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.
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.
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.
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 ??
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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
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments