Unwanted James targets Euro gold
Brock James' career could have slipped off the edge of a cliff when the then Western Force coach John Mitchell told him he would be the fifth choice flyhalf if he hung around in Perth for the 2007 Super campaign.
The former Australia Under-21 and Sevens international had just finished his first full season and was hoping for a breakthrough.
Instead, he got knocked back … but not down.
He weighed up his options and, against the odds, found a willing employer in a rugby-mad town in the centre of France.....
.....James has turned into one of the best Australian buys in France and on Saturday in Dublin hopes to steer the club that put their faith in his ability to their first European Cup crown.
The 31-year-old Victorian was in the hot seat three years ago when Clermont finally broke their duck in the French Championship Final at the 11th time of asking, beating Perpignan 19-6, and know he aims to help his side become the first in tournament history to win nine games in a row to take the most coveted title in Northern Hemisphere club rugby.
Trying his best to stop him from adding a 2013 European Cup winners' medal to the Bouclier de Brennus (French Championship) crown he won in 2010 and the Challenge Cup title in 2007, will be Toulon's Matt Giteau and Rocky Elsom, who could feature in the match-day 23....
...Since joining Clermont seven years ago, James has transformed himself from bit-part player at the Western Force to the driving influence at one of Europe's most successful sides.
It is not just his goal-kicking that has steered Clermont into six major finals during his stint at the club.
His general game management since taking over the No.10 jersey from Jones has marked him out as one of Clermont's most consistent performers, despite the presence of David Skrela in recent seasons....
...Success finally came, both for James and, at the 10th time of asking, Clermont in the 2010 final in Paris when the Bouclier de Bennus finally found its way back to Stade Michel-Michelin.
This season's quest has all been about climbing Europe's Everest by winning the European Cup, but there is also a chance of a double if Clermont can keep on winning. They ended the Top 14 season at No.1 and will play in the semi-finals in Nantes next weekend.
"The European Cup is not an easy competition to win and to try to manage it with your home competition as well is a very hard thing to do," James said.
"I guess we struggled a bit with that for the first couple of years since we got back into it regularly," he added.
"We might have had a bit more of a focus on Top 14 and maybe we gained some experience through that. Being our first European Cup final has its own importance, but for us the European stage is still quite a big step.
"It's one of those competitions where you have to earn your stripes and learn how to go about things. I'm not the one to judge if this is the biggest game in the club's history, but over the last few years it has to be up there."....
Full story at http://www.rugby365.com/article/5389...gets-euro-gold
