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Overview
Season so far
Tournament record
Antoine Dupont has scored three tries for Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup this season
Toulouse will need a second win in as many European meetings with ASM Clermont Auvergne if they are to progress to the semi-finals of this year’s Heineken Champions Cup.
The two TOP 14 sides met at the quarter–final stage of the 1999/00 competition, with Toulouse coming out on top in a 31-18 victory.
Clermont scraped past Wasps (27-25) in the Round of 16, while Toulouse were victorious in a thrilling encounter with Munster Rugby (40-33).
Clermont have lost their last two home games in the Heineken Champions Cup but are yet to lose three consecutively in the competition, while Toulouse have won eight of their last 10 away fixtures.
The game at the Stade Marcel-Michelin kicks off at 15:00 (UK and Irish time) and will be aired live on BT Sport in the United Kingdom and beIN SPORTS and FR2 in France.
Pool positions
ASM Clermont Auvergne; 5th in Heineken Champions Cup Pool B; 6 points
Toulouse; 3rd in Heineken Champions Cup Pool B; 10 points
Round of 16
Wasps 25-27 ASM Clermont Auvergne
Munster Rugby 33-40 Toulouse
European Head-to-head record
ASM Clermont Auvergne wins: 0
Draws: 0
Toulouse wins: 1
Leading 2020/21 points-scorers
ASM Clermont Auvergne: Camille Lopez (35)
Toulouse: Romain Ntamack (20)
Your #HeinekenChampionsCup Try of the Round is…🥁@matthislebel's fancy footwork and @Dupont9A's fine finish for @StadeToulousain 🤩@francetvsport's @cecilegres said not only was it a stunner but the 'turning point' in the game 💪
Agree?
More ➡️ https://t.co/Qa3peoE2ez pic.twitter.com/lKgypayrqq
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 8, 2021
Key quote
Romain Ntamack (Toulouse): “We know Clermont very well and they know us We will try to study them as much as possible on video. We know they won’t stop until the 80th minute and that it will be a match of international standard that we are preparing for.”
Match facts
- Clermont Auvergne and Toulouse have faced each other once previously in the Heineken Champions Cup, during the 1999/00 quarter-finals, Toulouse winning 31-18.
- Clermont Auvergne have lost their last two home games in the Heineken Champions Cup, as many as in their previous 37 home games in the competition (W35); they are yet to lose three consecutive home games in the competition.
- Clermont Auvergne have lost their last two home games against French opposition in the Heineken Champions Cup, both against Racing 92, after winning six of the previous eight (L2).
- Toulouse have won eight of their 10 away games in the Heineken Champions Cup since the beginning of the 2018/19 season (L2), more than any other team in that span; they had lost seven of their previous eight games on the road in the competition (W1).
- Toulouse have only lost two of their 16 games played against fellow French teams in the Heineken Champions Cup (W13 D1) and are undefeated in their 10 games played in the knockout stage against other TOP 14 teams (W9 D1).
- Toulouse will play their 18th quarter-final game in the Heineken Champions Cup (W11 L6), equalling the current record of games played at that stage, set by Munster who they knocked out in the Round of 16.
- Toulouse have the best tackle success rate (90%) of any side in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, Clermont’s rate of 83% is the second lowest (Wasps 83%).
- Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) has beaten 13 defenders in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, eight more than any other scrum-half, he is also the only #9 to score multiple tries (3) and has made the most metres of any halfback (135).
- Only Hamish Watson (50) has made more tackles than Clermont’s Fritz Lee (42) this season in the Heineken Champions Cup.
- Clermont duo Damian Penaud (21) and George Moala (18) have beaten more defenders than anyone else in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, team mate Kotaro Matsushima ranks joint fourth (12); as a team Clermont have averaged more defenders beaten (31) per game than any other side
Toulouse battle past Clermont to reach third successive Heineken Champions Cup semi-final
Toulouse's Romain Ntamack
Toulouse fly-half Romain Ntamack kicked all of his side’s points as they claimed a 21-12 away success over ASM Clermont Auvergne to secure a spot in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals for the third successive season.
The four-time European champions pulled away in the final 20 minutes as Clermont’s lack of discipline proved costly, allowing Ntamack to send his side into the last four with a string of accurate penalty kicks.
Ntamack didn’t start at his precise best though, missing two kicks whilst his opposite kicker, Morgan Parra, made no mistake to nudge Clermont six points ahead.
In a tactical opening 40 minutes, Toulouse edged their way back into proceedings and ended up level at the break courtesy of a pair of penalty kicks, with attacking opportunities at a premium.
The last semi-final spot goes to @StadeToulousain ❤️🖤@ASMOfficiel pushed them all the way but fall agonisingly short again…#HeinekenChampionsCup #ASMvTOU pic.twitter.com/eAAb1uW2qO
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 11, 2021
At a rainy Stade Marcel-Michelin, the two sides again battled for territory and remained locked in a tight affair until the hour mark as the two kickers both slotted penalty kicks to leave us at 12-12.
But it was at that point that Toulouse took control, taking advantage of a powerful scrum and Clermont indiscipline to move three, six and then nine points ahead from the kicking tee.
Parra would have the chance to move Clermont back within a score on 77 minutes, but he hooked a kick badly wide in the last meaningful action of the last eight clash.
Toulouse will host Bordeaux-Begles in their Heineken Champions Cup semi-final in three weeks’ time.
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