We’ll learn from this, says Lam, after Bears lose 12-try thriller
BRISTOL BEARS VS CLERMONT AUVERGNE, CHAMPIONS CUP reports on Bristol’s Champions Cup defeat to Clermont Auvergne at Ashton Gate
IN the 79th minute of Bristol Bears’ 12-try thriller on Saturday, Pat Lam’s side were pushing to score a sixth try which would have brought them to within seven points of Clermont Auvergne.
But in a moment which typified an incredibly entertaining game, Bristol were a little too ambitious in their work as Max Malins over did his penalty kick for the corner to put it dead to end the chance and the game.
On reflection, two losing bonus points would have been deserved, because a Bears side missing at least five of their best players in: Semi Radradra, Charles Piutau, Steven Luatua, Chris Vui and Luke Morahan, proved they can hurt the best sides in Europe in attack.
But can this Bristol defence keep them out?
Clermont cut Bristol to shreds as they scored seven tries and, much like last season’s 47-24 defeat in the Gallagher Premiership semi-final to Wasps, the game was at risk of being over inside the first quarter.
Kotaro Matsushima scored a hattrick of tries, Damian Penaud a brace while Apisai Naqalevu and Fritz Lee also touched down for the visitors to Ashton Gate, with fly-half Camille Lopez finishing with 16 points from the boot.
The Bears crossed the whitewash through Max Malins, Bryan Byrne, Ioan Lloyd, Harry Randall and Siale Piutau. Callum Sheedy kicked nine points, and Malins, Bristol’s standout performer, added a pair of conversions to finish with nine points.
Lam said: “Well, I think it was entertaining for neutrals, but I think you’re asking for trouble when you give 21 points in 16 minutes to a fully-loaded team like that.
“But that was a lot of character from the boys to work our way back. We said at half-time that we can win this and they were all pretty unanimous, but the thing that costs us is all our little mistakes.
“I think we had like six turnovers in the first 10 minutes and then little things on defence as well with, you know, guys overfolded then didn’t look up. We were a lot better in that second half and worked our way back into it, but ultimately it was a bridge too far.”
Had Bristol won from such an unfavourable position, it would have been the Bears’ biggest comeback under Lam, but in the end the record they finished with was the most points conceded in the club’s limited Champions Cup history.
But the attacking bonus point may prove vital in terms of qualification for the next stages of the competition, with Lam explaining that by the end of next weekend his side will know where they stand and how to approach the rest of the campaign.
He said: “We’ll know at the end of next week what that looks like and then we can make a call because it’s only four teams out of 12 and we’ve got some pretty good teams in our pool.” All we have got to do is learn, fix the things that we didn’t get right and then have a good week of training and get to Connacht.”
At times during the opening period it looked like the Bears were overcome by the occasion and in danger of losing by a lot more than 13 points. But Lam knows his side deserve to be in the competition again after a 12-year absence.
He said: “We worked hard to be here. I think it’s great to be playing this sort of rugby against this sort of team, because then we can all develop. You know for some of the boys it’s their first Heineken Cup rugby ever. We made some big mis
takes, but also enjoyed it a lot. But this is all experience. The reason we have become the team we have, is because of these sorts of moments we’ve had on our journey and this will be another one as we try to get to where we want to be.”
Bristol had barely touched the ball before Clermont scored after Penaud freed fellow wing Alivereti Raka, and his strong run ended with Matsushima touching down.
Lopez converted, and matters immediately deteriorated for the Bears when Sheedy’s speculative midfield pass went straight to Naqalevu, who sprinted clear from inside his own half, and Lopez’s conversion opened a 14-point lead after just eight minutes.
Such was Clermont’s dominance that it came as no surprise when
they added a third try. An imposing scrum platform inside Bristol’s 22 was all their star-studded back division required, and slick passing saw Penaud cut back inside to score a try converted by Lopez.
Bristol responded impressively from their first attack, reducing the arrears when Malins touched down after collecting Sheedy’s pass, with the fly-half converting.
But Clermont again shredded Bristol’s defence, allowing Matsushima to jink over for his second try, securing a bonus point just 27 minutes into the contest.
Bristol drove a short-range lineout, and Byrne emerged from under his fellow forwards to claim Bristol’s second try - again converted by Sheedy - before a Lopez penalty took Clermont 15 points clear at the interval. Sheedy and Lopez exchanged penalties early in the second half, before Bristol collected a third try which was created by wing Henry Purdy’s pace and power. A surging run towards the Clermont line saw him bundle Matsushima out of the way, and a supporting Randall finished off and Sheedy’s conversion cut the deficit to eight points.
But just when Clermont looked as though they might be under serious pressure for the first time, scrum-half Morgan Parra rifled out a long pass to Penaud, who claimed his second try. Clermont surged even further out of sight through tries by Lee and Matsushima, before Bristol scored late tries through Lloyd and Piutau.
Bristol Bears: Max Malins; Alapati Leiua, Piers O’Conor, Siale Piutau (capt), Henry Purdy; Callum Sheedy, Harry Randall, Jake Woolmore, Bryan Byrne, John Afoa, Ed Holmes, Joe Joyce, Ben Earl, Dan Thomas, Nathan Hughes.
Replacements: Will Capon (for Byrne, 59 mins), Yann Thomas (for Woolmore, 50 mins), Kyle Sinckler (for Afoa, 49 mins), Dave Attwood (for Joyce, 65 mins) Jake Heenan (for Hughes, 67 mins), Andy Uren (for Randall, 65 mins), Ioan Lloyd (for Sheedy, 65 mins), Siva Naulago (for Leiua, 57 mins).
ASM Clermont Auvergne: Kotaro Matsushima; Damian Penaud, Apisai Naqalevu, George Moala, Alivereti Raka; Camille Lopez (capt), Morgan Parra; Etienne Falgoux, Adrien Pelissie, Rabah Slimani, Sitaleki Timani, Paul Jedrasiak, Judicael Cancoriet, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Fritz Lee.
Etienne Fourcade (for Pelissie, 46 mins), Peni Ravai (for Falgoux, 56 mins), Sipili Falatea (for Slimani, 56 mins), Thibaud Lanen (for Timani, 70 mins), Sebastien Bezy (for Parra, 59 mins), Tani Vili.
Not Used: Tavite Veredamu, Cheik Tiberghien, Tani Vili.