Wooldridge to make Clermont debut

Doug Wooldridge is set to make his professional debut for Clermont Auvergne this weekend, as he starts his Top 14 career as a reserve against Montpellier on Saturday. The big Canadian tighthead prop signed a three-month contract with the French club two weeks ago as a medical joker. Sadly his hopes to appear in the Champions Cup have evaporated this season as a colossal mental error by Morgan Parra cost the team a spot in the quarter-finals.

Clermont still have a French title to play for, as they currently sit at the top of the table in a three-way tie with Toulouse and Racing 92. Montpellier are in 7th spot but only six points behind. The match at Clermont’s spiritual home, the Stade Marcel Michelin, kicks off at 14:45 local time.

The game features numerous internationals on both sides, including French Six Nations squad members Wesley Fofana, Scott Spedding, Paul Jedrasiak, and Damien Chouly for Clermont, and Marvin O’Connor for Montpellier. Springbok brothers Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis will play for the visitors, as well as Fijian captain Akapusi Qera. Former Wallaby captain Ben Mowen is among the reserves.

CLERMONT
1 Raphael Chaume 2 Benjamin Kayser 3 Daniel Kotze 4 Flip van der Merwe 5 Loic Jacquet 6 Camille Gerondeau 7 Julien Bardy 8 Fritz Lee 9 Ludovic Radosavljevic 10 Camille Lopez 11 Noa Nakaitaci 12 Wesley Fofana 13 Aurélien Rougerie (capt.) 14 Hosea Gear 15 Scott Spedding

16 Pellow van der Westhuizen 17 Vincent Debaty 18 Paul Jedrasiak 19 Damien Chouly 20 Enzo Sanga 21 Brock James 22 Albert Vulivuli 23 Doug Wooldridge

MONTPELLIER
1 Mikheil Nariashvili 2 Bismarck du Plessis 3 Davit Kubriashvili 4 Robins Tchale-Watchou 5 Paul Willemse 6 Antoine Battut (capt.) 7 Wiaan Liebenberg 8 Akapusi Qera 9 Benoît Paillaugue 10 François Trinh-Duc 11 Marvin O’Connor 12 Robert Ebersohn 13 Ben Lucas 14 Julien Malzieu 15 Jesse Mogg

16 Mickaël Ivaldi 17 Yvan Watremez 18 Jacques du Plessis 19 Ben Mowen 20 Nic White 21 Demetri Catrakilis 22 Yvan Reilhac 23 Jannie du Plessis