There were two significant victories in the Top 14 on Sunday with Clermont Auvergne defeating fellow play-off hopefuls Racing 92 and Agen overcoming Perpignan.
Results
Sunday
Racing 17-40 Clermont Auvergne
Agen 25-23 Perpignan
Racing 92 17-40 Clermont Auvergne
U Arena
Clermont Auvergne displayed their title credentials by gaining their second victory of the season following an outstanding triumph over Racing 92.
Franck Azema’s men were the better side from start to finish and scored three tries via Wesley Fofana, Peter Betham and Damian Penaud, but it was the performances of Greig Laidlaw and Camille Lopez which made a significant difference.
Laidlaw kicked five penalties and a conversion while Lopez added a drop-goal and controlled matters expertly as they eased to a comfortable win.
Les Jaunards appear to be rejuvenated this season having struggled in 2017/18 and they were impressive in the opening exchanges.
Laidlaw and Finn Russell traded early penalties before the visiting forwards took command and earned two more three-point opportunities, which moved them 9-3 in front.
Auvergne were dominant and the hosts were looking a shadow of the team that overcame Toulon in Round One. The Clermont half-backs were dictating proceedings superbly and Lopez’s grubber through allowed Fofana to touch down.
Lopez then kicked a drop-goal to extend their buffer at the interval before the hosts began the second period on the front foot.
Russell went flat to the gain line and found Virimi Vakatawa, who broke through a flimsy tackle and crossed the whitewash to get them back into the contest.
They were nowhere near their best, however, and ill-discipline allowed Laidlaw to kick two more penalties.
Even at that point, the game was effectively over but tries via Betham and Penaud, as well as five points from Morgan Parra, made sure of the victory in a performance which no doubt sent a message to the rest of the Top 14.
Racing had the final word through Simon Zebo but they were simply outplayed by the visitors.
The scorers:
For Racing:
Tries: Vakatawa, Zebo
Cons: Russell, Iribaren
Pen: Russell
Yellow Cards: Le Roux, Gomes Sa
For Clermont:
Tries: Fofana, Betham, Penaud
Cons: Laidlaw, Parra
Pens: Laidlaw 5
Drop goal: Lopez
Yellow Card: Fofana
Racing: 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Xavier Chauveau, 8 Jordan Joseph, 7 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Boris Palu, 4 Donnacha Ryan, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Ole Avei, 1 Eddy Ben Arous
Replacements: 16 Camille Chat, 17 Vasil Kakovin, 18 Fabien Sanconnie, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Teddy Iribaren, 21 Ben Volavola, 22 Joe Rokocoko, 23 Cedate Gomes Sa
Clermont: 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Peter Betham, 13 Rémi Lamerat, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Damian Penaud, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Alexandre Fischer, 6 Arthur Iturria, 5 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 1 Loni Uhila
Replacements: 16 Yohan Beheregaray, 17 Etienne Falgoux, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Peceli Yato, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 Patricio Fernandez, 22 Apisai Naqalevu, 23 Davit Zirakashvili
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Assistant referees: Laurent Cardona, Jean-Luc Rebollal
TMO: Sebastien Minery
Agen 25-23 Perpignan
Stade Armandie
Jake McIntyre was Agen’s hero as the fly-half scored 17 points in their 25-23 triumph over Perpignan at the Stade Armandie on Sunday.
McIntyre touched down twice and kicked seven points from the tee, while Sam Vaka also went over, in the team’s victory over Christian Lanta’s outfit.
Karl Chateau and Enzo Selponi tries and Paddy Jackson’s place-kicking accuracy provided the away side’s response, but Hugo Verdu’s penalty secured the win for the hosts.
After a disappointing opening round performance, the newly-promoted outfit were far more competitive at the Stade Armandie but it was ultimately not enough.
Despite McIntyre’s early penalty, the visitors were on the front foot in the first quarter and a brace of Jackson three-pointers put them 6-3 ahead.
They were then handed a boost following Paul Abadie’s yellow card for taking a player out in the air but that was immediately cancelled out by Sylvain Charlet’s sin-binning.
Agen were far more assured during that 10-minute period and took the lead for the second time as their fly-half scampered across the whitewash for an 8-6 advantage.
Philippe Sella’s men soon extended their buffer through Vaka before Chateau crossed the whitewash for Perpignan late in the half. That provided a significant boost to Lanta’s charges and another successful Jackson effort off the tee moved them in front at the break.
Agen recovered their composure, however, and restored their lead minutes into the second period as McIntyre’s excellent day continued, with the pivot going over once again.
Verdu made it 25-16 in the hosts’ favour and that would prove significant, with Selponi’s try setting up a tense finale. Sella’s outfit held on, though, as they gained their first victory of the campaign.
The scorers:
For Agen:
Tries: McIntyre 2, Vaka
Cons: McIntyre 2
Pens: McIntyre, Verdu
Yellow Card: Abadie
For Perpignan:
Tries: Chateau, Selponi
Cons: Jackson 2
Pens: Jackson 3
Yellow Cards: Charlet, Acebes
Agen: 15 Clement Laporte, 14 Nicolas Metge, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Sam Vaka, 11 Valentin Saurs, 10 Jake McIntyre, 9 Paul Abadie, 8 Yoan Tanga, 7 Facundo Bosch, 6 Antoine Miquel, 5 Denis Marchois, 4 Tom Murday, 3 Dave Ryan, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 1 Quentin Bethune
Replacements: 16 Morgan Phelipponneau, 17 Opeti Fonua, 18 Mickael De Marco, 19 Romain Briatte, 20 Hugo Verdu, 21 Leo Berdeu, 22 Tamaz Mchedlidze, 23 Xerom Civil
Perpignan: 15 Enzo Selponi, 14 Jean Bernard Pujol, 13 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 12 Adrea Cocagi, 11 Mathieu Acebes, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Tom Ecochard, 8 Genesis Mamea, 7 Lucas Bachelier, 6 Karl Chateau, 5 Berend Botha, 4 Tristan Labouteley, 3 Sylvain Charlet, 2 Raphael Carbou, 1 Enzo Forletta
Replacements: 16 Seilala Lam, 17 Yassine Boutemane, 18 Shahn Eru, 19 Mike Faleafa, 20 Sadek Deghmache, 21 Sione Piukala, 22 Eroni Sau, 23 Nicolas Lemaire
Referee: Julien Castaignede
Assistant referees: Mathieu Noirot, Arnaud Blondel
TMO: Bruno Bessot