Clermont-Ferrand (AFP)
By beating Lyon (26-18) at the Marcel-Michelin stadium in a late match for the 9th day of the Top 14, Clermont landed a difficult but crucial victory on Friday evening in the race for the finals.
After their defeat on the wire at home against Bègles last week (36-37), the Clermontois were keen to recover and this success allows them to seize 4th place in the standings.
Also beaten by Pau at home (17-18) last weekend, the LOU was in the same state of mind but did not bring back any point from Auvergne.
The best defense of the championship away from home, which had contributed to three victories in Toulouse (7-16), Agen (16-19), Montpellier (16-21) and a draw in Pau (29-29), has yielded in the final minutes to the Michelin stadium.
Because the victory was more difficult to obtain for Clermont than the score suggests.
Initially scheduled for November 15 and postponed due to cases of Covid-19 within the Lyon workforce, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes "derby" took a long time to get started.
After an average start to the match, the light came from Clermontois Tim Nanai-Williams, put into orbit on a key in the Lyon camp.
After a thirty-meter sprint, the opener passed the ball to Apisaï Naqalevu for a good try (26th).
The two teams were very undisciplined and the meeting long boiled down to a duel between scorers Morgan Parra (16 points) and Jonathan Wisniewski (18 points).
Uncertain until the end, the outcome of the match came from Clermontois Raka, author of a breakthrough of 40 meters of which he has the secret before serving Jean-Pascal Barraque for the liberating test (71st).
With three minutes remaining, Parra sealed the win for the yellows with a long penalty.
The LOU, which has still not won at Clermont in its history in the championship, will have another big trip to Racing 92 next Saturday while the ASM will go to play in Agen, red lantern.
© 2021 AFP