Montpellier selected a team to play Glasgow Warriors in this Day 4, pool 3 H Cup game with no less than 11 players either from the Academy or players who have come through the ranks of the clubs rugby school, in these times of excessive use of foreign players throughout the TOP 14, Montpellier have shown that home grown talent can be just as effective as the more expensive commodity from abroad.

In front of a small crowd of 7,917 in very cold conditions Montpellier had very little to show for the first 40 mins. camped more or less in the Glasgow half for most of the time they attacked relentlessly but the Glasgow defence held strong and all the gaps were firmly closed. The first points did come from a neat move that left Yoan Audrin with room to spare down the touch line and he took his chance well going over in the corner, the youngster Ilian Perraux added the extras and Montpellier were 7-0 in front, this was the only score in the first half, Montpellier would maybe pay dearly later on for several missed chances.

The second half did see a reduction in speed and efficiency from the home side and Glasgow started to control more of the game than in the first 40 mins. First they managed a penalty from their no.10 Ruaridh Jackson, but that was quickly cancelled out by a Ilian Perraux penalty, the score 10-3, the very same then added another minutes later to edge Montpellier further ahead, 13-3 but that was their last score of the game.

Glasgow now started to attack the Montpellier try line with a little more venom in their bellies and 5 mts out they were awarded a penalty after a very dubious offside infringement, from which the man in the middle produced a yellow card for the young Montpellerian prop Maximilliano Bustos who had 10mins. in the cooler. This gave Glasgow the chance they had been looking for, the scrum was chosen from the penalty, and with Montpellier a man short the pressure was on their forwards, quickly the ball flashed out of the advancing scrum, through the backs to winger Sean Lamont, who seized his chance and over he went, the extras were added by Jackson, Glasgow were back in the game 13-10. A penalty 3 minutes from time put Glasgow on level terms at 13-13 and with the siren seconds away Montpellier were awarded a penalty 30mts out and just right of the posts, a formality for the young Benoit Paillaugue who has replaced Eric Escande late on in the second half, but it was not to be, the kick was pushed just wide from a very last gust of wind and the Ref blew time at 13 points apiece. 

Montpellier does go into the record books with the first team ever to draw 2 games in the pool stages of the H Cup but that was not what they wanted!! Yoan Audrin was awarded man of the match, and the youngsters on show Escande, Perraux, Berard, Galletier and Nariashvili could all be very proud of themselves and are a solid base for future years.

Montpellier’s first season in the H Cup is certainly no disgrace, the experience gained is by no means lost and could prove very valuable in this season’s TOP 14 race to secure a top 6 place and return to the same competition next season with renewed interest and valuable experience gained.

 

Steve Whittell.