Clermont 53-21 Harlequins: Clermont run in seven tries in Champions Cup victory
Last Updated: 16/11/19 8:05pm
Clermont produced a sensational home display to beat Harlequins 53-21 in their Pool 3 clash at Stade Marcel-Michelin.
Quins had no answer for the power of the Clermont pack while the likes of Alivereti Raka and Peceli Yato had a field day with ball in hand.
Raka opened up the scoring for Clermont while Yato ran in two tries in the first half. Isaia Toeava secured the bonus point fourth try early in the second, with Raka claiming his second while George Moala and Mike Tadjer also went over.
Morgan Parra added four conversions to his two penalties, with Greig Laidlaw also converting two.
Harlequins did manage to score three tries through Tom Lawday, Elia Elia and the pick of them from James Lang after a superb Gabriel Ibitoye break. Marcus Smith converted all three, but the Premiership side could not deal with Clermont in this mood.
Raka raced clear for Clermont's opening try after pouncing on a loose pass in the 11th minute, with Parra - who had earlier opened the scoring from the tee - adding the extras in front of the posts.
Yato then powered over for the first of his double, dragging desperate challenger Smith behind him, and brushed off Glen Young to break Quins' defensive line and charge towards the line for his second.
Tom Lawday reduced the deficit when he touched down 11 minutes from half-time, but Clermont reasserted their authority on the match when Isaia Toeava collected a George Moala offload to cross the whitewash.
A driving maul produced a Quins try through Elia Elia in the 51st minute, before Clermont spread the ball out to the left wing with the help of a well-judged Camille Lopez kick for Raka to cross for his second of the match.
Lopez was instrumental once again in his side's sixth try, sending through a chip that was chased down by Moala.
Quins' final score of the match deserved better than to be on the losing side, with Gabriel Ibitoye embarking on a scintillating run before sending James Lang over.
But Clermont had the final say in a match they controlled from start to finish, Mike Tadjer applying the finish after a driving maul.
