloucester.
Complete-back Against Gloucester in the second round, Alex Newsome made two clean breakouts and outran six defenders, more than any other player.
In the competition’s first two rounds, Ioan Lloyd of the Scarlets has defeated the most defenders—eleven—of any player.
In the second round, Vaea Fifita stole six line-outs from Black Lion. During the previous two seasons, no other player has taken more than three in a single game.
Official competition data show that the Scarlets have had less kicks in play (6.1% of possessions) than any other side.
