The European Rugby Challenge Cup final between ASM Clermont Auvergne and La Rochelle in Newcastle on May 10 will be the competition’s sixth decider between two French clubs. The tournament was dominated by TOP 14 teams in its early years, with the first four finals being all-French encounters, but since then there has been only one – until this year. Here we look back at those five finals: 1997: Bourgoin 18 Castres Olympique 9 The first Challenge Cup final was a try-less affair, with Bourgoin completing their eighth win from eight matches in the 1996/97 competition thanks to the deadly boots of centre Alexandre Péclier and replacement fly-half Patrice Favre at the Stade de la Méditerranée in Béziers. Two penalties and a drop-goal from French international Péclier plus three Favre penalties enabled Bourgoin to pull clear in the second half, after the first period had finished level at 6-6 in front of a 10,000 crowd. Castres’ points all came from penalties, with full-back Cyril Savy landing two and fly-half Sébastien Paillat one. 1998: Colomiers 43 Agen 5 Colomiers ran riot at Stade des Sept Deniers in Toulouse, scoring seven tries, which is still a record for a Challenge Cup final, to demolish Agen. Flanker Bernard de Giusti led the way with a brace, while wing Marc Biboulet, centres Sébastien Roque and Jérome Sieurac, scrum-half Fabien Galthié and hooker Yannick Bru also touched down. Fly-half Mickaël Carre kicked four conversions. Agen’s solitary response in front of the 12,500 spectators was a first-half try from lock Christophe Porcu. 1999: Montferrand 35 Bourgoin 16 A then-record Challenge Cup final crowd of 31,906 saw Montferrand dash Bourgoin’s hopes of a second title in three years at Lyon’s Stade Gerland with a dominant second-half display. The trophy’s fate was in the balance at the break, when Montferrand led only 13-9, after fly-half Gérald Merceron had landed two penalties and converted a try from wing Jimmy Marlu, while Bourgoin fly-half Benjamin Boyet kicked two penalties and dropped a goal. However, Montferrand pulled clear in the second period with a penalty try and a try from replacement scrum-half Christophe Larrue, plus four more penalties from Merceron. Bourgoin’s sole reply was a try from centre James McLaren, which was converted by Boyet. https://twitter.com/ERChallengeCup/status/1123263276484263937 2000: Pau 34 Castres Olympique 21 A storming first-half display enabled Pau to win their first Challenge Cup and condemned Castres to a second runners-up berth in four seasons at Toulouse’s Stade des Sept Deniers. Castres staged a fine fightback after the break, when they trailed 21-6, and actually won the second half 15-13, but the damage had been done. The main architect was captain and fly-half David Aucagne, who kicked 19 points, landing five penalties and converting two of Pau’s three tries, which were scored by flanker Nicolas Bacque (2) and full-back Nicolas Brusque. Castres’ points came from their France full-back, Thomas Castaignède, who kicked three penalties and a conversion, plus tries from centre Eric Artiguste and replacement prop Levan Tsabadze. 2012: Biarritz Olympique 21 RC Toulon 18 After losing two European Cup finals – in 2006 and 2010 – it was third time lucky in European deciders for Biarritz Olympique when they stepped down to the Challenge Cup. They won a battle of the boot at Twickenham Stoop thanks to the nerveless goalkicking of their France scrum-half, Dimitri Yachvili, who deservedly won the man of the match award for his seven penalties, which remains a record for a Challenge Cup final. He outscored Toulon’s former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who kicked five penalties and dropped a goal.