La Rochelle captain Romain Sazy is hoping to take the Challenge Cup trophy back to the French city for the club’s fans for the first time this weekend – but he admits they will face a stiff task against a vastly experienced ASM Clermont Auvergne side. The 32-year-old has played in seven Challenge Cup matches this season, including La Rochelle’s 39-15 quarter-final win over Bristol Bears and their 24-20 semi-final success against Sale Sharks, both of which were played in front of a vociferous home crowd at Stade Marcel Deflandre. Sazy – who played in La Rochelle’s Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Gloucester Rugby in 2017 – now wants to reward the club’s loyal fans with a first European trophy on Friday night in Newcastle. “We know this Clermont team quite well,” said the French lock. “They have some very strong players capable of making the difference on the day. It's a very complete team with more experience than us, but we are going to fight for the win. "I am very proud to represent the club in a European final. The club and the fans deserve it. https://twitter.com/ERChallengeCup/status/1126835082818457601 “We had a taste of a big European match two years ago with a semi-final against Gloucester. “We started the season trying to reach these matches, so now we are here, we will savour this final and give everything to bring something back to La Rochelle. “If we can bring something back to the fans, it would be wonderful to reward all the efforts of recent years.” La Rochelle director of rugby Jono Gibbes stressed that despite the tension of a first European final, his side would maintain their attacking style against the two-time Challenge Cup winners. https://twitter.com/ERChallengeCup/status/1126162474955345921 “We like to think we deserve our place in the final as well and that we bring something,” Gibbes said. “Both teams like to play positively with the ball and both teams like to attack. The two teams do it in a different way, but I think on our behalf, we have got to the final playing a certain way – our way. “We have got to stay true to that and I think that is what our supporters expect. We will continue to do things that have given us this opportunity.”