Paris (AFP)

Convincing for forty minutes, Clermont ended up cracking in the European Cup in front of the Irishmen of Munster (39-31) on Saturday during a second day also gloomy for Toulon, defeated on the green carpet after his forfeit against the Scarlets.

For its part, Bordeaux-Bègles walked against the Welsh team of Dragons (47-8) with the offensive bonus in the key.

A week after their offensive festival in Bristol (51-38) - seven tries to five - the Clermontois record their first defeat in this 2020-2021 campaign where the slightest misstep can compromise the chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

"This defeat hurts a lot. With this new competition format, it will be complicated," admitted the opening half Camille Lopez, touched to have lost at home.

ASM had only fallen once in their 32 previous matches at the Michelin stadium in the group stage.

Instead of joining Lyon and Stade Toulouse at the top of Group B with 10 points, Franck Azéma's men are in fourth place, with six units, and are not immune to being overtaken by Racing 92, outgoing finalist, opposed to the Harlequins on Sunday.

Only the first four will qualify for the quarterfinals.

The victory seemed to extend its arms to Clermontois at the break.

At break only.

If Toulouse and Rhone, winners on the green carpet of Exeter and Glasgow (28-0) for reasons related to the coronavirus, did not have to work, the "Jaunards" struck hard from the start.

Twenty-six seconds after kick-off, the XV of France winger Alivereti Raka had already flattened and the "Jaunards" had four tries at halftime (28-16).

- Indiscipline -

But scrum-half Sébastien Bézy was right to remain cautious at the microphone of BeInSports: "They are only twelve points. It looks complicated in the second half."

The Irish team, twice winner of the competition (2006, 2008), returned to the lawn with the firm intention of pushing the Clermontois to their limits.

By dint of indiscipline, the Auvergnats saw their lead - up to 19 points in the first period - melt like snow in the sun.

Reduced twice to fourteen, after the yellow cards suffered by Judicaël Cancoriet (56) and Thibaud Lanen (68), they suffered.

And the Munstermen took the opportunity to take the advantage for the first time ten minutes from the end (32-31) on a ball carried materialized by CJ Stander, man of the match, followed by a transformation of JJ Hanrahan, author of 24 points in front of the poles.

ASM even let the defensive bonus slip by conceding a third try three minutes from time.

- Cordero treble -

In group A, Bordeaux-Bègles comes back to La Rochelle in third place (9 points) after this second success obtained against the Newport Dragons.

The Girondins have scored seven tries, including a hat-trick from Argentina winger Santiago Cordero.

For Toulon, placed in the same pool, the chances of reaching the quarter-finals are already well under way after the ax fell on Saturday.

Faced with the case of Covid-19 detected in the ranks of the Scarlets, then placed in solitary confinement, the RCT had given up playing the meeting scheduled in Llanelli (Wales) on Friday and then refused the postponement of it to Sunday, proposed by the organizer, considering that the sanitary conditions were not met.

The meeting was therefore canceled and the Scarlets declared the winners 28-0 with five points in the standings.

La Rochelle having also won a victory on the green carpet, against the English in Bath, so that makes four cancellations in the European Cup.

In the European Challenge, second continental level, the Treviso-Agen and Cardiff-Stade Français duels were also canceled for reasons related to the coronavirus, with victories awarded to Agen and Cardiff.

However, the 2020-2021 campaign is still in its early stages.

© 2020 AFP