Hernández named in Toulon mid-field for Top 14 Semi Final

Veteran Argentine utility back Juan Martín Hernández will start Friday’s Top 14 Semi Final. Named at inside centre El Mago will start outside Australian Matt Giteau and play opposite the inform Jonathan Danty of Stade Français. In doing so Hernández will be playing back-to-back Top 14 Semi Finals after he started at fullback in Lille in 2014 for Racing Métro against his current club.

Twelve months on from losing 16-6 Hernández will have an opportunity of playing in a first French final in eight years and, remarkably, will be playing against the club he guided to the title in 2007. On that ocassion the Parisians defeated Clermont 23-18 with Hernández scoring 13 points from fly half.

Hernández played in losing Semi Finals over the following two seasons against Toulouse and Perpignan and subsequently left to play for the Natal Sharks in South Africa. His leaving coincided with the club slumping. So much so that Friday’s Semi Final is to be the first for Stade Français since Hernández’s departure.

In his brief time at Toulon to date Hernández has won the European Rugby Champions Cup, beating Clermont in the final last month. He is now seeking to make it a double. His Pumas teammate Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, meanwhile is looking to win back-to-back French titles to go with his three European victories. He has been named on the bench as has Martín Castrogiovanni who is also from Argentina but is capped by Italy.

Puma Juan Cruz Guillemaín and U.S. Eagle Scott LaValla will play no part in the match.  The La Plata born Italian captain Sergio Parisse, however, will lead Stade Français. The Parisians are coached by former Puma Gonzalo Quesada who was the top point scorer at Rugby World Cup 1999.

Toulon
15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Drew Mitchell, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Juan Martín Hernandez, 11 Bryan Habana, 10, Matt Giteau, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Chris Masoe, 7 Steffan Armitage, Juan Smith, 5 Ali Williams, Bakkies Botha, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Xavier Chiocci.

16 Orioli, 17 Menini, 18 Suta, 19 Fernandez Lobbe, 20 Mermoz, 21 D Armitage, 22 Claasens, 23 Castrogiovanni.

Stade Français
15 Djibril Camara, 14 Julien Arias, 13 Waisea Nayacalevu Vuidravuwalu, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Jérémy Sinzelle, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Sergio Parisse (Captain), 7 Raphael Lakafia, 6 Antoine Burban, 5 Alexandre Flanquart, 4 Hugh Pyle, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Rémi Bonfils, 1 Heinke Van der Merwe.

16 Sempéré, 17 Taulafo, 18 Papé, 19 Ross, 20 Tomas, 21 Bosman, 22 Doumayrou, 23 Kubriashvili.