Stormers vs Clermont

The DHL Stormers enjoyed their first 40 minutes in Heinken Champions Cup rugby but then came a momentum shift that brought home the reality of playing in ...

What they learned is that in France you don’t let your opponents into the game. When Fourie went over for his try it was half an hour into the game. The flanker was all over the field, forcing several breakdown turnovers and generally proving a thorn in the home team’s side. It was a day of learning for the Stormers, as one suspected it might be. The noise in the stadium was massive by that point as the packed venue got in behind Clermont, and it really was just an irresistible tide of yellow after halftime in every respect, with Clermont snapping over a drop-goal from Plisson to stretch their lead to seven and then kicking a penalty seven minutes from the end to make the advantage 10 points. And it was a half that belonged to the Stormers, who kicked the first points through Manie Libbok after 12 minutes and then retook the lead in the 21st via another Libbok penalty in response to a penalty from home flyhalf Jules Plisson that levelled the scores.

Cape Town - French clubs like Clermont are always looking for a “big collision”, but Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff believes that his team are well ...

“It’s as close to international rugby as you are going to get, so the okes are up for the challenge. It’s very tough on paper, but to come to such a perennially great European club, who won 63 or 67 games in a row at home, in the middle of December… If you look at their lock combination of Lavanini and Sebastian Vahaamahina, it’s powerful. “We couldn’t have asked for a better occasion. Blomme (Clayton Blommetjies) has played a lot, and we’ve got a plan for tomorrow where we think territory is going to be very important, and Gaza (Damian Willemse) is very disciplined in sticking to a plan like that. I think he’s really, really good at 15, 12 and now playing good Test rugby at 10.

Clermont roared back in the second half to open their Heineken Champions Cup campaign with a 24-14 victory over the Stormers in France.

[Alex Newsome](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/alex-newsome/) and [Alivereti Raka](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/alivereti-raka/), while [Jules Plisson](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/jules-plisson/) took his tally for the match to 14 points. [United Rugby Championship](https://www.rugbypass.com/united-rugby-championship/) title-holders 14-3 at half-time, with [Deon Fourie](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/deon-fourie/) scoring the Stormers’ first try in European competition and a further nine points coming from the tee. [Heineken Champions Cup](https://www.rugbypass.com/european-champions-cup/) campaign with a 24-14 victory over the Stormers in France.

The Stormers had insisted in the build-up to their Champions Cup debut that, predominantly, they would use the experience to learn new lessons.

With the Stormers starting to panic, Clermont shut up shop, kept their opponents caged and took the points on offer, notably a drop goal for flyhalf Jules Plisson. Unable to cope, the Stormers found themselves stuck in their own half and lacking the nous to adapt tactically to get out. They had a relentless scavenger in Deon Fourie, who made life hell for the hosts at the breakdown and clearly relished his return to France if his zeal in general play was anything to go by.

Stormers players Hacjivah Dayimani battling it out with Davit Kubriashvili and Alexandre Fischer of ASM Clermont Auvergne during their Heineken Champions Cup ...

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 maul defence was disjointed and Fourie almost surprising found an easy route in to the try line. At the start of the second half Clermont played with greater resolve.

The Capetonians were well in control in the opening 40 minutes as they absorbed some early pressure from the French club in front of a passionate 19 ...

Drop goal: Plisson (1). Conversion: Jules Plisson (1). Penalties: Plisson (3). Libbok dropped an early up-and-under and went on to have a nightmare 40 minutes, the Stormers started to miss straight-forward tackles and Clermont increased their intensity with every minute. [@ASMOfficiel]lead The Stormers for the first time in this [#HeinekenChampionsCup]clash! Libbok and Clermont flyhalf Jules Plisson traded a few penalties to make it 6-3 to the visitors, and then the Stormers struck from a five-metre lineout, with the ever-present Fourie going through the middle to dive over for the opening try.

The Stormers are in France to face Clermont in their opening Champions Cup match on Saturday 10 December 2022.

“Clermont are renowned as the epi-centre of French club rugby. The league also includes so many wonderfully talented overseas players who have made France their home or who still play for their respective national teams but have committed their club future to France. “Our visit to Clermont this Saturday is huge.