Top 14 preview - Montpellier

Welcome to Stade Sabathé

We take an in-depth look at the runners and the riders of the 2005/06 Top 14 ahead of the new season. Today we tackle Montpellier...

Last time around:

Les Héraultais avoided relegation last season, but that was about it for this comparatively small club, which rarely rose above their final eleventh place in the table (although rarely falling much below it either). Any European aspirations they had were dashed by a 56-3 thumping at the hands of Connacht in the second round of the Challenge Cup.

This time?

This time they may not be so fortunate. Wilfrid Macarri does a good job in holding his team together and getting the tactics right, and they apparently suffer few pretensions of aspiration, but with the domestic fixture burden eased, other teams will be less susceptible against them. They do have a cosy draw in the Challenge Cup though, facing up to Worcester, Catania, and a revenge shot at Connacht, and if they can steal a couple of wins away, could sneak through their pool. In the league though, they will struggle.

Captain: Jérôme Vallée. A huge flanker, standing nearly two metres tall in his socks, Vallée's season was curtailed by injury last time out. He offers line-out options, and is fast around the park.

One to watch: Argentinean back-rower Martin Durand spearheads the Montpellier forward effort, and will be a key player in the European ties.

In: Sébastien Kuzbik (Clermont Auvergne), Nicolas Descamps (Auch), Nicolas Grelon and Sébastien Mercier (Perpignan), David Aucagne, Rickus Lubbe, Sébastien Petit, and Anthony Vigna (Grenoble), Crane (Viadana), Régis Lespinas (Brive), Michel Boussuge (Paris University), Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia), Vassili Bost (Périgueux), Alex Codling (Northampton).

Out: Philemon Toleafoa (Waikato, New Zealander), Laurent Armand (SBUC), Denis Navizet (retired), Christian Chemin (Dax), Bertrand Guilloux and Aurélien Rossi (Oyonnax), Yannick Saladié, Jérémy Valls, Jean-Michel Meunier and Pierre Tachella (Nîmes), Gregor Townsend (Borders, Scottish international), Sylvain Jouve (Colomiers), Wilfred Maccari (Aubenas, coach), Soso Nikolaenko (Parma, Georgian).

Colours: Blue and white

Club info:

Stade Sabathé (5500 seats)
18, rue Cléophas
34070 Montpellier

Tickets: prices not available

Travel connections: Montpellier is very well-served by low cost airlines, which fly to the town direct, as well as to nearby Perpignan, Carcassone, Nîmes, and international airports of Marseille and Toulouse are not much further afield. There are reasonable road connections to all of the airports and the town is well-connected by rail via TGV.