In a Marcel-Michelin Sports Park, where the atmosphere of major European matches was de rigueur this Sunday, ASM-Clermont could only compete with the Leicester Tigers for half time, before physically and technically suffering , facing an English team that was superior to them in all areas.
A first period during which the Clermontois raced in the lead, thanks to a try by Cheikh Tiberghien. But by quickly losing the Japanese Kotaro Matsushima to injury (shoulder), and facing a team that had no other objective than to win in this first leg, the Clermontois quickly suffered, managing all the same to resist 10-10 at the break.
10-29 is a logical gap between the two teams today. The difference between a team that has been able to be effective on its highlights and another that has not been able to score on the breaches it has created. We will go to Welford Road next week with enthusiasm, because we need this type of match and atmosphere to grow and progress our team – Jono Gibbes
But in the second half, the Clermontois suffered the impact and physically fell until they cracked with four new tries conceded and a gap in the score which only grew to their disadvantage. Unable to score a single point in the last 40 minutes, the Clermontois nevertheless had a few chances, especially after the red card from center Guy Porter, but never managed to materialize their rare highlights, against the well-organized Tigers and applied throughout the 80 minutes of play.
For Clermont coach Jono Gibbes, the result is logical and does indeed reflect the current level gap of his team with the leader of the English championship, beaten only three times this season in 25 games: “10-29 is a logical gap between the two teams today. The difference between a team that was able to be effective on its highlights and another that was unable to score on the breaches it We will go to Welford Road next week with enthusiasm, because we need this type of match and atmosphere to grow and progress our team.”
Clermont will therefore go to England next week with a deficit of 19 points at kick-off, but with the desire to accumulate experience for the future. But for the backline player, Cheikh Tiberghien, you still have to believe in it: “We are competitors and we will go there to try to create the feat. Me in any case I want to believe that it is still possible.”
It will therefore be necessary to find objectives and motivation when going to England next week for the Auvergne team, which must also think about the rest of the season, and a capital match which then awaits it in the Top 14. on the lawn of Castres Olympique.
The return match will be followed next Saturday from 6:30 p.m. on France Bleu Pays d’Auvergne.
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