Dragons – MHR: Montpellier players get back to Challenge time before traveling to Wales

Alexis Bernadet devrait engranger du temps de jeu face aux Dragons en Challenge. Icon Sport – Alexandre Dimou

The Top 14 is on a two-week break to make way for continental competitions. Montpellier will begin its Challenge journey by traveling to Wales to face the Newport Dragons on Friday, December 6 (9 p.m.).

The time for the Challenge has come. After a first marathon of 11 Top 14 days, the MHR will face the African-European jousts. Friday evening, for the first day of the Challenge, the Héraultais will travel to Wales to face the Newport Dragons. The opportunity for the Montpellier staff to take stock of its squad. No question of sending a B team, but the possibility of giving some starters a rest who have given a lot since the start of the season, at the end of August.

Léo Coly is one of them, just like captain Billy Vunipola who has participated in all the matches since the start of the season or Yacouba Camara who is also one of the most sought-after players in the team. Georgian pillar Luka Japaridze and Springbok scrum-half Cobus Reinach are on holiday after international trials.

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Challenge, mode d'emploi

Like the previous season, the Challenge begins with a group stage with three groups of 6 teams. Each team will play four matches, two at home and two away, knowing that they will not be able to face a team from their own league. The MHR, which will play in group 2 with Pau, Newcastle, Newport, the Johannesburg Lions and the Ospreys will therefore not face the Section in this phase. The top four in each group will qualify for the last 16.

“We are creating something, so I don't want to stop this momentum, but at the same time I want to see players, some who haven't had much playing time, the youngsters who deserve it. I really want to create emulation and after these two European Cup stages, have a headache when I'm going to draw up the line-up against Racing”, smiles Joan Caudullo, the Hérault manager.

Among the youngsters that the Hérault staff would like to see, the fly-half Aurélien Barrau (19 years old, one appearance this season), the hooker Lyam Akrab (19 years old, 2 matches last season) or the pillar Luca Tabarot (5 Top 14 matches including 2 this season) should be there. Just like the scrum-half Alexis Bernadet (23 years old), who arrived at the start of the season from Montauban. He already has more experience with two full seasons in Pro D2 and eight Top 14 matches this year (2 starts).

It was also an opportunity to (re)see some guys who have had almost no playing time this season, like third-row Nicolas Martins or center Christa Powell.

Bouthier on the comeback

In the good news department, fullback Anthony Bouthier was back in training. While he is not expected to be in the squad until January, the fullback is rather ahead of schedule in his healing process, seven months after tearing his knee ligaments. Stuart Hogg, who suffered a hand injury during the 16-0 victory over La Rochelle on October 26, was also back but should not be available for Friday. Finally, pillar Nika Abuladze and fly-half Domingo Miotti (knee) are also on the sidelines.

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