Harlequins handed lesson in thrashing by Clermont
Harlequins head of rugby Paul Gustard admitted he was “hurting” after a chastening defeat in France.
“It is frustrating because we came here with the ambition to win,” Gustard said. “We thought there was an opportunity and we worked hard on our attack in the week. We scored three tries and created two or three more opportunities and maybe they could have got us a bonus point.
“To concede 50 points isn’t good enough. The boys have reflected hard, and we have had three defeats in a row.” He added: “We have to look at how we rejuvenate the team, maybe affect it through selection, how we train, how we recover.
I have never been in this situation before as a coach and it is hurting.”
The excellent Alivereti Raka and Peceli Yato scored two tries apiece in a dominant display from Clermont, who were making their return to the competition after a year’s absence. Clermont opened up a 22-0 lead inside 25 minutes and kept Quins firmly at arm’s length throughout.
Raka raced clear for Clermont’s opening try after pouncing on a loose pass in the 11th minute, with Morgan Parra – who had earlier opened the scoring from the tee – adding the extras. Yato then powered over for the first of his double, dragging desperate challenger Marcus Smith behind him, and brushed off Glen Young to break the Harlequins defensive line and charge towards the line for his second.
Tom Lawday reduced the deficit when he touched down 11 minutes from half-time, but Clermont reasserted their authority on the match when Isaia Toeava collected a George Moala offload to cross the whitewash.
A driving maul produced a Quins try through Elia Elia in the 51st minute, before Clermont spread the ball out to the left wing with the help of a well-judged Camille Lopez kick for Raka to cross for his second of the match.
Lopez was instrumental once again in his side’s sixth try, sending through a chip that was chased down by Moala.
Quins’ final score of the match deserved better than to be on the losing side, with Gabriel Ibitoye embarking on a scintillating run before sending James Lang over. But Clermont had the final say in a game they controlled from start to finish, Mike Tadjer applying the finish after a driving maul.