Agen (AFP)
ASM reaction! Completely passed against the Bordeaux leader last week, Clermont got back on track by winning with style on the field of Agen (32-15), again in danger, on Saturday during the 17th day of the Top 14.
It is even a perfect evening for the men of Franck Azéma, who won their first bonus of the season and, above all, take advantage of the cumulative setbacks of Toulouse and Montpellier to return to the Top 6.
In a match they rather mastered, their individualities like Greig Laidlaw or Peceli Yato, author of a double, made the difference during a second act almost one way.
For the SUA, the roller coaster continues. Two away victories, two defeats in Armandie and here are Christophe Laussucq's men back in the galley.
This sixth setback at home even falls very badly in the light of the victories of two of its competitors for maintenance, Pau and Bayonne, who knocked down Montpellier and Toulouse on Saturday.
The SUA had promised "a big start", it did not see the ball during the first quarter of an hour spent playing sparring-partners. A penalty from Laidlaw (4th) and a try offered to Nick Abendanon, winger for a day, by the surgical foot of Lopez (16th) and here are the Jaunards ideally launched.
Except that Clermont is not yet fully healed and following a hesitation from Tiberghien on a high ball, the opportunist Decron put his people back in the right direction (19th).
In the game of a blow to you, a blow to me, the Clermontois Moala then broke through like in butter (25th), before Loris Tolot's response in the corner after a collective movement of great beauty (12-15, 30th).
With a penalty from Berdeu after the siren (40th + 2), Agen believed in the feat but his scrum (6 penalties conceded in total) and the physical impact of Clermontois on the recovery were prohibitive.
In the second period, Yato (50th) then Lapandry (61st) sanctioned the takeover of visitors (15-27), who did not relax their effort to get the offensive bonus thanks to a second try by Yato at the 73rd minute, following a penaltouche and a balloon carrying everything in its path.
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