Tigers tamed in Clermont
A bizarre last-ditch turnaround saw Leicester threaten to claw back a seemingly impossible deficit against Clermont Auvergne on Sunday.
By Simon Dilger
Last Updated: 15/12/09 1:33pm
A bizarre last-ditch turnaround saw Leicester threaten to claw back a seemingly impossible deficit in their Heineken Cup clash against Clermont Auvergne on Sunday.
Clermont had battered the Guinness Premiership champions into submission for much of the game, making the Tigers look more like pussycats in the face of superior power, poise and aggression in all areas.
But with the scores at 35-9 after 70 minutes the Tigers finally found their roar to run in three tries and fall agonisingly short of a fourth, which would have seen them secure two precious bonus points.
The home side ran in five tries during their 40-30 win at the Stade Marcel Michelin, courtesy of Alexandre Lapandre, Napoleoni Nalaga (two), Morgan Parra and Jamie Cudmore.
Leicester though, comprehensively outclassed for 70 minutes, refused to lie down and late scores from Anthony Allen, Toby Flood and Jeremy Staunton took them close to salvaging something from the match.
The Tigers now face a must-win situation in the return fixture at Welford Road next weekend and have some urgent issues to address, particularly in their line-out and around the contact zone, if they hope to make it through the group stage.
The Frenchmen put their first points on the board after just a minute, fly-half Brock James slotting between the sticks to give the hosts a 3-0 lead. But opposite number Flood levelled things up with a penalty of his own on six minutes.
Struggling
Clermont's first try came on the 10 minute mark, Lapandry responding to a quick turnover to flick the ball outside before collecting the return and skipping through a stretched Leicester defence to touch down on the left.
James added the extras with a typically clinical touchline conversion to take his side into a 10-3 lead.
Clermont continued to pile pressure onto a Leicester side who were struggling to settle, but Flood provided some comfort with a penalty to make it 10-6.
The pressure paid off moments later though, when poor tackling saw Fijian winger Nalaga burst through the Tigers' defence and sprint to the line for Clermont's second.
James converted to take the score to 17-6 but Flood kept his side in touch just before the half-hour mark when the home side were pinged for holding on.
Clermont full-back Anthony Floch re-established the 11-point buffer on 36 minutes with a drop-goal but missed another ambitious long range effort two minutes later.
Clermont capped off a near flawless opening 40 minutes with their third try in the dying seconds after sustained pressure yards out from the Leicester line.
With men over on the right, Aurelien Rougerie whipped the ball wide from the base of the ruck to find Nalanga who dived over in the corner.
James missed a difficult conversion to close out an impressive first-half display that saw the home side into a commanding 25-9 lead.
Desperate
Five minutes after the restart James stretched his side's lead by three more with an easy penalty almost in front of the posts.
And in the 56th minute scrum-half Parra secured the bonus point thanks to some slick passing by the backs and a leaking Leicester defence.
James added the extras to take the scoreline to 35-9 and leave the visitors in an increasingly desperate situation - or so it appeared.
As the game entered the final 10, Clermont appeared to pack up ready for home. But Leicester were far from finished and centre Anthony Allan went over in the right corner.
Flood converted to make it 35-16 after the video referee confirmed the try.
Two minutes later and Tuqiri broke down the touchline before releasing Flood to run in unopposed under the posts. He converted to take the score to 35-23.
But with Leicester, against all the odds within sight of a losing bonus point, the Frenchmen appeared to slam the door shut when Cudmore barged over from close range. James missed the conversion.
But there was still more to come from the Tigers and on 77 minutes Flood fed Staunton with a suspiciously forward looking pass for the replacement utility back to cross for Leicester's third.
The fly-half's conversion took the visitors to within three points of a bonus point, an with yet another available for a fourth try the game was set for a frantic finish.
It ended though with exhausted players from both sides strewn around the Clermont touchline following a frantic chase upfield in search of what could prove to be crucial bonus points for the Tigers.
