Forever In Our Hearts: Une célébrité de Clermont-Auvergne meurt dans un accident de voiture…

Saturday’s meeting at the Stade Marcel-Micheln will be the eighth time the sides have played against each other in European competition. Scarlets’ 32-30 quarter-final victory in last year’s Challenge Cup was their first win against Les Januards.

Current Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies had two seasons at Clermont, reaching a Champions Cup final in 2015. Stephen Jones, Lee Byrne, Canadian international Jamie Cudmore and Kiwi playmaker Regan King (pictured) are other players who have featured for both clubs.

Clermont are three-time winners of Europe’s second tier competition (1999, 2007 & 2019). They have also been beaten finalists once (2004).

The current Clermont squad contains Pumas Tomas Lavanini and Marcos Kremer, Tongan centre George Moala and experienced Samoan No. 8 Fritz Lee, who all played at the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023

Clermont’s biggest ever win in the competition was 97-13 against Aberavon at the Stade Marcel Michelin during the 1998-99 season. They were then known as Montferrand.

Clermont, who are coached by Christophe Urios, formerly of Bordeaux-Begles, currently sit ninth in the Top14 table with five wins from 12 matches.

In this season’s Challenge Cup, they toppled Edinburgh 31-18 at home in round one, but lost to Gloucester 28-17 at Kingsholm the following weekend.

Full-back Alex Newsome beat six defenders – as many as any other player and made two clean breaks against Gloucester in round two.

For the Scarlets, Ioan Lloyd has beaten as many defenders, 11, as any player in the competition in the opening two rounds.

Vaea Fifita stole six line-outs against Black Lion in round two. No other player has stolen more than three in a single match over the last two seasons.

According to official competition statistics, 6.1% of the Scarlets possessions have ended with kicks in play – fewer than any other team.