MHR: which team for the trip to Clermont, a week before a decisive play-off for the future of the club ?

Masivesi Dakuwaqa could play in Clermont this weekend for the last match of the regular season. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

The MHR travels to Clermont this Saturday, June 8, for the last day of the Top 14 regular season. The victorious Lyon team last week (41-26) should change quite a bit.

Patrice Collazo said it. "We switched to access mode". For ten days and until next Sunday, the date of the ’access match", everything has been set. The route map is ready. Training sessions are scheduled. Before the match against Lyon last weekend, won 41-26, the staff knew roughly which players to use over the next fortnight. The idea being to reach the point next June 16 (6 p.m.) against the loser of the Pro D2 final, played this Saturday (5:30 p.m.) between Grenoble and Vannes in Toulouse.

"The goal is to give timing to everyone. We need to have around thirty suitable guys to have the choice, knowing that we are aware that something will happen to us the week of the jump-off", assures the Montpellier manager. This "something", it’is for example a suspension, an unexpected injury , a sick… Collazo surely has in mind the suspension of Paul Willemse, the injury during the warm-up of Yacouba Camara against Toulouse, the painful calf of Sam Simmonds or the concussion of Louis Carbonel against Castres.

Foursans, first and last tenure

After having aligned its best team against Lyon, the MHR staff should rotate in Clermont, for the last day of Top 14. A match without accounting issues for the Hérault club, condemned to 13th place. But "a match to prepare for the famous match afterwards", slips the second line Bastien Chalureau.

During collective training, and continuing over recent weeks, several hopeful players have strengthened the group. And it would not be surprising to see him on the bridge at Marcel-Michelin. We think of the third lines Maël Perrin and Cantin Foguet, the fly-half Aurélien Barreau, the hooker Lyam Akrab or the center Titouan Rouvelet.

Players lacking playing time in recent weeks, or even months, could also rediscover their taste for the field. It is likely that fly half Louis Foursans will make his first start of the season, a few days before leaving the club, heading to Stade Français. Pierre Lucas, Alex De Nardi, Grégory Fichten, Masivesi Dakuwaqa, Thomas Darmon and Clément Doumenc should also be there in Auvergne.

Meanwhile, Louis Carbonel, Jan Serfontein, Janse Van Rensburg, Geoffrey Doumayrou and even Luka Japaridze should be preserved.

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