At the end of an intense showdown, ASM-Clermont lost for the fourth time in a row in the leaguebut showed character to snatch a defensive bonus point thanks to two tries from Thomas Rozières and Jean-Pascal Barraque, in the last two minutes of the game.
A bonus that does not prevent the Clermontois from slipping to 10th place in the ranking now 8 points behind Racing, 6th, who will play their meeting on Sunday evening at Bordeaux-Bègles.
But Clermont still delivered a quality performance, long on par with his opponent. By relying on his young guard, Jono Gibbes could see that he could count on a larger group, in order to compensate for the many injuries in his workforce.
For its big premiere, Killian Tixeront distinguished himself at the third-line position with an overflowing activity and a considerable contribution in touch.
1 point is better than zero, but we came to La Rochelle to achieve another result. -Morgan Parra.
One-night opener Morgan Parra appreciated his team’s reaction of pride, but still hoped for more than a defensive bonus point. After returning to his scrum-half position mid-game, Parra returned to the position of 10 after thean injury (a priori quite serious according to Jono Gibbes) of Gabin Michet.
With 4 defeats in as many away games and only 2 defensive bonus points gleaned in this series, Clermont will now have to work hard to maintain any semblance of hope for qualification. To finally find the way to victory, Clermont will host Perpignan next Saturday at 5:15 p.m.