Magic in Montpellier

What a finish.  In the build up to the game the team was challenged to create new memories.  It was challenged to scratch the 7 year itch of losing in France.  It was challenged to go for the win and not be satisfied with a meek losing bonus point.

What a finish.  The team achieved them all in front of a vociferous travelling support, cheering them to (and from) the rafters.  The Montpellier support was very quiet, even by English standards let alone the French measure set by the likes of Clermont and Perpignan. 

In case you live on Mars the final score was 15-14.  The final score was a 79^th minute try from Fijian centre Vereniki Goneva with Ryan Lamb getting the pressure conversion.  It was some try and a great example of always playing to the bitter end.

We were going nowhere fast.  Side to side, forwards then backwards.  Matt Smith made a few yards, Niall Morris got caught on the wing and had to throw it back inside.  But we were testing the defence.  Asking questions and probing for answers.

The solution came from Miles Benjamin, bursting through a tackle and feeding Scott Hamilton on the inside to take us into their 22.  Ryan Lamb, on for the injured Flood, went for the trademark floated pass.  Thankfully he held on to it.  He didn’t chip it away; he held on to it and set up the ruck.

Morris was in as first receiver.  He held his man and gave the pass to Slater.  Slater stepped one and drew the other before finding Ayerza.  Ayerza had one man to beat; many props would get white line fever and go for it themselves.  Ayerza had a cool head.  He fixed the man by running at his inside shoulder.  Then late, late, late on he passed.  Too early and Goneva was in touch, too late and he would have be taken himself.

It was perfect.  Goneva was in.  Lamb had the conversion to win it.  It was difficult from out wide.  But Goneva was not finished.  Oh no.  He was aware.  Aware of the essentialness of the conversion.  Aware of the covering defence.  Aware of the Stade Yves du Manoir’s large in goal areas.  He was aware.  He was tap tackled by their last man, but kept the ball up to take it closer to the posts.  Those 10 yards made the kick tricky with the pressure rather than out right hard.  That is a big difference.

The first half was scoreless.  Not try less; completely scoreless, nil all, 0-0.  I can’t recall another 0-0 at half time in my time supporting the Tigers.  Not that it was without incident or chances.  Tigers butchered at least 3 tries, Montpellier roughly the same.  Miles Benjamin was given a yellow card for a block on Benoit Paillaugue.  Montpellier kicked to the corner and blew it.

There is an old Italian idea from Football that the perfect game should end 0-0.  This was the Rugby equivalent.  The defences were suffocating, the break down aptly named and ferocious.  Owens barely penalised the defensives but there was not much to give.

The second half was also a mini classic in its own way.  Tigers had the first chance.  For my money Miles Benjamin scored in the corner.  Flood was holding his hamstring so Bowden played the phase from 10.  He found Ben Youngs back on the inside who passed to Gibson on the charge.  He should have finished it but was agonisingly short.  Very poor back play left Benjamin with a hell of a finish in the corner.  Apparently his toe bounced off the line.  In full pace I couldn’t see it either live or on the replay.  In super slow motion and from one angle you can see that it gets close.

The TV screen lacks perspective and much like the famous Cueto try in 2007 the lack of perspective makes all the difference.  The TV camera doesn’t show all so why pretend it does?  If the touch judge thought it went out then flag it.  If he didn’t then don’t.  He is 1m away with a 20/20 3 dimension view.  He is paid to make decisions.

Tigers were building all the pressure now.  Attacking our own fans they were being roared on by the travelling Leicester fans.  The dam finally burst.  Goneva had made good ground before Ben Youngs found brother Tom on a cracking inside line.  A side step did for the Cameroonian Robins Tchale-Watchou and he was over for the first score.

Montpellier responded immediately.  A kick off straight out was recovered by an almighty shove and a strike against the head.  Tulou burst from the scrum and saw off Ben Youngs.  Waldrom got a hand to Tulou’s pass but all that did was deflect it into Paillaugue’s waiting hands.  He drew the last man and put debutant fly half Selponi in for the try.

Ten minutes later and it was Lucas Dupont crossing for Montpellier’s 2^nd try.  Georgian bulldozer Mamuka Gorgodze picked the ball up from inside the ruck and charged for the line.  The referee missed the offside so it was play on; with only one man to beat Montpellier were 14-5 up with 17 minutes to go.

The fans were flat.  We were gutted.  The players were flat.  They were stressed and were arguing on the pitch. 

As ever the scrum was the saviour.  A huge shove in the 71^st minute gave Lamb the chance to cut the arrears; a chance to get within a try; a chance to win.  It was a tough one.  45m out, longer on the angle.  It just made it.  By a matter of inches we were back in the game.

Then what a finish.  What a way to scratch that French itch, burning since Bourgoin in 2006.  What a new memory to create.  We’ll be banging on about this one for a while yet.

Time for Action

We've heard a lot of talk this season from the likes of Geoff Parling and Toby Flood about living up to our past in Europe and creating some new memories.

Well now it's time to shit or get off the pot.

Talk is cheap.  Anyone can talk about how they great they are.  I'm amazing.  There you go.  Anyone can do it.

Actually doing things, really achieving what is hard to accomplish, that is what sets a good team apart.   Last week we actually did some things against Montpellier.  We didn't talk about doing things, we did them.  We got a bonus point, 4 tries, 5 points.  The first time in 5 years we welcomed a French team to Welford Road and came away with all the points.  

Now we have to back it up.  Now we have to win in France.  Crossing La Manche is not a happy hunting ground for the Tigers.  It used to be.  In the halcyon days that people like me wank on about and winds Parling or Flood up.  Ah, those were the days.  Pau.  It must have been good, the people that went never bloody shut up about it.  We won 7 out of our first 12 games in France.  We had the best record of any traveling side in France then.  

Now we haven't won in France for 7 years, not since monsoon like conditions in Bourgoin, December 2006.  We were relatively disappointed to not get a try bonus point that day.  Arrogant and insufferable we must have been.  Like Leinster fans now I suppose.

We've only got 2 losing bonus points in those 7 seasons too.  It's not like we've been close.

But winning in France shouldn't be such a big issue.  Ulster have done it.  Harlequins have done it.  Even bloody Connacht have done it.  

Only Marcos Ayreza and Louis Deacon have won in France.  Both start on Sunday.  Tigers make only 2 changes from last week.  Niall Morris returns on the wing and Thomas Waldrom rotates with Jordan Crane at 8.  They should travel full of confidence.  They should travel full of desire. 

We've bought into this idea that Welford Road is our fortress, it inspires us but as Pat Hoard used to say its only a patch of grass.  

It's time to stop talking about living up to our history, to stop talking about creating new memories and burring old ones.  It's time to win.

We were better than this lot last weekend.  Let's make sure we are still better than them on Monday.

 
Leicester
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Niall Morris
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Dan Bowden
11 Miles Benjamin
10 Toby Flood (c)
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom
Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Ed Slater
20 Jordan Crane
21 David Mélé
22 Matt Smith
23 Ryan Lamb


Montpellier
15 Pierre Berard
14 Lucas Dupont
13 Anthony Tuitavke
12 Wynand Olivier
11 Yohann Artru
10 Enzo Selponi
9 Benoit Paillaugue
1 Yvan Watremez
2 Mickael Ivaldi
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Robins Tchale Watchou
5 Thibaut Privat
6 Alexandre Bias
7 Mamuka Gorgodze (c)
8 Alex Tulou
Replacements
16 Thomas Bianchin
17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga
18 Paea Fa'anunu
19 Johnnie Beattie
20 Mickael Demarco
21 Eric Escande
22 Thomas Combezou
23 Anthony Floch

Benjamin Double Lifts Leicester

Tigers kept their Euro hopes alive with a 41- 32 bonus point victory against Top 14 powerhouse Montpellier.  Both sides scored 4 tries as Tigers set off like a Rocket but were inexorably pulled in by the French side.

Tigers’ former training ground is now named Nelson Mandela Park; it sits just behind the Goldsmith’s stand between the Welford Road and the Prison.  It was re-named after the Tigers were banned from playing on “the Rec” for 12 months by the City Council after allowing their players to tour apartheid South Africa with England in 1985.  The Tigers ended up taking the matter all the way to the House of Lords, winning just 2 months before the ban was due to expire.  In the amateur era the club had no hold on the players they argued, and the Lords agreed.

Rather fitting then that it was this end that saw a simply breath taking opening 15 minutes.  First it was the Flying Fijian Vereniki Goneva.  Returning from a hamstring injury ,and now looking almost an equal of Manu Tuilagi at centre, he charged on to Dan Bowden’s pass after only 4 minutes out pacing the Montpellier to score.  Bowden had done well to clean up Ben Youngs pass which whilst poor also drew the French defence forward creating the chance.

Credit must also go to Miles Benjamin whose line behind Goneva had caught the eye of Rene Ranger in the Montpellier defence.

The next two scores were both from that man Benjamin. 

The first was a stunning individual effort; forward carries had created a large blindside towards the GNC Stand side, Benjamin received the ball with nothing really on before beating 4 men to touch down under the posts.  He went inside two men, outside another before brushing off Nagusa for the try.

The second was a more classical winger’s finish.  A lose up and under was claimed in the midfield by Graham Kitchener, Bowden dragged it back to Hamilton who straightened the line.  Hamilton found Goneva who ran straight drew two men and created the overlap for Benjamin.  It still required a lot of finishing as Pelissie worked hard to contest the grounding.  It went for a cursory glance by the TMO but he gave it after a single replay showed the quality of the finish.

24-3 after 15 minutes and Tigers could be forgiven for trying to push their luck and seal the try bonus point before half time.   We had an attacking penalty and went for the corner, an unpenalised early drive by Montpellier snuffed out any chance of the push over.  They were turned over then Lacey, with ERC in his ear perhaps, ruled we were “sealing off”; where was he when we played Quins?

But we whilst we were dreaming of bonus points Montpellier were actually getting scores on the board.  Scott Hamilton got isolated in the attacking 22 and turned over.  No Tigers players bothered to react.  On the right wing Benjamin, Thompstone and Gibson just stood watching as Montpellier turned it over then strode away to score under the posts.  It took 20 seconds so anyone of them could have chased back to force the conversion wider.  Neil Back would have spitting feathers at the laziness.

Credit to Dan Bowden who did chase all the way, even if he missed his tap tackle at least he put some effort in.

Goneva had a golden chance to seal the win and kill off the comeback before it got rolling.  Secure the bonus point too.   Tigers had attacked left from a scrum, forming a ruck on the GNC side of the ground.  Flood’s wide pass cut out the rushing Montpellier defence to leave Goneva with a 4 on 1, two outside him and one inside.  But the overlapping players were Tom Youngs and Gibson, and the Montpellier defence was coming across to cover Bowden on the inside.

He could have passed left, he could have passed right, he could have backed himself and gone for it.  He did none of them!  Running Youngs out of space yet not backing himself he finally made a form of pass to get Youngs into the corner.

Now the forward pass rule.  When it’s Quins it’s all about “the hands” and the fact it’s gone a mile forward is irrelevant, but yet again when Tigers do it we ignore the hands and rule that it has blatantly gone forward.  One rule for some teams, wanked over in the media, and another for the rest of us.  He clearly flicked his wrist backwards.

He should have scored it about 3 different ways but the point is on some weekends by some favoured teams that try would have been given.  If it is truly “about the hands” then that was a try.

To make matters worse Montpellier got another try before half time.  After Goneva’s moment Tigers turned the French back over only for Lacey to again spot an attacking penalty.  From the attacking lineout they played phases right before coming back left.  Rene Ranger spotted Gibson in defensive no man’s land and turned him inside out. 

Nagusa floated behind the Montpellier line to pop up and create the overlap at the very end, cantering in for the try.  Once they have got behind us it was a try barring a penalty from us or a knock on from them.

Montpellier almost took the lead in the second half as Audrin pounced on a loose Flood pass.  Only a superb cover tackle from Tom Youngs stopped him dead before Dan Cole’s rush defence forced the error from Gorgodze.

Around the hour Tigers finally got the scoreboard moving again, 35 minutes after our last score, with a Toby Flood penalty.  Big Jim Hamilton had failed to roll away.

Tigers’ fourth try had a touch of luck about it.  A piled up ruck would have been given as a maul and scrum to the opposition by many refs but not Lacey.  From said scrum Waldrom broke from the back and off loaded to Ben Youngs, but he was scragged by Beattie so turned it inside again to Gibson who flopped over for the try. 

Flood pushed Tigers further ahead, Montpellier collapsed a maul and good job too; much like the first half the visitors came back with a vengeance once they were well down on the score board. 

The kick off was straight out so Tigers scrum was set on the half way.  The otherwise impressive Bowden had been freed down the left 5m line but left the ball hanging out, looking for the off load.  He was stripped by Ranger and Nagusa broke away in counter attack.  Drawing the full back he sent Pierre Berard under the posts.

Another Flood penalty settled the nerves again before he was pulled for Ryan Lamb.  Lamb was controversially preferred to Owen Williams despite Lamb’s last act being to crazily throw it away against Bath then get sent off for the Extras. 

A mid field break from Alex Tulou found Escande with men over.  The pass was sloppy and Lamb had done well to intercept it.  There was 1 minute 45 seconds left on the clock.  Kick out.  Kick it out surely.  Kick the ball OUT!  No, Lamb forever the maverick in his own head dummies and gets smashed.  With no Tigers around inevitably be gets turned over.  With huge gaps in the Tigers defence it is a question of who will score the try and it is Berard on the overlap for his second.

From leaving with nothing suddenly Montpellier has 2 points from this fixture.  Lamb makes some amends with a last second drop goal to claw one point back.  But if that point costs us I will be next to Cockerill in the lynch mob for Lamb.

Montpellier Preview

Tigers return to European action this weekend as they welcome Montpellier for their first visit to the spiritual home of English rugby, Welford Road.

Flying Fijian Vereniki Goneva returns from injury and is recalled to the centre.  Adam Thompstone moves to wing and Blaine Scully is amongst the replacements.

Tigers sit just 2 points adrift from pool leaders Ulster after the first 2 rounds of action.  Tigers have been successful in securing bonus points but the Irish province bagged a vital away win when they beat Montpellier in the last round.  

Presuming Ulster avoid slipping on the banana skin fixtures against Treviso it puts massive pressure onto this Sunday's game as Tigers have no room for error.

Montpellier are new comers to France's top table.  Only founded in 1986, Montpellier won promotion to the Top 16 in 2003 after beating Tarbes in the play off final.  

In 2011 they snuck into the Top 14 play offs by 1 point after beating direct rivals Toulon on the final day of the season.  They then won the "barrage" or quarter final match away to Castres with a 71st minute penalty before beating Racing Metro in the semi finals, held in Marseille, with a 79th minute penalty.  The dream of the Bouclier de Brennus was shattered though as they lost 15-10 to Toulouse in the Final after 3 late penalties.

In the last 2 seasons Montpellier have finished 5th losing away to Castres in the quarter finals both times.  

At hooker Tom Youngs will make his 40th start for the First XV whilst Adam Thompstone makes his 30th start for the club.  

The other change to Tigers starting XV sees Jordan Crane wear 8 and Waldrom drop to the bench.  The two have rotated this season so I wouldn't rule out Waldrom at 8 for the return leg next week.

Broken hand bad boy Ryan Lamb comes onto the bench in place of Owen Williams whilst David Mele could be in line to face his fellow countryman as he takes Sam Harrison's spot on the pine.  Ed Slater returns as a replacement after a broken hand.

Montpellier name a star studded side.  Mamuka Gorgodze, Timoci Nagusa, Rene Ranger, Francois Trinh-duc, Johnny Beattie and Big Jim Hamilton would grace any side.  Hamilton, Coventry's favourite Scotsman, was last at Welford Road for Louis Deacon's testimonial in April.  He enjoyed 61 appearances for the Tigers before departing to Edinburgh. 

One to watch is scrum half Jonathan Pélissié.  Pelissie joined Montpellier in the summer from Grenoble where he had enjoyed 4 years and made an instant impact for his new side scoring 80 points in 11 games (7 Starts).  He made his France debut this autumn against Tonga.

Leicester
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Dan Bowden
11 Miles Benjamin
10 Toby Flood (c)
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Ed Slater
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 David Mele
22 Blaine Scully
23 Ryan Lamb

Montpellier
15 Anthony Floch
14 Timoci Nagusa
13 Rene Ranger
12 Thomas Combezou
11 Yoan Audrin
10 François Trinh-duc (c)
9 Jonathan Pélissié
1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga
2 Charles Geli
3 Maximiliano Bustos
4 Jim Hamilton
5 Mickaël De Marco
6 Kélian Galletier
7 Mamuka Gorgodze
8 Johnnie Beattie
Replacements
16 Thomas Bianchin
17 Misha Nariashvili
18 Paea Faanunu
19 Thibaut Privat
20 Alex Tulou
21 Benoit Paillaugue
22 Wynand Olivier
23 Pierre Berard

Know Your Enenmy: Heineken Cup Opponents

Ulster

Founded: 1879
Ground: Ravenhill (cap: 18,000)
Star Man: Ruan Pienaar

Much like their fellow Irish provinces Ulster Rugby was formed in 1879 when the two competing governing bodies in Ireland merged and formed the Ulster, Leinster and Munster branches, Connacht ever the poor relation was formed in 1900.  

Ravenhill was purchased in 1923 by the IRFU with the aim of cementing the concept of a united Ireland side, and was left unchanged for the majority of the next century.  Major redevelopment was undertaken in 2008/9 which saw the construction of a new covered terrace with a paddock of premium seating and corporate boxes to the rear.  Since our last visit Ravenhill has undergone further changes as both ends have now been built on, the ends are not quite identical as the Memorial End's capacity will be a few hundred people more than the Aquinas End.

Famously Ravenhill has a church within its grounds, between the new Terrace stand and the Memorial End.  

As befits a team which won 5 out 6 Pool games last year, as well as topping the RaboDirect Pro 12, Ulster are packed to the gunnels with star names.  South African Ruan Pienaar has an Austin Healey-like ability to play both half back positions and as the banners say many a team has been "Ruan-ed" by Pienaar's dead-eye goal kicking.  Also in their side are British Lions Tommy Bowe and Rory Best, as well as 2009 tourist Stephen Ferris who has been laid low with injury this past season.  Kiwi test prop John Afoa will never take a backward step and is one of the best tightheads currently operating in Europe. Not to mention players like Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy and Johan Muller.


Montpellier Herault RC

Founded: 1986
Ground: Stade Yves-du-Manoir (cap 14700)
Star Man: Makmuka Gorgodze

Formed only in 1986 Montpellier Herault Rugby Club is younger than several of its players.  However its not as if Rugby only started in the Mediterranean city 27 years ago as the club was formed from the merger of Stade Montepellier, founded 1963, and Montpellier Paillade, founded 1974.  The city also has some history of rugby league.

The Stade Yves-du-Manoir, not to be confused with the stadium of the same name in Paris which has hosted the Olmpics, the FIFA World Cup and numerous French internationals and cup finals, was built in 2007 to capitalise on the surge of interest in rugby after the city hosted that year's Rugby World Cup.  Its stunningly unique architecture marks it out as one of Europe's premier grounds and certainly is one every fan should try and visit.  

The four stands are named after world famous Rugby stadiums: Eden Park, Ellis Park, Murrayfield and Twickenham.  As with most French grounds they allow some standing around the pitch on the pessage, some people translate this as terrace but that would be a gross insult to a proper terrace as they usually have no steps and no banking at all.  


Montpellier are now funded by scaffolding and cement magnate Mourad Altrad, a Bedouin born in Syria, and have been splashing his considerable cash this summer.  Star arrivals are Perpignan and France prop Nicolas Mas, former Tiger Big Jim Hamilton and Tongan-Australian lock Sitaleki Timani.  Also arriving are Perpignan's colossal Cameroonian lock Robins Tchale-Watchou, Springbok centre Wynard Oliver and Anthony Floch from Clermont.

They join a squad already sprinkled with stardust.  Francois Trinh-Duc, Fulgence Ouedraogo and Julien Tomas are all French internationals raised in the city and products of the clubs youth system.  Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa not unlike our own Vereniki Goneva is fleet footed and strong in contact, possessing perhaps a touch more magic.  Of course we all know the skills of Lucas Amorosino.  Up front their talisman is surely gigantic Georgian Mamuka Gorgodze; his sheer physical presence is epitomised by his nickname "Gorgodzilla".  Capable of playing anywhere in the back five of the scrum Gorgodze has helped put Georgian rugby on the map.


Benetton Treviso 

Founded:1932
Ground:Stadio Comunale di Monigo (6,700)
Star Man: Alessandro Zanni 

Founded in 1932 as Associazione Sportiva Rugby Treviso it took them 20 years to finally reach Serie A, the Italian top flight, in 1952 but success was quickly to follow as they won their first championship in 1956 now knwon as Rugby Treviso.  Relegated for the only time ten years later they bounced back at the second attempt and have been a fixture of Italian rugby ever since.  Their second championship came in 1978, losing only 2 of 26 league games, and this prompted the Benetton group to become involved in the club and a second name change to Benetton Treviso as they have been known ever since.  Their original colours of White and Blue were changed to the now familiar green and white of the Benetton group. 

Benetton's financial muscle helped Treviso in what were surely the glory days of Italian rugby as they signed worldwide stars such as All Blacks John Kirwin and Craig Green and Australian Michael Lynagh whilst other Italian teams signed players like Naas Botha, Danial Gerber and David Campese.  Treviso won the title in 1983, 1989 and Lynagh inspired them to the 1992 title.  They also fell short in the final on 6 occasions ('88, '90, '91, '93, '95, '96) before winning 10 titles in the next 14 years.

The Stadio Cumunale di Monigo is a two sided stadium built in 1970.  One side is covered with a central section of reserved seats and an inside bar whilst the other is uncovered and entirely unreserved.  Given the rain in northern Italy it is no surprise most fans are willing to pay the extra few euros for the cover.  

This summer has seen Treviso lose talented centre Tammaso Benvenuti to Perpignan and experienced fly half Kris Burton to Newport.  However the squad is still large and talented with the backrow a particualr strength.  Toronto born Italian international Bob Barberi, Alessandro Zanni, Manoa Vosawi, Paul Derbyshire (Italian born and raised despite the name), Simone Favaro, Francesco Minto and Dean Budd are an enviable lot to have as your flanking corps.  

Scrum half is also a notable strength with all three current Italian national team options of Botes, Gori and Semanzato in the squad.  Gori is the youngest and potentially the best, he plays in the breaking style of Ben Youngs and seems to be the preference of the national side whilst Botes is often chosen for Treviso.  Botes is fairly versatile and has played fly half and wing.

Heineken Cup Draw Revealed

The 2013/14 Heineken Cup draw has seen Tigers drawn into Pool 5 alongside Belfast based Ulster, Montpellier from France's Mediterranean coast and familiar foes Benetton Treviso from Italy.  

Tigers, Ulster and Montpellier all qualified from their pools last year with all falling at the quarter final stage.  

Full Pool Draw

Tigers have drawn Ulster twice before in 2003/4 and two years ago in 2011/12, wining both home games but crashing to monster defeats in both visits the Ravenhill, losing 41-7 in 2012 and 33-0 in 2004.  Ulster finished top of the RaboDirect Pro 12 but lost in the final to Leinster, with the final controversially played at the RDS in Dublin rather than Belfast.  They won their group last year containing Northampton, Castres and Glasgow; winning at Franklin's Gardens but losing the return fixture the next week.  They lost their Quarter Final to Saracens at Twickenham.

This will be the second season in a row that Tigers have been paired with Treviso, and the third time in the last 6 seasons.  Tigers have played Italian opposition 18 times and won on each occasion, however last December saw them require a 77th minute penalty try to spare their blushes and escape with a 1 point win.  The Trevisians will be after revenge and that will not be a trip for the faint hearted.  Treviso finished 7th in the RaboDirect Pro 12, their highest ever finish.

One new face in the pool will be Montpellier.  Only formed in 1986 Montpellier are definitely the new boys on the Top 14 scene despite earning promotion to the division as far back as 2003.  Domestic finalists in 2011, losing by only 5 points to Toulouse, Montpellier finished 5th in this seasons Top 14 losing to eventual champions Castres in the "Barrage" round, effectively the quarter finals.  This year they tasted Heineken Cup knock out rugby for the first time losing away to Clermont Auverigne after battling through a pool containing eventual champions Toulon as well as Cardiff and Sale. 

Elsewhere French Champions Castres are drawn with RaboDirect Champions Leinster and English runners-up Northampton, with Welsh side Ospreys rounding out pool 1.

In pool 4 Clermont Auverigne are drawn with Harlequins, the only pool other than out own to feature multiple quarter finalists from this year's competition.