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The Scarlets will need to pull off a shock result at home to ASM Clermont Auvergne if they are to keep alive any realistic hopes of qualification for a first Heineken Cup quarter-final since 2007. - 13/12/2013 00:59
ASM Clermont Auvergne and Racing Metro will both be fuelled by thoughts of revenge when they meet at Stade Marcel Michelin.
Last-season’s finalists Clermont have secured pole position in Pool 4 following victory over Harlequins, and they know exactly what needs to be done if they are to secure a home tie in the quarter-finals.
Les Juanards will also be eager to settle a score with their French rivals who inflicted their only defeat of the campaign, a 13-9 reverse in Paris in Round 1.
“It was wonderful to be able to secure our qualification last weekend in London, it was the most important thing. After that, it is always an advantage and a pleasure to play (at home) in the quarter-final,” said Clermont backs coach, Franck Azema.
“That requires a big victory and, before thinking of that, we are first focused on the performance we will have to deliver against Racing. We have to win first, then we’ll see what comes after that.”
Racing should have built on that win over Clermont, courtesy of Mark Andreau’s breakaway try, on the opening weekend but they have failed to claim a single victory from their following four games.
They have also slipped to eighth in the Top 14 having won just one of their nine away games this season in all competitions, including a heavy 47-14 defeat at Clermont in November.
“They have nothing to lose and will want to atone for that defeat,” said Azema. “They have a big team though will not be focused purely on the result. They will look for the team to click in this game so we must be vigilant.
“Nothing is guaranteed and we must continue to move forward. Racing will ask big questions so it is necessary that we prepare well in order to find the keys to get out every time.”
Revivez les plus belles actions de la dernière journée de la phase de poules. - 21/01/2014 11:02
ASM Clermont Auvergne secured a home quarter-final with Leicester Tigers in the Heineken Cup after they picked up maximum points against Racing Metro.
Last season’s beaten finalists knew a bonus point win would see them return to the Stade Marcel Michelin, while a failure to score four tries would have seen them head out on the road on the first weekend of April.
Dreadful weather conditions made Clermont’s task much tougher than it might otherwise had been but they still had way too much power and pace for a Racing side who had lost four straight games in Pool 4 since they edged the reverse fixture in Round 1.
Gerhard Vosloo scored twice for the hosts, with Fritz Lee and Vincent Debaty also touching down in a comfortable 28-3 success.
Clermont’s 70-match unbeaten home record never looked in doubt but strong Racing defence in the third quarter suggested they might be left disappointed as far as a home tie in the last eight was concerned as their French rivals refused to buckle despite seeing three men sin binned in the space of 14 minutes.
Clermont enjoyed the perfect start when Lee powered over with just five minutes on the clock after strong early pressure from the home pack. Mike Delany’s conversion completed the seven-point score and that advantage was doubled early in the second quarter as flanker Vosloo ended a superb team move with a fine finish out wide.
Clermont kept the ball alive brilliantly, with the likes of Wesley Fofana and prop Clement Ric both heavily involved, as they showed just how hard they will be to stop in this competition.
Delany again added the extras but the only other score of the half was a Maxime Machenaud penalty that cut Racing’s deficit to 14-3 by the half-time break.
Racing’s already formidable task got even harder when they lost blindside flanker Bernard le Roux to a yellow card just two minutes into the second period, though, as Clermont stepped up the anti.
Clermont thought they had their third try shortly after the restart as Fofana powered through from 10 metres out but referee Greg Garner called for the TMO and he wasn’t willing to give the answer the home faithful were hoping for. Lee took out Benjamin Dambielle in the build up to create the hole through which Fofana charged through and Garner duly wiped out the score.
Le Roux’s return on 52 minutes should have boosted Racing but instead they lost captain Dimitri Szarzewski to the sin bin straight away and were constantly on the back foot at the setpiece as a result.
Clermont continued to pile on the pressure and things went from bad to worse for Racing when replacement prop Luc Ducalcon became the third visitor to be sent to the sin bin for a scrum offence just four minutes after Szarzewski had departed. But Racing wouldn’t roll over and you sensed that they might just be able to frustrate Clermont at a sodden Stade Marcel Michelin.
Clermont’s worries were soon ended, though, as Vosloo crashed over on the hour and replacement forward Debaty followed suit to seal the deal seven minutes later.
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