CLERMONT SECURED A bonus point in their highly-entertaining 34-29 Champions Cup Pool 2 win against Ospreys at Stade Marcel-Michelin, with English wing David Strettle scoring a delightful brace of tries.
The Ospreys will be hugely satisfied with their own haul of two match points – one losing bonus point and one try-scoring bonus point.
England international Strettle bamboozled Ospreys fullback Dan Evans for the French side’s first try, producing a sublime sidestep off his outside leg to finish a counter-attack.
Clermont’s second featured some sublime offloading, carrying and rucking in the build-up, before starting out-half Camille Lopez cleverly put Aurélien Rougerie through a hole to finish.
The Welsh side had been seriously aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty try early in the game when Dmitri Arhip was tackled early off the ball during an intelligent lineout move.
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Alexandre Lapandry was sin binned by referee George Clancy, but the Irishman and his TMO Marshall Kilgore did not award the penalty try when it was the clear and obvious decision.
The Welsh side burst back into the game with a maul try through Justin Tipuric early in the second half, before Eli Walker showed superb pace to finish their second.
Strettle again conjured some individual brilliance for Clermont’s third score, dancing past Alun Wyn Jones and a host of Ospreys.
Clermont’s try-scoring bonus point was wrapped up when replacement Brock James found Wesley Fofana with a cross-field kick.
That score left Clermont 34-17 to the good, but Steve Tandy’s Ospreys refused to give up hope of taking something from the game.
First, Tipuric set up Sam Parry to cross and then the Welsh club finished the game with a stunning breakout try from inside their own half, Tom Habberfield the man to finish.
Dan Biggar’s conversions of both tries mean the Ospreys head home to Wales hugely content with their effort in France.
