A European Rugby Challenge Cup filled with spectacular tries and points bonanzas reaches an appropriate climax on Friday night, when the top two seeds from the knockout stages meet in the first all-French final since 2012. Newcastle’s St James’ Park will host the third meeting this season between ASM Clermont Auvergne and La Rochelle, with the TOP 14 rivals deadlocked at one home win apiece so far. Now European glory beckons, with Clermont bidding for a third Challenge Cup after their successes in 1999 and 2007, while La Rochelle will be aiming to become the 16th winner of the trophy and the eighth French side to triumph in their first appearance in a European final. Both sides have players with experience of lifting the trophy in their squads – and Clermont even have a head coach with a winner’s medal in Franck Azéma, who started at centre in Montferrand’s 35-16 victory over Bourgoin in the 1999 final. [jwplayer 0S5p7hLx] He will have at his disposal forward Sitaleki Timani, a winner with Montpellier in 2016, and scrum-half Greig Laidlaw, who triumphed with Gloucester Rugby in 2015. La Rochelle also have two previous winners in their ranks in centre Geoffrey Doumayrou and back Jérémy Sinzelle, who both appeared in Stade Français Paris’ success in 2017, while head coach Jon Gibbes was Leinster Rugby’s forwards coach for three of their European Cup triumphs. Clermont have thrilled spectators with their attacking brand of rugby so far this season, matching Ospreys’ 2016/17 record of a maximum 30 points from their pool games thanks to 44 tries, before defeating Northampton Saints 61-38 in the quarter-finals and Harlequins 32-27 in the semi-finals. [jwplayer 2qr45ANR] Australian back Peter Betham has been a particular beneficiary with 10 tries to top the campaign’s chart and now needs only one more to set a new seasonal record for the competition. La Rochelle’s path to the final has been slightly trickier, as they lost 13-3 at home to Bristol Bears in Pool 4, before exacting comprehensive revenge with a 39-15 victory over the English club at Stade Marcel Deflandre in the quarter-finals and then overcoming Sale Sharks 24-20 in a home semi-final.

You can watch Friday’s Challenge Cup final between ASM Clermont Auvergne and La Rochelle on BT Sport, FR4 and beIN SPORTS.