Sexton stays cool as gutsy Racing dig out crucial win

Racing Metro 13 ASM Clermont Auvergne 9

Ireland fly-half Sexton kicked two penalties and a conversion to Morgan Parra’s three penalties as the home side edged victory in a tense contest between the Top 14 rivals that prolonged Clermont’s European pain for an extra week following their final defeat to Toulon in May.

Clermont enjoyed the early possession and territory, keeping Racing pinned in their own half and getting their reward with a scrum penalty in the 10th minute, Morgan Parra dispatching the kick from the Racing 10-metre line wide on the right.

The restart saw Racing enter the Clermont half for the first time and from the kick-off they won a scrum at the ensuing breakdown. It gave Sexton the platform to produce a touch of flair, wrapping around Juan Martin Hernandez, his inside centre and receiving a wonderful out the back of the Puma’s hand before feeding wing Marc Andreu, whose grubber kick was grounded by Clermont beyond the try-line.

This time Racing Metro turned the screw, winning a penalty at the five-metre scrum with Sexton kicking to the corner, from which his side attacked again, only to founder with a knock-on in front of the Clermont posts.

There was further frustration for the home side when Hernandez was forced off with a injury after just 16 minutes and Racing were on the back foot soon after when Clermont’s powerful wings Sitiveni Sivivatu and Naipolioni Nalaga combined down the left flank, only for the latter to run into touch.

Parra stretched Clermont’s lead nevertheless as last year’s finalists earned another penalty at the scrum in the 24th minute, this time the scrum-half bisecting the posts from just inside the Racing half.

Sexton had been denied a kick at goal but when Clermont conceded a penalty at the breakdown inside Racing’s half, he sent a touchfinder to just outside the 22, the maul from the lineout initially driven back by Clermont before the Parisians ran the ball. They went through the phases but Sexton was left on the floor and fuming after he shipped a late hit from French Test centre Wesley Fofana. The Irish fly-half complained to the linesman with no joy but Sexton was soon back in the hunt for points after his opposite number Brock James sent a kick out on the full and gifted Racing a lineout inside the visitors’ 22.

Referee Nigel Owens punished Clermont further with a penalty at the subsequent breakdown but played the advantage, Sexton’s drop goal attempt missing left. He got a second chance, though and from close to the left touchline, with kicking coach and water carrier Ronan O’Gara standing behind him, Sexton sent over the penalty to get Racing on the board at 3-6.

The three-point margin was quickly back to six, however, as Hernandez’s replacement Henry Chavancy took Clermont full-back Lee Byrne out off the balland Parra duly kicked the penalty to give Vern Cotter’s side a 9-3 half-time lead.

It did not take long after the interval for Racing to get back into the match, coming in counter-attacking style as Clermont broke through in midfield in the 43rd minute. The ball reached Fofana on the left who was hauled down on the opposition 22 and Marc Andreu, the Racing wing signed from Castres, came away with the ball. With a clear run at the line, he sprinted down the right wing to score at the other end, Sexton’s wonderful conversion from the touchline nudging the home side 10-9 ahead.

Tempers were frayed and Clermont were looking ragged, Sivivatu bundled into touch on one flank, and the visitors conceding a penalty on the other after the second of two flare-ups in as many minutes. Sexton kept his cool, though, sending over the penalty to put Racing 13-9 up.

Parra thought he had closed the gap four minutes later but the TMO adjudged his penalty attempt wide.

It signalled a comeback from Clermont, though, who were regaining their composure and great hands from Parra and Sivivatu put No.8 Damien Chouly into the corner, only to be denied a try by a great covering tackle from full-back Benjamin Lapeyre.

There was a setback for Cotter’s team when Nalaga was sin-binned. The numerical advantage did not last long, though, as two minutes later Racing fell foul of some indiscipline themselves, loosehead prop Davit Khinchagishvili seeing yellow in the 65th minute.

In a further twist Racing lock Francois van der Merwe was sin-binned with two minutes to go. That gave Clermont a way back and they were quickly up to the Racing try line as the home side dug in. Bodies flew into the rucks as the clock ticked past 80 minutes. Something had to give and it did. Owens awarded Racing a penalty to bring an absorbing game to a close and the Parisians celebrated a crucial opening victory.

RACING METRO 92: B Lapeyre; M Andreu, F Estebanez, J M Hernandez, J Imhoff; J Sexton, M Machenaud; D Khinchagishvili, D Szarzewski — captain, L Ducalcon, J Kruger, F van der Merwe, W Lauret, A Battut, J Cronje.

Yellow Card: Khinchagishvili 65-75

Replacements: V Lacombe, E Ben Arous, J Brugnaut, F Metz, B Le Roux, L Magnaval, H Chavancy, B Dambielle.

ASM CLERMONT AUVERGNE: L Byrne; S Sivivatu, A Rougerie — captain, W Fofana, N Nalaga; B James, M Parra; T Domingo, B Kayser, Davit Zirakashvili, J Pierre, N Hines, J Bonnaire, J Bardy, D Chouly.

Yellow Card: Nalaga 63-73.

Replacements: T Paulo, V Debaty, D Kotze, L Jacquet, G Vosloo, T Lacrampe, B Stanley, J-M Buttin.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).