Clermont claim top spot
Clermont Auvergne booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup with a 59-20 win over Viadana.
Last Updated: 23/01/10 7:49pm
Clermont Auvergne emphatically booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup with a comprehensive 59-20 win over Viadana.
The French side, who registered a convincing 27-6 win against Ospreys last week, knew that only a bonus point win in Italy would see them progress from Pool Three.
And the Top14 title hopefuls made the perfect start just two minutes in when Morgan Parra scored and Brock James added the extras.
The away side continued to run riot through the feeble Italian defence and had picked up the four tries required for a bonus point by half-time, with Napoleoni Nalaga and Aurelien Rougerie (twice) touching down.
Vern Cotter's team then moved into a commanding 52-6 lead thanks to further tries from Julien Malzieu, Elvis Vermeulen, Nalaga and a penalty try, while fly-half James continued his fine form with the boot by kicking six straight conversions.
Julio Garcia's converted try provided the Viadana fans a brief moment of joy but Clermont soon hit back to open up a 59-18 lead thanks to a try from full-back Anthony Floch.
The hosts grabbed another a try through replacement Gareth Krause but it was not enough to stop Cotter's side moving to the top of Pool Three at the expense of Ospreys.
