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More European misery for Bath as Clermont complete eight-try rout
Bath’s nightmare Heineken Champions Cup campaign continued as Stuart Hooper’s men were hammered 52-26 by Clermont Auvergne.
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The French side were unstoppable in the first half as they ran in six of their eight tries and recorded a bonus point in just 20 minutes.
Their convincing victory leaves them a point behind Ulster at the top of Pool 3, with Bath bottom after a fourth straight defeat.
Clermont led 40-14 at half-time as Alivereti Raka and George Moala both touched down twice after John Ulugia and Damian Penaud had got the scoreboard moving.
Playground bully @elliottstooke ?
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Camille Lopez and Jake McIntyre grabbed Clermont’s second-half efforts while Morgan Parra kicked five conversions and Greig Laidlaw added one.
Bath had something to smile about as they claimed a bonus point courtesy of tries from Jack Walker, Ruaridh McConnochie, Tom Dunn and Josh Bayliss.
With just four minutes on the clock hooker Ulugia crashed over from a driving line-out and Parra added the extras.
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It soon got even worse for Bath as France international Penaud went over and Raka’s first try of the day made it 21-0 after just 14 minutes.
Clermont’s free-flowing back play continued as the ball was spread down the right side from a scrum and powerful inside centre Moala could not be stopped by the Bath defence as he added a fourth try five minutes later.
Bath finally hit back in the 24th minute. The visitors got a driving line-out of their own going and hooker Walker emerged with the ball. Referee Ben Whitehouse checked the score for obstruction, but it was confirmed by the TMO and Freddie Burns added the first of his three conversions.
By that stage Bath had lost wing Aled Brew to injury after a nasty aerial collision with Samuel Ezeala.
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Raka grabbed his second by racing on to a chip through to dot down in the 29th minute and Parra again converted.
Incredible try for Clermont to wrap things up against Bath ?
Raka power ?
Penaud pace ??
McIntyre finish ? pic.twitter.com/j8nk5QugHs— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) December 15, 2019
Just three minutes later Raka led the charge down the left wing as his team combined power and pace to devastating fashion and Moala crashed over to finish the move off. Parra converted both to make it 40-7.
McConnochie grabbed Bath’s second following an inside ball from Burns which looked forward, but the TMO confirmed the score and Burns kicked the goal to end an all-action first period.
Four minutes into the second half, Lopez tapped and went to score Clermont’s seventh try.
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But Dunn responded six minutes later as Bath’s driving line-out again did a good job. Burns brilliantly converted.
The second half was scrappy as Bath chased a bonus point, while Clermont did not hit the same heights of the first period.
Bath managed to grab their fourth try from a driving maul via Bayliss with nine minutes left.
But Bath’s Sam Nixon was sin-binned for a professional foul as he desperately tried to stop Clermont scoring and while he was off the field McIntyre completed the try count with a sensational effort.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments