Clermont prend le meilleur sur les Stormers, Bordeaux-Bègles chute à Gloucester
Mathieu WARNIER, Media365, published on Saturday December 10, 2022 at 6:10 p.m.
While Clermont was able to do what was necessary in the second period to dominate the Stormers (24-14), Bordeaux-Bègles saw victory in Gloucester slip through their fingers at the very end of the match (22-17).
Clermont 24-14 Stormers
Clermont sent a clear message. No, the Stormers are not arriving on conquered ground. Sacred last season in the United Rugby Championship, the South African franchise suffered the defeat of Marcel-Michelin for its debut in the Champions Cup. A match that ASM got off to a bad start with a failure at the foot of Jules Plisson then the injury exit of Jacobus van Tonder after a high tackle from Ben-Jason Dixon, which earned him a yellow card. It was the South Africans who finally opened the score thanks to a sensitivity from Manie Libbok shortly before the quarter-hour mark, to which Jules Plisson very quickly replied… then scoring the only points for the Jaunards in the first to act. Indeed, after a second success from Manie Libbok, Deon Fourie flattened the first try of the match. The third line of the Stormers was able to recover the ball after a carried ball stopped one meter from the in-but to go score. A final penalty from Clayton Blommetjies allowed the South African franchise to join the locker room with an eleven-point lead. But, remaining silent during the second act, the latter suffered the awakening of the Clermontois. Seven minutes after the restart, Alex Newsome sounded the charge after a long possession streak. Shifted on a jump pass from Jules Plisson, the Australian rear reviewed the Stormers defense to flatten. Returning to one point thanks to the boot of their striker, ASM took the lead shortly after the hour mark. Alivereti Raka made his speed and power speak for itself to allow Clermont to take a four-point lead. If the Stormers tried to push, a drop then a penalty from Jules Plisson sealed the fate of the meeting. Clermont launches its European season with a convincing success (24-14) but the absence of the offensive bonus could make the difference at the end of this group stage.
Gloucester 22-17 Bordeaux-Bègles
The UBB a vintage to the feat. Traveling to the synthetic turf at Kingsholm Stadium to face Gloucester, the Girondins were perfect in the first half before suffering the English waves. Frédéric Charrier’s players took the game by the right end with the first try scored after just two minutes. Despite a complicated throw in touch, Sipili Falatea was able to recover the ball and pierce the defensive curtain of Cherry-and-White to go to the test without opposition. After having ensured on the transformation, Zack Holmes made the addition fuller in the middle of the first act on weakness. It was then that Gloucester was able to react through Stephen Varney. After a sequence of possession that unbalanced the Gironde defense, the Italian scrum-half took advantage of a pass after contact from Santiago Socino to find the fault and go open the counter of the English club in this meeting. If George Skivington’s proteges pushed to come back before the break, it was the UBB who were able to make the bill worse. Established for the first time in his new colors, Jack Willis perfectly concluded the work of the Girondin forwards a few moments before the return to the locker room, carried out with a margin of twelve lengths for Bordeaux-Bègles. An offensive efficiency which was however not there at the resumption, the UBB having failed to gain the upper hand over the English defense. Shortly after the hour, Albert Tuisue brought on the Cherry-and-White, showing his power to forcefully flatten his formation’s second try. Six minutes later, Santiago Socino reduced Gloucester to five units after improving a conquering carried ball. The UBB held firm but the “money time” was fatal to them. Four minutes from the siren, Charlie Chapman was launched by Matias Alemanno to snatch the victory (22-17). Bordeaux-Bègles brings back the defensive bonus point but above all a lot of regrets.