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Reigning champions Leinster's clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne is a real heavyweight contest and promises to be one of the games of the round. - 07/12/2012 12:00
Reigning champions Leinster’s clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne is a real heavyweight contest and promises to be one of the games of the round.
The Dubliners, who are looking to win their fourth title in five years, will be under no illusions of the task facing them when they travel to face one of the favourites for this season’s competition.
The French side will be determined to make amends for the 19-15 defeat to Leinster in last year’s semi-final in Bordeaux which cost them a place in the final at Twickenham.
This clash does bring the best attacking side in the competition so far – Clermont – and the best defensive side – Leinster – together but something will have to give this weekend.
Clermont have already scored a dozen tries in their two comprehensive victories over the Scarlets and Exeter Chiefs and lead the Pool by two points ahead of the Irish club.
Leinster have managed only one try in their previous two games but their impressive defence has also seen them only concede a solitary try and they still have Clermont very much in their sights.
Fly-half Jonathan Sexton, back from Test duty with Ireland, will know the aristocrats of Irish rugby will have to rediscover the form which saw them lift the trophy last season after two narrow and unconvincing wins over the Scarlets and Exeter.
Leinster have certainly had the better of Clermont in the six games between the two sides, with the Irish side winning five of the six games. Clermont have lost the last two games against Leinster.
Match Facts
• The French team average the most carries and have gained the most ground per match so far, racking up 134 carries per match at a gain of 645 metres.
• Conversely, the best attack in the competition meets the best defence as Leinster have missed only eight tackles in 160 minutes of rugby so far. They have completed 97% of attempted tackles.
• Clermont’s Damien Chouly has made a competition high 33 carries so far this season.
• If Gordon D’Arcy plays, he will make his 88th appearance in the Heineken Cup and will move ahead of Shane Horgan as the Leinster player with the most tournament appearances.
L'ASM remporte l'énorme choc de cette 3e journée face au double tenant du titre du Leinster (15-12) et prend une belle option pour la qualification en quart de finale. - 09/12/2012 17:19
If that is the taste of things to come then bring on Part 2 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
Leinster, the reigning champions, suffered their first defeat in the Heineken Cup in 17 games when they were beaten 15-12 by ASM Clermont Auvergne in the clash of Round 3 of the Heineken Cup pools.
The French also side made it 51 games unbeaten at home with this narrow victory over the defending champions, but the Irish side came away with a bonus point and kept their own hopes of a quarter-final place alive.
Both sides, viewed by many as genuine candidates to win this season’s tournament, came into this heavyweight clash unbeaten, having won their opening two games in the Pool.
Neither side really showed their hand in a first-half which resembled a game of chess with both sides probing and prodding for defensive weaknesses and looking to take any points on offer.
The first half was a typically tight affair with Clermont’s scrum-half Morgan Parra and Leinster’s fly-half Jonathan Sexton exchanged penalties to make it 12-9 to the home side just before the break.
Clermont’s Australian fly-half Butch James landed a well taken drop goal with the last kick of the half to stretch the French side’s lead to six points to make it 15-9 lead at half-time.
The Irish province clawed themselves back to within three points when he landed his fourth penalty to keep the pressure on Clermont in front of their partisan home crowd at the Stade Marcel Michelin.
Defence proved to be the common denominator between the two sides during an incredibly tight second half and neither side looked like scoring the elusive try in a compelling contest in France.
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