Clermont claw past Montauban

Clermont Auvergne reigned supreme in the all-French Heineken Cup clash with Montauban as they battled their way to a 24-19 triumph at Stade Sapiac.

The Auvergnats were the better team throughout despite another gutsy display from the home side, and possessed enough penetration and energy to make it count.

Montauban clung on grimly to the scraps that came their way, but the writing was on the wall as early as the second minute when Napolioni Nalaga finished off a trademark Clermont counter-attack.

A bulldozing charge from the green-clad pack of Montauban enabled Petre Mitu to reduce the arrears with a penalty, but Brock James replied in kind after ten minutes.

It seemed each time one of the teams hit the opposing team's 22, points would come. Next was Mitu, capitalising on Nalaga's inability to free the ball after covering a long kick, and making it 10-6.

Montauban fly-half Regis Lespinas sliced a drop goal attempt, but the chasers earned Mitu another three points shortly after.

Killer try

Nalaga set up his team's second try, tearing down the left before being hauled down five metres short, but Audebert peeled off the back of the ruck to dot down his side's second, with James converting.

Montauban kept fighting and Vilimoni Delasau, playing against his old club, caused consternation in the Clermont defence to get another penalty which Mitu missed. But Matthew Clarkin's charge yielded yet another penalty, and this time Mitu made no mistake, making it 17-12 at the break.

Montauban began the second half under immense pressure, but the defence which had proved so solid against Munster last week once again rose to the task.

James missed a penalty after an offside, and a potential scoring pass to Malzieu was ruled forward by referee Chris White.

The game turned on its head when wing Yoann Audrin chipped a ball through, Anthony Floch hesitated fatally under it, and flanker Antoine Battut collected on the bounce and stormed under the posts. Mitu converted to give his side the lead.

Floch tried to atone for his error with a penalty from 50 metres, but saw it drift to the right, and Clermont fell increasingly foul of the referee's whistle as the tension mounted.

The instrumental Nalaga was fittingly involved in the killer try when he took the ball short side after a succession of Clermont drives and scored. James' conversion ended the scoring.