Racing Metro Paris vs Clermont Auvergne

Anybody else watching this?

Currently Racing 0 - 3 Clermont.

Racing spent the first 10 minutes defending constantly but have only gone 3 points down which isn't a bad result for them. They then had a series of plays in the Clermont 22 including a couple of scrums (where they seem to have the upper hand) and a drive from a lineout which ended in a knock on at the breakdown.

There was a glimpse of what Sexton and Hernandez can do when they combine, but worryingly for Racing, Hernandez has just left the pitch.

If anybody needs a link let me know and I'll send you a pm.

Racing Metro Paris 3 - 9 Clermont Auvergne HT.

Clermont had a strong wind behind them and given that Racing have spent most of the half defending, so only being 6 points down isn't bad. Looks like it will be tight though so 6 points is a decent lead.

Just put it on.

Svivatu made a fantastic break for Clermont and put Nalaga in for a 1on1 with Racing 15 Lapeyre. Lapeyre makes his tackle ball squirts out of the ruck and Marc Andrue runs 80m to score for Racing. Sexton convert to give Racing the lead. Big blow for Clermont and pretty unlucky.

Racing 10 - 9 Clermont Auvergne.

Its a strange look, Johnny in the different colour blue.

Clermont down to 14(yellow card) for knee into face while running.

Well Derek Bevan is being very very hard on minor indiscretion's.

FT Racing 13 - 9 Clermont

Great result for Racing, Clermont take a LBP.

Racing escapes defeat. The Nalaga card seemed a bit harsh.

Munchkin wrote:Racing escapes defeat. The Nalaga card seemed a bit harsh.

It was but so was the binning of the Racing prop.

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Munchkin wrote:Racing escapes defeat. The Nalaga card seemed a bit harsh.

It was but so was the binning of the Racing prop.

Not exactly sure what happen there. To me it looked as though his fingers came close to the eye, but without making contact. I suspect he was targeted for a reaction.

Munchkin wrote:

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Munchkin wrote:Racing escapes defeat. The Nalaga card seemed a bit harsh.

It was but so was the binning of the Racing prop.

Not exactly sure what happen there. To me it looked as though his fingers came close to the eye, but without making contact. I suspect he was targeted for a reaction.

I don't think he was even targetting Hines eye(s). He just lashed out with his hand towards Hines face after Hines giving a good pushing around when he was on the floor. Didn't make contact and if he did it was minimal. Nothing in it really.

France have some good options at 15. Lapeyre is a great player.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:France have some good options at 15. Lapeyre is a great player.

Defensively he was amazing today. But the player that really stood out for me in Racing's defensive effort was the scrumhalf Machenaud. He must have put in a big hit on every Clermont player on the pitch, his covering tackle on either Svivatu or Nalaga (I forget which) to stop a try out wide was the pick of them. Marc Andreu is also a hard hard little man, given that he is 5'5 and was playing opposite Nalaga. He doesn't shy away from his defensive duties.

Quins are going to get at least 50 points out on them next weekend. Ha ha ha!!

Ye Racing's defence was awesome. Its going to be hard for any team to break them down away from home.

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Munchkin wrote:

Artful_Dodger wrote:

Munchkin wrote:Racing escapes defeat. The Nalaga card seemed a bit harsh.

It was but so was the binning of the Racing prop.

Not exactly sure what happen there. To me it looked as though his fingers came close to the eye, but without making contact. I suspect he was targeted for a reaction.

I don't think he was even targetting Hines eye(s).  He just lashed out with his hand towards Hines face after Hines giving a good pushing around when he was on the floor.  Didn't make contact and if he did it was minimal.  Nothing in it really.

He obviously didn't hit the eye, and I'm not sure about carding a player for intent, as at worst that's all it was, although eye gougers deserve all the punishment they get.
Happy that Racing got the win though. With a bit of luck CA won't make it out of their group.

Yet again Clermont dominates and ends up losing. Good result for the scarlets in a way. parra probably made more passes than the entire racing team!
Maybe I missed the TMO in the racing try but the ball looked as it came forward out of the ruck and lapeyre didnt seem to release Nalaga after tackling him...
Lapeyre is one dimensional in attack and cant pass properly. Sexton is cursed to have such poor backs around him if you exclude the argies.

whocares wrote:Yet again Clermont dominates and ends up losing. Good result for the scarlets in a way. parra probably made more passes than the entire racing team!
Maybe I missed the TMO in the  racing try but the ball looked as it came forward out of the ruck and lapeyre didnt seem to release Nalaga after tackling him...
Lapeyre is one dimensional in attack and cant pass properly. Sexton is cursed to have such poor backs around him if you exclude the argies

Sexton certainly seems to be struggling to give this Racing backline some fluency.  He combined well with Hernandez when they put together a little loop very early in the game, then Hernandez went off and the Racing backline did nothing outside of defense after that.

Yep That was an odd decision to play hernandez at 12 but almost paid off.

Sexton looks to be having trouble putting his stamp on the game. He is usually the one runiing the backline and dictating what pace the team play at but he doesnt seem to have that authority at Racing.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Sexton looks to be having trouble putting his stamp on the game. He is usually the one runiing the backline and dictating what pace the team play at but he doesnt seem to have that authority at Racing.

Shane Horgan was on the Sky team and said at half time that Sexton might be having communication issues with the players around him as he isn't a fluent French speaker (yet at least) and that Racing might be stuck in their ways a bit.

Ye you could see him arguing with Lapayre after the wrap aroubd move in the first half. I guess he still isn't fully settled in.

Sexton can't even speak French conversationally yet, communication on the pitch is going to be a problem until he gets that right.

Read something in the paper last week about him making a call to do a particular move, but he pronounce the call wrong and everyone just stopped what they're doing. It's going to take time for him, but beating ASM is a great start for Racing.

Thats a great point.  Not being able to speak the language is a huge problem.  THe Rugby players, of course, have a short vernacular which helps everyone get by, but shows things take time.  

I didn't see the match.  How did Sexton look?

Clermont don't seem right this season. Whether Cotter leaving at the end of the season has led to some distractions off the field and with Brock James future undecided as well. Certainly don't look like a side that are going to storm it. Montpellier beat them 43-3 a few weeks back as well.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Clermont don't seem right this season. Whether Cotter leaving at the end of the season has led to some distractions off the field and with Brock James future undecided as well. Certainly don't look like a side that are going to storm it. Montpellier beat them 43-3 a few weeks back as well.

Sam, I made a post in the off season questioning whether or not Clermont were beginning to fall apart and a lot of people dismissed it.

https://www.606v2.com/t44618-are-the-wheels-falling-off-at-clermont-auvergne?highlight=wheels

They have big problems at the minute, 40 point loss to Montpellier was the proof that they are having big problems this season.

Will they sack Cotter so we can have him?

You certainly called it right Artful. It may be a slightly distasteful footballing thing to do but now may be the time to remove Cotter and bring in the new coach. That way if this season does go to hell then at least the New guy will have been able to look at what he's got and tell the chairman what he needs as well start to make tactical changes so the style is bedded in for next season.

doctor_grey wrote:Thats a great point.  Not being able to speak the language is a huge problem.  THe Rugby players, of course, have a short vernacular which helps everyone get by, but shows things take time.  

I didn't see the match.  How did Sexton look?

He was pretty good, but he was behind a beaten pack, the scoreline is really misleading, ASM were by far the better and more incisive team, Sivivatu was easily the best player on the pitch. Sexton kicked well, pinned the Clermont back 3 back whenever possible, he combined well with Herdandez while he was on, and defended well. But you can tell they're a team not used to playing with eachother.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Ye you could see him arguing with Lapayre after the wrap aroubd move in the first half. I guess he still isn't fully settled in.

Big career mistake by Sexton to jump ship to Racing. The game plan at Leinster was built around him and his strengths. As has been seen with Ireland when the game slows down and becomes more forward orientated he's not the same player. It's the ability to play off the cuff which makes Sexton so good and to do that you need to be on the wavelength of the players around you, which clearly isn't the case at Racing.

Pretty poor game, Sivavatu apart who was magnificent. Far too many basic errors and cynical penalties from both sides.

I don't think many sides will fear Clermont this year on this performance.

Mickado wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Thats a great point.  Not being able to speak the language is a huge problem.  THe Rugby players, of course, have a short vernacular which helps everyone get by, but shows things take time.  

I didn't see the match.  How did Sexton look?

He was pretty good, but he was behind a beaten pack, the scoreline is really misleading, ASM were by far the better and more incisive team, Sivivatu was easily the best player on the pitch. Sexton kicked well, pinned the Clermont back 3 back whenever possible, he combined well with Herdandez while he was on, and defended well. But you can tell they're a team not used to playing with eachother.

Thanks.  Hopefully things settle down for him and the team and he can show what he can really do.
I was wondering why Racing did not play the two props they signed from Saints.  I thought they were brought in to steady the pack?

According to ESPN stats (which have been wrong in the past) the ASM back 3 only had to make a single tackle

Mickado wrote:According to ESPN stats (which have been wrong in the past) the ASM back 3 only had to make a single tackle

Well they kind of had to make that tackle on Andreu, they just didn't manage to....

Regarding Clermont, as well as the issue with Cotter set to leave, we might be seeing the effect of Alex King, their backs/attack coach for the last number of years, having moved on to Saints.