Clermont do Munster a favour

Clermont Auvergne 37 Wasps 27

Defending champions Wasps were denied a losing bonus point in the Heineken Cup after Aurelien Rougerie scored a last-minute try for Clermont Auvergne.

After trailing by 20-10 at half-time, Wasps staged an impressive comeback and tries for Tim Payne and James Haskell – the flanker’s second of the game – put Ian McGeechan’s side 24-23 ahead after 50 minutes.

However, Clermont fly-half Brock James was immaculate in his kicking, and his four second-half penalties left Wasps trailing 34-32 with eight minutes left on the clock.

Danny Cipriani held his nerve to kick a long penalty and put Wasps back into contention for a bonus point just two minutes later, and when Tom Voyce kicked for the corner with one minute left to play, Wasps supporters may have dared to think an historic win was within reach.

However the line-out was not cleanly taken, and although Wasps kept possession and the ball in hand, they were forced back into their own half.

When the ball rolled out of the back of a ruck, Clermont pounced and spun the ball wide for their captain Rougerie to go over in the corner and snatch a five-point win for his team.