Harlequins end valiant Challenge Cup run with defeat to Clermont Auvergne to set up all-French final

 Tom Cary, at stade marcel-michelin
20 APRIL 2019 • 11:35PM
 
Clermont Auvergne 32 Harlequins 27
What an extraordinary match this was. Clermont celebrated raucously at the final whistle. But as a sea of yellow rose to acclaim another home victory at Stade Marcel-Michelin, and the famous Yellow Army drums beat louder than ever at another final reached, a palpable sense of relief also flooded the night air after a dramatic late turnaround which almost saw Harlequins pull off the unlikeliest of comebacks.

Quins supporters - who at one stage were contemplating a cricket score being inflicted on their team - were left experiencing a host of contrasting feelings; disappointment at the result, but pride, too, at the courage shown by their players to come back from 32-8 down at one of Europe’s most intimidating venues; frustration at what might have been (Kyle Sinckler’s lack of  discipline will likely be pored over again after the England tighthead lost his cool, throwing Arthur Iturria to the floor at one point and conceding a costly penalty), and optimism, that they really have turned a corner; that Paul Gustard’s revolution at The Stoop is for real.

Wind the clock back 12 months and Quins were fighting to stave off relegation. They would have rolled over here. The outlook now is very different. Harlequins may not have made this year’s Challenge Cup final - which will now be an all-French affair in Newcastle on May 10 - but Gustard’s team left Clermont-Ferrand on Saturday night with their heads held high, having given their hosts a fright, looking forward to battling for that all-important fourth spot  in the Premiership.

With Sale having lost out at La Rochelle earlier on Saturday evening, Quins knew  they had to win to keep the Premiership’s proud record in this competition  alive. Every Challenge Cup final since 2013 has been contested by at least  one English side.


It was always going to be a tall order. The Stade Marcel-Michelin is one of  Europe’s great strongholds and the place was absolutely jumping before kick-off as the players emerged to a sea of yellow and a fug of Gauloises smoke. Quins had to cope with injuries to a host of key men, too, including scrum-half Danny Care, lock James Horwill, centre Joe Marchant and wing Nathan Earle.

Gustard had insisted in the build-up that Quins would not be reaching for  excuses and needed to believe in themselves. And they came out with that  attitude, playing on their wits a little in what was a breathless start to  the match but matching their opponents.

Joe Marler, Sinckler and Rob Buchanan, on his first start since 2017,  carried well, scrum half Sam Hidalgo Clyne, in for the injured Care, kicked  shrewdly, keeping Clermont’s defenders guessing, while Marcus Smith was a joy to watch, effervescent, showing his full range of passing skills - flat, late,  fizzing - to keep the Quins backline moving. 

Clermont - in excellent form in the Top 14 - took a while to find their  range, Camille Lopez having to resort to a drop goal after 10 minutes in an  effort to get the scoreboard moving. Smith replied with a penalty after  Fritz Lee was penalised for hands in a ruck and Quins continued to chance  their arm.

Clermont’s all-star backline began to threaten midway through the first  half though, with Wesley Fofana and George Moala increasingly finding space  and time to offload. Another period of Clermont pressure ended with an  almost identical Lopez drop goal from centre field before Clermont really  began to up the ante.

Quins, increasingly under the cosh, tried to run the ball out of their own  22m but lost it in contact and the ball was kicked in behind. Smith did  brilliantly to collect it behind his own posts and run clear, but he was  bundled into touch and from the restart Lee muscled his way over from 5m  out. Almost immediately Moala wriggled clear down the right, passed to  Penaud who put a grubber in behind Brown and collected it on the other  side. From 9-3 to 23-3 in the space of three minutes.

Quins weren’t quite done. Tapuai managed a brilliant pick-up off his own  toes on the Clermont 22m and passed to Smith who cut another beautiful line  before passing to Mike Brown, who rode a challenge and touched down in the  corner. But Smith missed the conversion, Parra slotted a late penalty and  at 26-8 at half-time, it was virtually Mission Impossible.

Two more Parra penalties at the start of the second half seemingly put the game to bed at 32-8 before Chris Robshaw got a try back for the Premiership side, holding off Alexandre Lapandry to touch down under the posts from the base of a ruck. It looked like being a mere consolation score - and La Marseillaise sounded out defiantly from the stands. But when Setariki Tuicuvu then completely misjudged Smith’s grubber kick, allowing replacement James Lang an easy try with virtually his first touch and with 14 minutes still left on the clock, Quins sniffed a miracle.

It nearly came, too, Alex Dombrandt crashing over with seconds remaining on the clock. Smith’s swiftly-taken drop-kick conversion bounced back off the upright but there was still time for a restart. Quins, though, were unable to gather the ball. It was be all-Frog on the Tyne on May 10.

Match details
Scoring: 3-0 Lopez drop; 3-3 Smith pen; 6-3 Lopez drop; 9-3 Parra pen; 14-3 Lee try; 16-3 Parra con; 21-3 Penaud try; 23-3 Parra con; 23-8 Brown try; 26-8 Parra pen; 29-8 Parra pen; 32-8 Parra pen; 32-13 Robshaw try; 32-15 Smith con; 32-20 Lang try; 32-22 Smith con; 32-27 Dombrandt try

Clermont Auvergne: S Tuicuvu; D Penaud, G Moala (P Betham 64), W Fofana, A Raka; C Lopez, M Parra (G Laidlaw 64); E Falgoux (B Kakabadze 41), B Kayser (J Ulugia 61), R Slimani (M Simutoga 53), S Timani, S Vahaamahina, A Iturria, A Lapandry (P Jedrasiak 61), F Lee (D Chouly 44)

Harlequins: M Brown; R Chisholm, A Alofa (J Lang 64), B Tapuai (F Saili 49), C Walker; M Smith, S Hidalgo-Clyne (N Saunders 78); J Marler (N Auterac 64), R Buchanan (E Elia 41), K Sinckler (J Ibuanokpe 71), M Symons, B Glynn (S South 41), J Clifford (S Kunatani 55), C Robshaw, A Dombrandt

Attendance: 17,923

And this is how The Times saw it....

Harlequins leave fightback too late
Clermont Auvergne 32 Harlequins 27

Chris Jones
April 21 2019, 12:01am, The Sunday Times


Clermont Auvergne set up an all-French final of the European Challenge Cup with scrum-half Morgan Parra guiding them past a Harlequins team that almost pulled off a major shock at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

Parra’s boot delivered 16 points and he was a constant problem for Harlequins, who trailed the second best team in France 32-8, but refused to crack. Quins dragged themselves back with tries by the tireless Chris Robsaw, James Lang and Alex Dombrandt and it made for an uncomfortable final quarter for Clermont who were happy to hold out for the win.

Quins ran out of time with outside-half Marcus Smith hitting the post with a drop goal attempted conversion of the final try. Clermont have not lost to English opponents for 11 years and were hanging on to that record at the end in the face of a Quins onslaught that saw them win the try count four to two.

France wing Damian Penaud impressed behind a massive pack for Clermont whose loss of momentum showed a fragility that Quins were only too happy to exploit. It was always going to be a tough assignment for a Quins side robbed by injury of Wallaby lock James Horwill and England scrum half Danny Care and their refusal to be intimidated by the home crowd or the opposition will have delighted Paul Gustard, their head of rugby.

His players finished stronger, although they will look back at the penalty kicks they handed Parra with real regret as it cost them the chance of a remarkable win and a place in the Cup final against La Rochelle.


The first half was given an unusual aspect by Camille Lopez, the Clermont No10, who kicked two drop goals despite this form of scoring having apparently gone out of fashion. He opted for drop kicks as Quins proved too tough to open up leaving him with no option but to take three points each time. Smith was orchestrating the Quins attack with real authority and the visitors constantly dragged Clermont’s defence wide in search of space.

This remained the pattern with a Smith penalty keeping Quins in touch until a Morgan Parra penalty gave Clermont confidence to start unleashing their big forwards to soften up the defence and then exploiting the resulting mayhem. No8 Fritz Lee barged his way over as this tactic brought immediate reward from a Parra pass and the scrum half added the conversion. Quins had brought the pressure on themselves with a Ben Tapuai poor pass and the centre then missed a tackle on George Moala who fed the elusive Penaud who kicked the ball ahead twice and got the bounce to score and Parra converted.

Quins were trailing 23-3 and the vociferous crowd were in full voice when Mike Brown cut through Penaud’s tackle to finish of a clever move that featured an excellent show-and-go from Smith that fractured the Clermont defence but he then missed the conversion. Quins needed to see out the rest of the half but another loss of possession was punished by Clermont who were now winning the collisions and Parra’s boot extended the home lead.

Clermont came out with real intent at the start of the second half with Fijian born wing Alivereti Raka making a real impact and the pressure allowed Parra to add two more penalties to put Clermont 32-8 ahead.

Quins then launched their fight back with Chris Robshaw crashing over, Lang reached a bouncing ball ahead of the defence then Dombrandt drove over in the final minute but it came just too late for the English battlers.

Clermont: Tries: Lee 32, Penaud 36 Cons: Parra (2) Pens: Parra (4) Drop goals: Lopez (2)
Harlequins: Tries: Brown 39, Robshaw 58, Lang 66 Cons: Smith (2) Pens: Smith
Referee: J Lacey (Ireland)

TEAM LINE-UPS
Clermont Auvergne: Tuicuvu, Penaud, Moala (Betham 64min), Fofana, Raka, Lopez, Parra (Laidlaw 64min), Falgoux (Kakabadze 32-41min, 61min), Kayser (Ulugia 61min), Slimani (Simutoga 53min), Timani, Vahaamahina, Iturria, Lapandry (Jedrasiak 61min), Lee (Chouly 44min)
Harlequins: Brown, R Chisholm, Alofa (Lang 64min), Tapuai (Saili 49min), Walker, Smith, Hidalgo-Clyne, Marler (Auterac 21-30min, 64min), Buchanan Elia 41min), Sinckler (Ibuanokpe 71min), Symons, Glynn (South 41min), Dombrandt, Robshaw, Clifford (Kunatani 55min)