Stormers go down to spirited Clermont

The Stormers were left in no doubt about the demands of Champions Cup rugby after Clermont Auvergne delivered a stirring second-half performance to win their competition opener 24-14 on Saturday.

Initially the Stormers were impressive in their maiden outing in the competition but they fell away in the second half as the home team, spurred on from their stands by their Yellow Army, denied the visitors even a bonus point.

Replacement loose forward Killian Tixeront got the man of the match award but it was the collective effort of their giant pack that ultimately broke the resolve of the visitors.

Clermont, who were knocked out in the round of 16 by Leicester Tigers last season, showed that they mean business this time around.

They had three quarterfinal exits in a row before that and are desperate to turn their home ground into the fortress it used to be under Kiwi coach Vern Cotter who presided over 77 straight wins at Stade Marcel-Michelin.

The Stormers though were keen to prove their credentials against a proven European force and for a while they looked on track.

Clermont-Ferrand is a blue collar town but it was the visiting team wearing predominantly that colour that rolled up their sleeves in the first half.

No-one gave the Stormers more traction in the tyre-manufacturing town than flank Deon Fourie. He spread his range of influence not only making a mark in the tight exchanges but he popped up in wider channels where space could be optimised.

It was however in close combat where he terrorised the home team. He proved a real nuisance at the breakdown, exacting turnovers that helped stunt the home team's momentum.

His experience having played for seven seasons at Lyon and Grenoble proved invaluable.

The Stormers though were forced into a late change with centre Dan du Plessis being declared unavailable which meant Damian Willemse had to take up position in midfield while Clayton Blommetjies was restored to the No15 jersey having been initially selected for the substitutes' bench.

The Stormers, as predicted by coach John Dobson, started with ball in hand intent. Though they started with endeavour they conceded some early penalties which served to undo some of their graft.

Ruhan Nel's needless late shoulder charge on Sebastien Bezy cost his team territory while a line-out infringement allowed Jules Plisson an opportunity to take a shot at goal. The former Test player however missed from the tee.

They however suffered a real setback when flanker Ernst van Rhyn left the field injured while his replacement BJ Dixon was temporarily banished to the sin bin soon after.

The visitors however displayed commendable composure and game management when they were a man down. They stuck to their guns, moreover, the ball carrier in yellow.

In fact, by the 20th minute they were 6-3 up thanks to two Manie Libbok penalties and they were seven points to the good after they found the hosts' maul defence wanting seven minutes later.

That try had its Genesis in a soft penalty the hosts conceded after Herschel Jantjies was body checked and they were made to pay from the ensuing line-out. Their maul defence was disjointed and Fourie almost surprising found an easy route in to the try line.

When Clermont had the opportunity to put the squeeze on the Stormers, they fluffed their lines around the half-hour mark.

The Stormers again repelled the hosts on the cusp of halftime as they preserved their 14-3 lead before the break.

At the start of the second half Clermont played with greater resolve. They held the territorial ascendancy and were taking the ball to different pressure points in the hope of cracking the Stormers defence.

The composure that was a hallmark of their play in the first half all but deserted the Stormers in the early part of the second. Their decision-making was questionable and their execution left a lot to be desired. Even the usually cool and unflappable Libbok looked flustered.

The Stormers were also conceding territory in the kicking game and the hosts' ambition to go direct and then wide increasingly paid dividends.

Clermont's second half comeback grew proper legs when fullback Alex Newsome found just enough space to score a converted try in the right hand corner.

They relentlessly kept coming at the Stormers who when they had opportunities to break the mould, were prone to error.

Clermont's second try was scored in the left hand corner when man mountain left wing Alavereti Raka had the reasonably simple task of barging into Clayton Blommetjies in the act of scoring.

Scorers

Clermont (24) — Tries: Alex Newsome, Alavereti Raka. Conversion: Jules Plisson. Penalties: Plisson (2). Drop goal: Plisson.

Stormers (14) — Try: Deon Fourie. Penalties: Manie Libbok (2), Clayton Blommetjies.