ASM Clermont Auvergne 18 RC Toulon 24

Toulon became the first team to win the European Cup three years in a row when they defeated TOP 14 rivals Clermont at Twickenham in a thrilling final.

The French club joined Leicester Tigers (2001 and 2002) and Leinster Rugby (2011 and 2012) as the only successive two-time winners in 2014, but 12 months on they moved out on their own in the European rugby history books after a fine fightback crowned by a brilliant late Drew Mitchell try.

Clermont, who had been edged out 16-15 by Toulon in the 2013 final, suffered further heartbreak at the hands of the defending champions, after opening up an 11-3 lead in the first half.

Their fly-half, Camille Lopez, had struck the first blows with two penalties and although Toulon full-back Leigh Halfpenny reduced the deficit with the first of his four, Clermont scored the opening try of the game when centre Wesley Fofana pounced on a Morgan Parra charge-down.

Slowly, though, Toulon’s pack started to take control, forcing two penalties which Halfpenny converted, before centre Mathieu Bastareaud finished off an excellent move by powering over for a try which the Welsh international improved to give the champions a 16-11 interval lead.

Halfpenny was again on the mark when Clermont were penalised shortly after the resumption, but they hit back with an outstanding try from full-back Nick Abendanon, who seized on Bryan Habana’s poor clearance kick, chipped ahead, gathered the ball and raced clear.

With Lopez converting, Toulon now only led 19-18, but those scores only served to stir them into further action and after lock Ali Williams dropped the ball over the line, Mitchell conjured his moment of magic, beating six defenders before touching down.

As we look forward to Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup Rewind between Scarlets and RC Toulon, we reflect on the French club’s historic third successive European Cup in 2015.