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Harlequins will be looking to close the gap on leaders Clermont Auvergne in a match that could decide who tops Pool 4. - 09/01/2014 23:57
Harlequins will be looking to close the gap on leaders Clermont Auvergne in a match that could decide who tops Pool 4.
Clermont are four points clear of Harlequins at the summit but a home win would give the Aviva Premiership club a great chance of winning the group.
“Your next game is always your biggest, but this is do or die,” said Harlequins boss Conor O’Shea. “We both want to win the game and we all know what we need out of the game.
“We have fought tooth and nail over the last few months to get ourselves where we want to be and it comes down to this game.
“The Heineken Cup is the pinnacle, it’s what the players aspire to. Clermont have been one of the great sides in Europe over the last five years but they have never one it. This is their holy grail.”
Clermont remain one of the favourites to lift this year’s Heineken Cup having shown some formidable form in the group stages.
No side has made more successful carries or metres than Clermont in their year’s competition and their scrum has once again been formidable. Their scrum success rate of 97% is better than any other side in the tournament.
Morgan Parra’s early return from a knee injury is a huge boost but the French side will travel to Twickenham Stoop without skipper Julien Bonnaire. The France international faces six weeks to eight out of action because of a fracture to his right forearm. Clermont will also be missing scrum half Thierry Lacrampe, who is due to miss three weeks with a knee problem.
Match Notes
- Clermont saw off a resilient Harlequins side 23-16 in Round 2 at Stade Marcel-Michelin meaning that all three Heineken Cup meetings to date between the clubs have been won by the home side (Clermont W2) with the first two matches coming in the 1999/2000 pool stage.
- Clermont have made more carries (140) and metres (547) per game than any other club in this season's competition. They've also spent the most time in possession per game (20 minutes 58 seconds).
- Clermont's scrum success rate is 97%, a tournament high figure. Harlequins have won more scrums than any other side so far (35) and their win ratio is 90% (4th best).
- Clermont have made an average of 22 offloads per game so far – another tournament high.
- Sitiveni Sivivatu has made the most metres (417) to date with Mike Brown third in that chart on 321 metres. Chris Robshaw (57 – joint 2nd) and Sitiveni Sivivatu (56 – 4th) are among the top ball carriers going into Round 5.
- Naipolioni Nalaga is the joint highest try scorer with four going into Round 5.
- Sitiveni Sivivatu and Mike Brown are ranked sixth and seventh on the Amlin Opta Index respectively.
- Nick Easter is ranked as the fourth best forward based on the Amlin Opta Index this season, making 51 carries, 10 offloads and 29 carries so far.
Clermont Auvergne came from behind at The Stoop to secure their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals and become the first team to win a Pool this season. With four successive wins
Clermont Auvergne came from behind at The Stoop to secure their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals and become the first team to win a Pool this season. With four successive wins, and 19 points, they cannot now be caught.
Harlequins led from the 22nd minute until the 72nd but a Sitiveni Sivivatu try and late penalty from Brock James means Clermont are the first side to book their place in the knock-out stages.
Last season’s Heineken Cup finalists looked like they were going to pay the price for a number of missed chances but they showed their class with a dramatic finish.
The visitors had started strongly and were in front after two minutes through a James penalty.Clermont then put down two great chances to score the game’s opening try with Naipolioni Nalaga and Fritz Lee the guilty parties, both after excellent work from James.
Quins soon punished Clermont for the mistakes thanks to a moment of magic from Danny Care.Care started a move from inside his own half before collecting Chris Robshaw’s chip and flicking an incredible pass behind his back as he fell into touch to find Matt Hopper and he raced over.
Evans converted the score and kicked two more penalties before the end of the half to give Quins a deserved 10-point lead at the break.But it was Clermont who came out firing after the interval and quickly hit back with a try.
Quins full back Mike Brown misjudged a kick over the top and Nalaga took advantage to chip ahead and collect to score his 23rd Heineken Cup try in 28 games. James failed to add the extras with the boot but Quins were dealt a further blow when Care was forced off shortly after with a leg injury.
A missed penalty from James on the hour mark let Quins off the hook as the French side started to put them under pressure. Evans had a chance to ease their worries 10 minutes before the end but he also missed a straightforward penalty from 35m.
It proved to be costly as Clermont went straight down the other end and after going through 10 phases they shifted the ball out wide for former All Black Sitiveni Sivivatu to dive over in the corner. Yet another missed kick from James kept the score level at 13-13 but he finally hit the target four minutes from time to nudge the visitors in front and they held on for the win.
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