ECC final preview: Relaxed Bourgoin up for the Challenge as Brive and Wasps look on

22 May 2009

Bourgoin take on Northampton Saints at the Twickenham Stoop tonight with the tantalising carrot of a Heineken Cup place at stake for the winners.

Victory in the European Challenge Cup final will be huge reward for either team with the Saints seeking to cap their first season back in the Guinness Premiership, while Bourgoin could end a traumatic and trying campaign with silverware and an unexpected bonus.

But it’s not just these two sides which are hanging on the result – with former Heineken Cup winners London Wasps and Brive both waiting to find out their own future calling. Victory for Northampton would send Brive into next year’s Heineken Cup (at Wasps’ expense), while a win for Bourgoin would send Wasps’ through (at Brive’s expense).

So, much is riding on the outcome of 80 minutes at the Stoop tonight, with the Anglo-French battle set to be a physical and close-fought encounter.

European Challenge Cup - Pool results and tables

Much of the build up here in France has centred on the Bourgoin and France scrum-half Morgan Parra, who will be playing his final game for his hometown club before switching to Top 14 giants Clermont Auvergne in the summer.

For Parra (20) it presents the opportunity to leave on a victorious high and his boot – combined with that of veteran fly-half Benjamin Boyet – is likely to prove crucial to the outcome.

Parra was actually in Clermont on Wednesday to finalise the contract details on his four-year deal, but stressed this match had his undivided attention.

“Our first challenge was to keep the club in Top 14, which we did. Then the second – and last for me – is the European Challenge Cup. I want to leave with the feeling of accomplishment. For me first, and also for the fans. To play a final is a moment every player cherishes in their career,” he said this week.

“This final is for us – the players – but also we want to give a cup to our supporters who have always been there despite the difficult times that we have experienced this season.

“Winning the ECC will not save our season – because our goal was to finish in the top six and we are very from that – but it will be gift to everyone after a complicated season.”

His half-back combination with Boyet (29) has been integral to Bourgoin’s recent up-turn in form and the latter was named in the French side’s starting XV despite being forced off with a bloodied nose against Brive last weekend.

“We all know that we can finish the year with a European title in our pocket and make this season – despite the difficulties – the most beautiful of the last three we’ve had,” said Boyet.

Julien Frier (34) will captain Bourgoin tonight, 12 years after being a substitute when they won the inaugural ECC against Castres 18-9 at the Stade de la Mediterranee.

Two years later (in 1999) Bourgoin reached the final again, but this time lost 35-16 to Clermont. Now Frier has the chance – possibly his last – for picking up a second winners medal.

“Back in 1997 I was much younger and came on from the replacements bench, so I didn’t quite appreciate the achievement of being in a final and experience the true joy of such a victory. But now that is something that would mean a lot to me, to the club and to our fans,” said the proud skipper.

Veteran prop Olivier Milloud is the only other member of the 1997 squad still playing, but he will miss tonight’s game due to an Achilles injury. He believes that Bourgoin’s relief at finally securing against relegation may give them the edge.

“The feeling I get from the outside – since I am still recovering from my Achilles’ tendon injury and won’t be playing in the final – is that the boys want to finish on a high and erase not only a difficult start of the season but the whole hectic season that we’ve had.

“Because we had to fight until the penultimate game of the Top 14 to find out whether we were safe of not, this Challenge Cup final will come as a breath of fresh air. I’m convinced we are going to win. The whole team has matured and has been very accurate in its approach. Even though the game is away in England, we have proved we can successful under a lot of stress. It is a game that is there for the taking and I’m confident the Bourgoin players can do it,” he added.

Bourgoin have made two changes from the team which beat Worcester in the semi-finals, bringing in Anthony Forest at full-back and Jean-Francois Coux on the wing (for David Janin).

Northampton, who haven’t played since their 16-13 semi-final win against Saracens, have named the same squad which got them to the final. Should they win they will become only the third club – after Bath and Wasps – to win lift both the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup.

Jim Mallinder’s squad have had ample time to prepare for tonight’s game, even invoking the wrath of the British Lions’ management when they refused to release tight-head prop Euan Murray for a squad get together.

The Saints’ nervy semi-final win was clinched by a last-minute Steve Myler drop-goal, and Bourgoin will have their work cut out to negate the 24-year-old kicker, who is currently the leading points-scorer in this year’s competition – with 118. Northampton also boast the top try-scorer in the shape of 22-year-old full-back Chris Ashton (with seven), the former Wigan rugby league player.

Mallinder has been geeing his players up all week and expects an uncompromising battle up front. “We want the players to be fired up and full-on, because if we are not we will get beaten up by the French. We have watched them play quite a lot. They are a big team and they are physical,” he said.

But the Saints’ director of rugby also warned against ill discipline. “You can’t afford anybody to be sent-off or to the sin-bin. You can’t afford to give away silly penalties.”

Team details
Bourgoin: Anthony Forest, Rudi Coetzee, Matias Viazzo, Yann David, Jean-Francois Coux, Benjamin Boyet, Morgan Parra, Arnaud Tchougong, Jean-Philippe Genevois, Karena Wihongi, Coenraad Basson, Camille Levast, Julien Frier (capt), Wessel Jooste, Yann Labrit
Subs: Rémy Vigneaux, Pablo Cardinali, Thomas Genevois, Sylvain Nicolas, Mickaël Forest, Matthieu Nicolas, Florian Denos
Northampton Saints: Ben Foden, Paul Diggin, Jon Clarke, James Downey, Bruce Reihana (capt), Stephen Myler, Lee Dickson, Mark Easter, Scott Gray, Neil Best, Juandre Kruger, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Euan Murray, Dylan Hartley, Soane Tonga’uiha
Subs: Brett Sharman, Tom Smith, Christian Day, Courtney Lawes, Alan Dickens, Barry Everitt, Joe Ansbro

Kick-off: 20.45
Venue: Twickenham Stoop
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)

© Copyright FrenchRugbyClub.com. All rights reserved.