He's a child of the club, who grew up among the volcanoes. Anthony Floch isn't just a Clermont player, he's a pure ASM product. After losing three finals (2007, 2008 and 2009), he was part of the generation that finally brought the Brennus back to the Place de Jaude. An unforgettable success for the man who, as a kid, simply dreamed of playing a match at Michelin. But he did more than that: he left an indelible mark on the history of his beloved club. A few words.
At the start of the 2009 season, this team's history began with three consecutive lost finals (2007, 2008 and 2009). Before the 2009-2010 season, did you have any doubts?
Inevitably, after 3 finals, doubts creep in. You're always afraid of stumbling on the last step. So it was paradoxical, because in those years, with Toulouse, we dominated the championship. But we couldn't close the deal. So maybe deep down we were a little apprehensive when we got to the final, because the weight of the past was unconsciously acting on us. But there was also this paradox, which was also the strength of our group, that as soon as we lost a final, the next day we got together and said “too bad, it's not that time, but we're going back. Next year we'll go again”. That shows the strength of character of the group we had. The band of mates we were... to be able to get up every time and go back.
On paper, Clermont are a steamroller. What's the Cotter identity?
We can't say it was all about attack. But let's just say that we had a group that had already been playing together for a few years. We already had a solid foundation. Every year, maybe one or two new recruits would join us. But each one added value to our squad. The strength of this group is that we've spent a lot of time together, and gone through hard times that have made us stronger and tougher. We had the thickest skin in the world. Because we took it in our stride.
If you go back in time, we lost to Stade Français in 2007 (LINK) in the last minute. But before that year, we came out of nowhere. We weren't invited and it was Vern's first year. Nobody was expecting us, and maybe not even us at the time. In 2008, we came up against a great Toulouse team, and that was the only final where there was no contest. And then in 2009 against Perpignan, well... I don't know... Maybe the two previous finals weighed on us. I don't know, it's hard for me after all these years to diagnose the whys and wherefores. I'm not going to say that one team wanted it more than the other, because as soon as you get to the final you've got your teeth into it. But it turned out in USAP's favor, quite simply.
At the helm of this team is a player who is, no offense to him, a complete unknown. It's Brock James. Do you remember when he first arrived?
Basically, he's not the one to arrive. It was Cameron McIntyre who was due to arrive from the Crusaders, and in fact he signed for Castres. And we ended up with Brock James, who nobody knew. Even us, within the group, were thinking “olalala, the guy's a replacement at the Western Force, but who is he, we're going to get another guy... pfffff”. But then he got everyone to agree. Already when he arrived, during the first training sessions, we could see that technically, he was very strong. With his hands and feet, I said “wow”. Afterwards, I said to myself “maybe we'll wait for the matches”. Because some guys are good in training, but when it comes to the match, there's the management, the pressure and it's just not the same. But I have an anecdote about Brokie when he arrived: before he was here, I was still scoring a few goals. We played our first match in Biarritz. We got a penalty, and I went forward to take it, like in other years. And he comes forward and says, “Look, I've got a good feeling about this one, let me take it”. I said okay, take it. I never stumbled again (laughs)!
And in the game?
He wasn't just a goalscorer. He was a real strategist. I think he was the missing link in our team. He was the lad who was able to sublimate the team. He knew, along with Vern, that we were very powerful up front and very fast at the back, but we needed chemistry for all that and it was Brock who sorted out a lot of things.
From a personal point of view, this 2009-2010 season is one of your most accomplished. You played 31 games. Was that the year you played your best rugby ?
No. The year I had the most fun was the first year with Vern. In 2007. There, yeah... I really had a blast. Really, really, really had a blast. Because, once again, the years before weren't so good. And then everything changes. And then it's off to a flying start. And then I had Julien Malzieu, Aurélien Rougerie, I had my mates next to me, the Auvergnats, the kids from the club, a Michelin in fusion, invincibility... I don't know how many tries I scored this year, but it must have been the most prolific year in terms of tries and assists for my mates. For me, the best year, from a rugby point of view, is my best season. Afterwards, I preferred to stop scoring, because Aurelien blamed me - I was scoring too much, and that was preventing him from breaking records, so I preferred to give him the balls (laughs)!
That year, you weren't as dominant as in previous seasons: you had to get past the play-offs. Then in the semi-final, you had to go through extra time against Toulon...
(He cuts off) an anthology match. For me, it's the greatest match in the history of the Top 14. It played terribly. And I forgot to mention a player who is going to take us to the next level: Morgan Parra. His talent and his win have done us a world of good.
It's funny, because he explains that in December, he went to see Vern Cotter to tell him he wanted to leave...
Yes, I remember that very well. It was hard for him at first. It takes time to adapt to a new game plan and a new environment. Then there was Kevin Senio, who'd been there for one or two years and had a better grasp of things. And Morgan, he's a huge competitor, and he'd never known failure. So there were a few discussions with Vern (Cotter), with Aurélien (Rougerie), about him. And it's true, he almost dropped the ball. But it shows the character he has and the player he was. But he was an important stone in this club's success.
What impressed you most: his composure, his talent or his thirst for victory?
In training, we used to have penalty shoot-outs, or little games like that: he always wanted to win. When you play tennis with him, he always wants to win. What really stood out for me was his strong mental attitude. After that, there's everything that goes with it, talent and all. Don't forget that Morgan isn't the most physical player in the league. I told him! With your small body, he sacrificed himself in defense. He never hid. For me, there's one image that sums up Morgan, and that's when Clermont were champions in 2017, and it was he who scooped up the winning ball. He was a dog. It was a bit tough at first, but once he got into his stride and got the measure of his position, he really became a leader.
It's strange because this finals campaign is a very tight play-off, a semi-final that goes into extra time, with 24 hours less recovery time. It's as if Clermont have never been in such dire straits before a final. How is the week leading up to the final going?
It's weird, and I'm not the only one who felt that way: there was a serenity. The week, the day before, when we arrived at the match, that we didn't have in other years. There was no doubt. Maybe our route was harder. But there was no doubt that we were going to win. There was this bubble, this feeling that nothing could happen to us. And when I talk about it with my teammates at the time, we all felt that way. It was our year, it was for us, and nothing could happen to us. You can feel it in this final: it's controlled from start to finish. We were in a tough spot, but that freed us from something for this final. It's inexplicable, but we had that serenity.
If you had to keep just one image from this final, what would it be?
I have flashes that come back. Especially since my son is nine and plays rugby, and he's starting to take an interest in my career. So he asks me a lot of questions. So I tell him. It's quite moving. What I remember most are the last five minutes on the pitch. The score was up. So I took advantage. I enjoyed it, saying to myself, “At last”. At last we were going to be able to take it home and share it with these people, who have never given up on us. I could see all the fans jumping and dancing in the stands. And I just thought about enjoying that, those five minutes of happiness. It was the first time I'd left the Stade de France with a banana. Every time, I used to cry in the dressing room. But this was a pleasure... Rugby-wise, I've never experienced a pleasure like this before. Besides, I was born in Clermont, I'm a child of the club, my father is a supporter of the club. When I was three, I was in the stands at the Michelin
In this Top 14 final, you put in a drop. It's a lovely symbol. Did you dream of this when you were a kid?
But when I was a kid, I never dreamed that far ahead. My dream was just to play a match at Marcel-Michelin. That was it. That was my dream. Just to play a match with the pros. I've played over 220, in full stadiums, with my mates... I've had some fabulous years.
