Galthie has Montpellier geared up for big one

RUGBY:Montpellier coach Fabien Galthie told The Irish Timeslast night, 'We're not just looking to turn up and see how we play, we really are focusing on doing everything we can to win this game', writes GERRY THORNLEY

STRUGGLING IN the absence of their two French, three Georgian and five Argentinian players who were at the World Cup, and kept idle last weekend by the outbreak of mumps in Lyon, Montpellier coach Fabien Galthie last night confirmed virtually all his World Cup players will be back in harness for the visit of Leinster this Saturday in a match they are targeting to launch their season.

A few of their World Cup contingent did reappear for the 18-12 defeat in Agen a fortnight ago, such as their wrecking-ball Georgian flanker Mamuka Gorgodze and his compatriot at loosehead Goderdzi Shvelidze.

But the French international pair of captain and flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo and outhalf Francis Trinh-Duc will both make their season reappearances from the start, as will Argentina’s match winner against Scotland Lucas Amorosino, who will play at fullback. To accommodate Trinh-Duc’s return, Santiago Fernandez will revert to centre, where he played for Los Pumas during the World Cup.

Galthie also confirmed that due to a combination of slight ankle and knee injuries, normal first-choice scrumhalf Julien Thomas will be on the bench, with Benoit Paillaugue, at 70kgs (11st) the joint lightest player in the Heineken Cup, set to start.

The talented 24-year-old from La Rochelle is akin to Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and, just like the former Toulouse scrumhalf-turned-coach, can also play outhalf and kick goals.

(What is it about little French scrumhalves who can fill all these roles?)

As an aside, Montpellier also boast the heaviest player in the Heineken Cup in France, lock Aliki Kakate, who weighs in at a mighty 140kgs (22st 1lb), double the weight of little Paillaugue.

Speaking to The Irish Timeslast night, Galthie said of Saturday's marquee fixture for his club: "I'm trying to manage my team to win the game because in the Heineken Cup you have to win your home games to qualify. We're not just looking to turn up and see how we play, we really are focusing on doing everything we can to win this game."

Galthie added that Montpellier fully acknowledge they are playing the best team in Europe. “Leinster have developed the ability to play an international game and so for us Leinster is the best team in Europe at the moment. They really play a wide game, full-scale, no limitations and at full speed.

“I am very impressed by the way they play the game. Playing against Leinster will give us the opportunity to learn if Montpellier is on the same level, close to the highest level or if we have a long way to go to reach the top.”

As regards the absence of Leinster’s talisman, Galthie said: “Brian O’Driscoll won’t be in the team, but they have so many talented players we do not focus on the absence of Brian O’Driscoll. It’s not a matter of interest for us because we know whoever plays instead of Brian O’Driscoll will be a top player.”

Montpellier’s Heineken Cup debut is being billed as le gros match on its website. Accordingly, they have moved it from the 14,700-capacity Yves du Manoir, one of the nicest grounds in French club rugby and their home since it was built for the 2007 World Cup, to the near 33,000-capacity Stade de la Mosson, the city’s football stadium which is located amongst council estates.

Leinster’s opening defence of their crown, six miles inland from the Mediterranean coast on the River Lez, always stood out as an attractive fixture for the travelling away fans.

A beautiful, vibrant university city, full of 18th century monuments and squares and narrow, cobblestone streets, the capital of the Languedoc- Roussillon region is reckoned to the fastest growing city in France and, fittingly, their rugby club is one of the most upwardly mobile in France too. This is almost entirely down to Galthie.

The club is only 25 years old, having been formed as a merger of two other rugby union clubs, the Stade Montpelliérain and MUC Rugby in 1986, they won promotion to the Top 14 in 2003 as champions of the Pro D2, thereafter languishing in the lower half of the table. Two seasons ago, they finished 12th, one place above relegation.

Galthie had taken time out from the game since guiding Stade Français to the Bouclier du Brennus in 2007, primarily to concentrate on his television career and business interests.

A hugely charismatic and intelligent figure, Galthie is also something of a mini industry.

As Ireland’s Eoin Reddan, one of many young scrumhalves around the world who would have watched the latter stages of Galthie’s career, the French legend (whom Bernard Laporte for one cites as France’s best scrumhalf ever) played much of his best rugby in his 30s.

He won 64 caps in an often truncated career pot-marked by disagreements with coaches, for he has never been shy about voicing his opinions, and was credited for taking a quasi-coaching role in France’s stunning semi-final win over New Zealand at Twickenham en route to the 1999 World Cup final.

After a long, loyal career with little Colomiers on the outskirts of Toulouse, he pitched up at Stade Français in 2001, captained France to the 2002 Grand Slam (becoming IRB World Player of the Year at 33), leading his country to the 2003 World Cup semi-final and, with remarkable timing, won his first Bouclier du Brennus in his last club match, when Stade Français beat Toulouse in June 2003 at Stade de France.

Hence, when he pitched up at Montpellier, most people thought he was mad. He may not have the requisite coaching badges to coach his national team, but he is reputedly very well remunerated for coaching Montpellier, despite their relatively modest €12.7 million annual budget.

Staggeringly, he transformed the club, and guided them to the final last season, where Toulouse struggled to eventually win 15-10.

As Ireland backrow Seán O’Brien also noted yesterday, Gorgodze is “the heartbeat of their team”, for when he goes forward so too do the rest of the team. Ironically, Leinster will seek to stop him in his tracks with low “chop” tackles, much like Wales did to negate O’Brien and Stephen Ferris at the World Cup.

With Galthie as the chief strategist and tactician, a key man in the Galthie revolution is forwards coach Eric Bechu, who coached the former during his time as a player with Colomiers, and who achieved the remarkable feat of keeping little Albi in the Top 14 two seasons ago before hooking up with Galthie again.

In many ways, as you’d expect, Montpellier play classical French rugby, with a mixture of piano shifters and piano players.

Gorgodze is the focal point of a big, ugly pack featuring big Georgian props and a strong scrum along with a mauling pack who like to pick and go, intelligent game-playing half-backs who explore the blindside and also bring their fullbacks and wings into the game with clever lines. For much of last season they had the best defence in the Top 14.

Montpellier showed their cup-match pedigree with surprise one-point wins in their quarter-final win at Castres and semi-final win over Racing Metro last season.

By rights, with Joe Schmidt’s insider knowledge of the French, Leinster should have the big-game experience and fitness levels to ultimately pull through.

But Montpellier are dangerous, and this will be interesting.

Montpellier

Founded – 1986

Location – Montpellier, south France

Ground – Stade Yves-du-Manoir Capacity – 15,000

President – Mohed Altrad

Coaches – Fabien Galthié, Eric Bechu, Didier Bes.

Captain – Fulgence Ouedraogo

League – Top 14

2010-11 – Runners-up (sixth on league table)

2010/11 Budget – €12.7 million.

Leinster

Saturday

Montpellier v Leinster

Stade de la Mosson, 2.30pm Sky Sports 1

Sunday

Glasgow Warriors v Bath

Firhill Arena, 12.45pm Sky Sports 1