Match Centre: Leicester Tigers 23-16 Clermont
Julian Montoya was one of the try scorer for Leicester
©Steve Haag
Leicester Tigers 23-16 Clermont, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Leicester Tigers have maintained their winning start to the ongoing Heineken Champions Cup as they edged out Clermont 23-16 in the second round of the competition at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
The opening quarter was all about Clermont as captain Arthur Iturria and lock Paul Jedrasiak were forced off the field but they still claimed the lead with Anthony Belleau kicking penalty goals in the 6th and 15th minutes to make it 0-6.
The home side gave a strong response as Jasper Wiese finished in the corner from a 20 metres out in the 17th minute and eight minutes later Julian Montoya also dived over the line following a maul. Charlie Atkinson kicked both the conversions as they increased their lead to 14-6.
Just before the break Clermont were down to 14 players temporarily with Thibaud Lanen sin-binned and Atkinson landed a penalty goal to ensure the Premiership side completed the opening half with a 11-point lead.
Clermont were the quickest to get off the block in the second half as a break created by them allowed Belleau to land a three-pointer that saw them reduce the arrears to 17-9.
Atkinson restored Leicester's 11-point lead with a kick of his own in the 51st minute and he followed with another three-pointer in the 69th minute to make it 23-9. The closing stage of the game saw scrum-half Sebastien Bézy darted over and Belleau improved it but that did not stop Leicester from completing their second win of the competition.
Team line up:
Leicester: Steward, Watson, Porter, Kelly, Potter, Atkinson, B Youngs, Cronin, Montoya, Cole, O. Chessum, Green, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese.
Reserves: Clare, Leatigaga, Hurd, Wells, Cracknell, Wigglesworth, Burns, Ashton.
Clermont Auvergne: Newsome, Penaud, Tiberghien, Naqalevu, Delguy, Belleau, Bezy, Falgoux, Behergaray, Kubriashvili, Jedrasiak, Lavanini, Tixeront, Fischer, Iturria.
Reserves: Boudou, Bibi-Biziwu, Slimani, Amatosero, Lanen, Jauneau, Plisson, Barraque.
