CHAMPIONS CUP – At 14 against 15, Clermont takes on water in Bath (40-21)

Clermont was unable to achieve the feat in Bath this Sunday at the end of the third day of the group stage of the Champions Cup (40-21), Sunday. Weighed down by a severe red card addressed to its right pillar Giorgi Akhaladze in the first period (25th), ASM held on but could not avoid a dry defeat at the Recreation Ground. The Auvergnats will have to qualify for the round of 16 next Saturday at Marcel-Michelin against Bristol.

Clermont had come to the South West of England with great intentions. And in truth, the Premiership leader would certainly have had a lot of trouble this Sunday if his opponent had not been reduced to 14 even before the half-hour mark. In an almost innocuous action, the Georgian right-hander Giorgi Akhaladze had the bad reflex of raising his arm too much when trying to stop the speedy center Max Ojomoh. If the reality of the fault is not in dispute, the direct red card is a little more so, this type of intervention is generally never sanctioned beyond a yellow card. Severe, the decision of Scottish referee Mike Adamson considerably reduced Clermont’s chances in this game.

A meeting certainly started badly by the Jaunards, transfixed from the first seconds of play by Ojomoh, decidedly executioner of the ASM, who allowed the early try of the fullback Tom de Glanville (2nd). Trailing 14-0 after not even 10 minutes of play following a new try from Finn Russell (7th), Christophe Urios’ men had the merit of reacting, led by leaders such as Baptiste Jauneau, Bautista Delguy or Folau Fainga’ has.

And then this red card came to put a damper on all these good intentions. At 14, the ASM did not give up but the matter was becoming too complicated. However, she was close to coming home with an offensive bonus point, which would have been an acceptable consolation prize given the scenario of the game. A final forward near the English goal by Peceli Yato, author of his team’s third try on the hour mark (62nd), put an end to the Jaunards’ hopes in this funny match.

Empty-handed, the latter will have to beat Bristol next Saturday at home to grab a folding seat and afford a trip to a big league in eighth grade.