ASM Clermont Auvergne in Encyclopedia

Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club AS Montferrandaise, which was founded in 1911 and adopted that name in 1922. Although the rugby section changed its name to the current ASM Clermont Auvergne in 2004, it is still frequently referred to as Montferrand both within and outside of France.

The team plays at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin (capacity 18,030) and wears yellow and blue, which are the colours of Michelin, the tyre manufacturer, which is based in Montferrand and whose founder, Marcel Michelin, established the club for its workers before World War I. L'ASM, as they are also called, are the traditional underdog, always cited among early favourites and praised for their style of play, but never winning come spring. They have reached the French Championship final eleven times, until their eleventh trip in 2010 to the championship. The perennial bridesmaids in their 100th year as a club broke through and conquered France, beating Perpignan in a rematch of the 2009 final.^[1]

History

The club was established in 1911 as AS Michelin, though they changed their name to AS Montferrandaise in 1922. The club was started by Marcel Michelin, the son of Andr Michelin, founder of the Michelin tyre manufacturer. The club made its first final of any competition in 1935, where they played Perpignan for the Challenge Yves du Manoir. AS Montferrand lost the match, 3 3 and 9 0. The following year they featured in their first championship final; though they lost to RC Narbonne 6 points to 3. They made the final again in 1937, though that match was also lost, 13 points to 7 to CS Vienne. However the following season the club won its first title; winning the Challenge Yves du Manoir by defeating Perpignan 23 points to 10.

During the 1940s the club contested the Coupe de France on two occasions, in 1945 and 1947. The club lost on both occasions, by one point, 14 to 13 to SU Agen in 1945, and then 14 to 11 against Toulouse in 1947. It would be another 10 years until the club featured in another competition final; losing to US Dax in the 1957 Challenge Yves du Manoir. The club became a force during the 1970s, starting in 1970 with a 3 points to nil championship loss to La Voulte Sportif. The club then contested the Challenge Yves du Manoir twice in a row over the 1972 73 seasons; losing both finals, against AS B ziers and Narbonne respectively. They then won the competition in 1976, defeating SC Graulhet 40 points to 12. The club then contested the championship final in 1978, though they lost to B ziers. They also lost the Challenge Yves du Manoir in 1979, against Narbonne.

In 1994 season the club contested both the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir. They lost the Challenge Yves du Manoir to Perpignan (the third time the clubs had met in the competition final). They also lost the championship, defeated 22 points to 16 by Toulouse. The club contested two finals in the 1999 season as well, the French championship and the European Challenge Cup. They won the European Challenge Cup, defeating fellow French club CS Bourgoin-Jallieu 35 points to 16. However they lost the domestic final, being defeated by Toulouse 15 points to 11. The club would meet Toulouse again in the season final of 2001, with Toulouse winning 34 points to 22. In 2004 they contested the European Challenge Cup again, though they lost to English club Harlequins, by one point, 27 to 26.

In 2012 they reached the semi final of the Heineken Cup. They were beaten by Leinster Rugby and were centimetres from winning the game at the end but Wesley Fofana dropped the ball on Leinster's try line.

Honours

Statue of Vercingetorix decorated with the flag of ASM Clermont Auvergne after the Top 14 championship of 2010.

Finals results

French championship

Date	Winner	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
10 May 1936	RC Narbonne	AS Montferrand	6 3	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	25,000
2 May 1937	CS Vienne	AS Montferrand	13 7	Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, Toulouse	17,000
17 May 1970	La Voulte Sportif	AS Montferrand	3 0	Stadium Municipal, Toulouse	35,000
28 May 1978	AS B ziers	AS Montferrand	31 9	Parc des Princes, Paris	42,004
28 May 1994	Stade Toulousain	AS Montferrand	22 16	Parc des Princes, Paris	48,000
29 May 1999	Stade Toulousain	AS Montferrand	15 11	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	78,000
9 June 2001	Stade Toulousain	AS Montferrand	34 22	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	78,000
9 June 2007	Stade Fran ais	ASM Clermont Auvergne	23 18	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	79,654
28 June 2008	Stade Toulousain	ASM Clermont Auvergne	26 20	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	79,275
6 June 2009	USA Perpignan	ASM Clermont Auvergne	22 13	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	79,205
29 May 2010	ASM Clermont Auvergne	USA Perpignan	19 6	Stade de France, Saint-Denis	79,262

Challenge Yves du Manoir

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-up
1935	USA Perpignan	3 3, 6 0	AS Montferrand
1938	AS Montferrand	23 10	USA Perpignan
1957	US Dax	6 6 (by virtue of younger players.)	AS Montferrand
1972	AS B ziers	27 6	AS Montferrand
1976	AS Montferrand	40 12	SC Graulhet
1979	RC Narbonne	9 7	AS Montferrand
1985	RC Nice	21 16	AS Montferrand
1986	AS Montferrand	22 15	FC Grenoble
1994	USA Perpignan	18 3	AS Montferrand

Coupe de France

European Challenge Cup

Date	Winner	Runners-up	Score	Venue	Spectators
27 February 1999	AS Montferrand	CS Bourgoin-Jallieu	35 16	Stade de Gerland, Lyon	31,986
22 May 2004	Harlequin F.C.	AS Montferrand	27 26	Madejski Stadium, Reading	13,123
19 May 2007	ASM Clermont Auvergne	Bath Rugby	22 16	Twickenham Stoop, London	10,134