Clermont 22
Leicester Tigers 16
CLERMONT AUVERGNE STRETCHED their unbeaten record at Stade Marcel Michelin to 75 as they they beat Leicester Tigers by six points to advance to the Heineken Cup semi-finals.
Morgan Parra put the home side 3-0 ahead after 14 minutes but they found Tigers are clingy bunch. The scrum-half added another penalty but the key moment of the game arrived just after 25 minutes.
Captain Aurelien Rougerie traversed the 22 and eventually shipped an offload out wide. Wesley Fofana ran a good supporting line and was slipped in to score a try that Parra converted.
Tigers responded before the break through Jordan Crane. Owen Williams unfurled a super cross-field kick that found Blaine Scully. Crane, charging in off his shoulder, screamed for the ball and did the rest. The try was converted at the English side were right back in the tie.
Parra and Williams traded penalties on either side of the break before Tigers started to exert some pressure. Williams slotted over two more penalties and Clermont were starting to quiver. The game-changer arrived with 10 minutes on the clock, however, as referee Alain Rolland yellow carded Tigers forward Thomas Waldron.
Parra slotted over the resulting penalty and Clermont chewed up the remaining time by going through the phases. Leicester regained possession for a late drive and got within 5m of the French line before Rolland pinged them for not releasing promptly at the breakdown. There were 30 seconds left on the clock but Brock James held his kick over until the clock went red and the race was run. Clermont will face the winners of Ulster versus Saracens.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, former Leinster lock Nathan Hines expressed his delight with the result. He said, “We got a little bit ahead and we didn’t put the foot down. The same thing happened against Toulon last year. A couple of mistakes let Leicester back into the game. So it’s relief and happiness that we go through.”
Referee: Allain Rolland (Ireland)
