Clermont v Leinster 2002

[BlueBlue]

Sebastien Viars 15 Girvan Dempsey
Jimmy Marlu 14 Denis Hickie

Johnny Ngauamo 13 Brian O'Driscoll

Raphael Chanal 12 Shane Horgan

David Bory 11 Gordon D'Arcy

Gerald Merceron 10 Christian Warner

Gregory Sudre 9 Brian O'Meara

Sebastien Bozzi 1 Reggie Corrigan

Richard Cockerill 2 Shane Byrne

Levan Tsabadze 3 Emmet Byrne

Troy Jaques 4 Leo Cullen

Olivier Brouzet 5 Aidan McCullen

Alexandre Audebert 6 Eric Miller

Olivier Magne 7 Keith Gleeson

Marc Raynaud 8 Victor Costello


Dave Von Hoesslin 16 David Quinlan

Eric Lecomte 17 Nathan Spooner

Jan Machacek 18 Gavin Hickie


AS Clermont Montferrand 20 - 23 Leinster rugby.
Std Marcel Michelin Att: 10,000

After the bad news about Isa and Rob, I needed a little cheering up, and I remember this game very foundly. My hero, Denis Hickie(the only player I ever met and was mute, totally star struck) scored the wining try in injury time, rounding Richard Cockerill with a hand to his ear. Cockerill had been Sledging the Leinster players with lots of Paddy references throughout the game. Denis wanted to know if Richard had anything else to say. I still have a photo of Hickie touching down pinned up at my work desk. He has all of his hair . I also remember this game because it was our 1st h-cup win in France. I think Darce went home on a stretcher as Broy slid into his back while darce scored his try, very much a case of foul play. Matt Williams decided not to cite, as he was affraid of a tit for tat responce from Clermont, as they inferred that they would cite Bod. The media attacked Leinster and Williams, as they often did for a failure in principal. Our great win was largely over shadowed. The bad blood between the 2 teams was at boiling point.

The return fixture was absolutly animal in a very crowded Donnybrook, they came for revenge, more than for the winning of a h-cup game. It was a real game of inches, an extermly physical game played out on a bald pitch Donnybrook in very cold conditions. We won 12-9 with O'Meara kicking all the points. A fantastic contest.

I also remember this foundly as on returning to Clermont fans told me that Leinster would not win, as knowone wins here. When I told theM that Leinster had ALREADY beaten them before in Clermont they told me, no , I was wrong Leinster had never beaten them in france. I think they erased it from memory.

[cormac]

We had a good bit of fortune in France as it was a pretty clear forward pass from Spooner that set Hickie up for the try.

Two things stand out in my memory of the return game in Donnybrook. The crowd spent the entire match baiting Bory any time he got near the ball, and the noise off a tackle from David Quinlan on his 5m line that echoed around the ground.

[AdamK]

Thanks BB! I was looking for the team sheets for this when I saw it mentioned on the ERC site the other day.

[Rémy63]

The worst years of ASM's history, between 2002 and 2006... Sad period for us.

[[Jackass]]

Good to know a few of the lads have been there and done it anyway.

[Eve]

Thanks BlueBlue - exactly what I needed to be reminded of after this morning injury updates!

[simonno6]

What an opportunity we had that year.

Amazing pool performance, winning all matches and facing the prospect of a home QF, SF and Final...

Such a pity we didn't term up against Perpignan.

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre ... =2002-2003

[BlueBlue]

What an opportunity we had that year.

Amazing pool performance, winning all matches and facing the prospect of a home QF, SF and Final...

Such a pity we didn't term up against Perpignan.

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre ... =2002-2003

ah jaysus, dont need to be reminded of that, I'm down enough.

[BlueBlue]

The worst years of ASM's history, between 2002 and 2006... Sad period for us.

Makes the good times all the sweeter. What do you remember about this game or return match in Dublin.

[tackle-bag]

This was an important milestone for Leinster Rugby, but it's not a win from which the current crop of players can draw too much inspiration in my view. Look at the Clermont team; it's predominantly journeymen and second rate internationals.

[BlueBlue]

The worst years of ASM's history, between 2002 and 2006... Sad period for us.

Makes the good times all the sweeter. What do you remember about this game or return match in Dublin.

[BlueBlue]

This was an important milestone for Leinster Rugby, but it's not a win from which the current crop of players can draw too much inspiration in my view. Look at the Clermont team; it's predominantly journeymen and second rate internationals.

Just a trip down memory lane here for the fun of it, not drawing any parallels just remembering days past.

[simonno6]

What an opportunity we had that year.

Amazing pool performance, winning all matches and facing the prospect of a home QF, SF and Final...

Such a pity we didn't term up against Perpignan.

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre ... =2002-2003

Apologies! For bringing it up and also for spelling 'turn' as 'term' (one of those days.)

Was still a great season.

[BlueBlue]

What an opportunity we had that year.

Amazing pool performance, winning all matches and facing the prospect of a home QF, SF and Final...

Such a pity we didn't term up against Perpignan.

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/matchcentre ... =2002-2003

Apologies! For bringing it up and also for spelling 'turn' as 'term' (one of those days.)

Was still a great season.

It was and the beauty of h cup back games were well understood.

[Rémy63]

The worst years of ASM's history, between 2002 and 2006... Sad period for us.

Makes the good times all the sweeter. What do you remember about this game or return match in Dublin.

True. We have now the chance to be well managed, financially and sportly.

I was only 13 at this time, I didn't go the stadium a lot of time (my father is a footix ). I just remembered the quarter final we lost against Castres for 1 point.

[sid]

I'm sorry, but I've been reading the HEC opponents thread and such is the level of pessimism that I've come to the conclusion that Leinster have actually never beaten Clermont.

[artaneboy]

I'm sorry, but I've been reading the HEC opponents thread and such is the level of pessimism that I've come to the conclusion that Leinster have actually never beaten Clermont.

Yes, I'm waiting for Private Fraser to make a post. It seems, we have absolutely no hope and should withdraw from this year's competitions. Jesus, we've done plenty of magnificent, unpredicable things before- qualifying from this HEC group and even beating Clermont away would be far from the most fantastic.

[suisse]

This was an important milestone for Leinster Rugby, but it's not a win from which the current crop of players can draw too much inspiration in my view. Look at the Clermont team; it's predominantly journeymen and second rate internationals.

And Jimmy Marlu. What a great name for a winger.

The return fixture was absolutly animal in a very crowded Donnybrook, they came for revenge, more than for the winning of a h-cup game. It was a real game of inches, an extermly physical game played out on a bald pitch Donnybrook in very cold conditions. We won 12-9 with O'Meara kicking all the points. A fantastic contest.

Anyone know what the official crowd was that night? I was still in school at the time but remember Leinster had that policy that schoolkids could go in for free with their parents. We had no tickets so stood outside DBrook asking men could we be their sons for the turnstyle. Probably a group of 8 and most people obliged. But there was nowhere to see the game. Stood on the Wesley end gates.

Great times

[Mauler]

Anyone know what the official crowd was that night? I was still in school at the time but remember Leinster had that policy that schoolkids could go in for free with their parents. We had no tickets so stood outside DBrook asking men could we be their sons for the turnstyle. Probably a group of 8 and most people obliged. But there was nowhere to see the game. Stood on the Wesley end gates.

Great times

Although I had my Season Ticket, it was not an all ticket match, and so many people turned up on the night (Fri 13th Dec'02) that they ran out of fivers for change at the turnstyles (it was 15 euro in) and had to issue 'IOU's'. I don't know the official attendance but it was certainly wedged on the Wesley end where we we're that night. As someone else mentioned above, it was the first time I had remembered Donnybrook having anything approaching an hostile atmosphere after the Bory incident.

[cormac]

Attendance was recorded as 7,500 which I'm assuming was the official capacity of the ground at the time. I'm guessing the actual attendance was a good bit higher.