Top 14, r15: Montauban beat Clermont
20-15 as 'Les Jaunards' continue to struggle
05 December
2009
| Montauban
|
20 |
Clermont
Auvergne |
15 |
| Bourgoin |
- |
Castres |
- |
| Perpignan |
- |
Montpellier |
- |
|
Stade Francais |
- |
Bayonne |
- |
| SCA Albi |
- |
Biarritz |
- |
| Brive |
- |
Stade
Toulousain |
- |
| Racing-Métro 92 |
- |
Toulon |
- |
Clermont Auvergne's indifferent recent form continued
with a 20-15 defeat at Montauban on Friday evening,
meaning 'Les Jaunards' will go into next week's Heineken Cup
clash with Leicester Tigers on the back on just one win in
their last six outings.
It's
hardly the kind of form to send shivers down the spine of
the Guinness Premiership champions, especially when you
consider that lone win was at home to struggling Bourgoin.
To further darken coach Vern Cotter's mood their latest
defeat was partly inflicted by former Clermont winger
Vilimoni Delasau, who scored one of Montauban's two tries at
the Stade Sapiac.
Top 14 Table
/
Top 14 try-scorers
/
Top 14 Results
/
Top 14
Fixtures
Conditions were never going to be favourable to a
free-running game, but Cotter will be additionally concerned
that his team failed to create clear-cut openings, and
relied instead on the boot of international scrum-half
Morgan Parra for all of their points.
Montauban are fast becoming something of a bogey team for
Clermont, and certainly they showed no fear as they
overwhelmed their visitors with another forward display, as
well as some stubborn defence later in the game. Last season
they inflicted Clermont's only home defeat in Top 14 - with
Delasau on the scoreboard again - while honours were shared
with a 19-19 draw at the Sapiac.
On Friday evening they went 0-3 down early on
when Parra kicked an 18th-minute penalty, but that was as
good as it got for the visitors all evening as the home side
gradually established their superiority.
South
African fly-half Leonard Olivier kicked a 45m penalty to
equalise after 23 minutes and Marc Raynaud's team then
surged into the lead with Delasau's try - his fourth of the
season - just five minutes later. The veteran Fijian stole
over in the corner following quick hands from Mathieu Belie
and a miss-pass from Olivier after Montauban had stolen a
scrum against the head.
Olivier
kicked the conversion as he again impressed in only his
second match for Montauban following his transfer from AMD
Valke Falcons, and the home side headed into the interval
with a thoroughly deserved 10-3 lead.
Parra's
second penalty success narrowed the gap three minutes after
the restart, but Montauban's response was clinical with
Jean-Philippe Viard touching down for their second try
following more good work from Delasau. Olivier's conversion
made it 17-6 and raised hopes of a possible attacking bonus
for hosts.
Cotter
sent on a raft of replacements as he tried to revitalise his
team, but Montauban's defence stood firm in the face of
mounting pressure as they continued to smother any Clermont
threat. A brace of Parra penalties brought the away side to
within eight points as the match entered its final 10
minutes, but Montauban replacement Cédric Rosalen ensured
there was no late fightback when he landed a 74th-minute
reply to ensure the win.
Parra
did manage one more late penalty, which at least gave
Clermont the defensive bonus, but Cotter's men will have to
seriously raise their game if they are to pose a meaningful
threat to Leicester in next week's Heineken Cup group match.
To
further compound Cotter's evening he now has fitness
concerns over Benoît Baby after the Clermont winger was
substituted in the 14th minute due to a shoulder injury.
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