Clermont: This is our year
Nick Abendanon believes this is going to be ASM Clermont Auvergne's season and that the French side can finally win the European Cup after so many years of trying.
The England fullback played another key role in steering Clermont into a second Final in three seasons – after a 13-9 revenge win over Saracens earned them a ticket to Twickenham Stadium and the inaugural Champions Cup Final on Saturday, May 2.
"I don't want to jinx it, but it is another final for Clermont and we honestly believe this is our year," said Abendanon.
"We have worked so hard to get here that, hopefully, it will be our year.
"It has been a hell of a ride in the Champions Cup this season.
"We have beaten Munster home and away, Northampton Saints and now Saracens here in St Etienne.
"The win over Saints was a game in which everything worked for us and we knew it was going to be a lot more difficult in the semi-final.
"Saracens squeezed us and were a very difficult side to play against.
"We went into half-time three points down and we had hardly touched the ball. But we knew that if we played in the right areas we would eventually get a shot at them and it was a lovely bit of skill by Brock James that led to the try.
"I was sitting next to Jonathan Davies on the bus coming to the stadium and I have never experienced anything like it before.
"The fans were fantastic and I just turned to Jonathan and said this is why we came to France.
"The noise in the stadium was deafening and you simply don't experience anything like that kind of atmosphere in English rugby.
"Clermont and Toulon are bitter rivals and it would make for a fantastic spectacle if we met them in the final. But you can never write-off Leinster.
"I'm just going to put up my feet and watch the game with eager anticipation. Then it is roll on the final in two weeks time."
Source: @ChampionsCup
