Heineken Cup: Clermont to play at home in the quarter-finals after topping Scarlets
Clermont clinched a home clash in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup following a comfortable 29-0 win over Scarlets.
Last Updated: 19/01/13 10:04pm
The Top 14 side knew success in Wales would be enough to clinch the home clash in the last eight while their RaboDirect Pro12 opponents ended the group stage without a win.
Clermont effectively made sure of the points in the first half courtesy of tries from Napolini Vonowale-Nalaga, Morgan Parra and Benson Stanley.
Parra converted all three scores along with adding a 10th minute penalty while Clermont kept the scoreboard ticking over in the second half thanks to Aurelien Rougerie's try.
It took Clermont only until the seventh minute to score their first try when Nalaga raced away from the line from 25 metres out after good attacking work from fellow wing Julien Malzieu and Benjamin Cudmore. Parra added the extras.
And Nalaga was involved again four minutes later when he was the victim of a high tackle from Scarlets full-back Liam Williams which allowed Parra to kick a penalty from the left touchline.
The Scarlets did not help themselves as Clermont went 17-0 up in as many minutes when Parra took an interception pass from number eight Rob McCusker at the base of a scrum. Parra also converted.
Clermont, who beat the Scarlets 49-16 in the first game in October, enjoyed a wealth of possession in the first half but the third try did not come until the 37th minute when replacement scrum-half Ludovic Radosavljevic - on for the injured Parra - found Stanley with a pinpoint pass.
And the centre went over by the posts for David Skrela to convert, giving the French side a 24-0 interval lead.
The Scarlets got some ball in their hands a bit more at the start of the second half but failed to make any headway as the third quarter remained scoreless.
But former Scarlet King came on and had an immediate impact, giving Rougerie the pass which saw Clermont claim their fourth try and the bonus point on 66 minutes.
The Scarlets did have the chance of a try following a clean break by centre Adam Warren, but Josh Turnbull knocked on going over the line.