Easy for Clermont as Bears stumble

PAT Lam cut a stoical figure after seeing his side surrender their place in the Challenge Cup by conceding three perplexingly soft tries.

- TOM BRADSHAW

Bristol ................................ 26pts

Tries: Randall 34, Radradra 38 Conversions: MacGinty 35, 39 Penalties: MacGinty 11, 18, 49, 78

Clermont ........................... 33pts 

Tries: Lavanini 24, Penaud 27, 71; Moala 40 Conversions: Belleau 25, 28 Penalty: Belleau 14, 43, 57

Bristol recent rich vein of home form was ended by a Clermont side who fronted up in the wet conditions and who picked off their opportunities.

The softest try of all secured victory for Clermont, with Damian Penaud able to claim his second of the evening when Siva Naulago failed to dot down a bobbling ball in the in-goal area.

Penaud, the France winger, had earlier been allowed to open his account with an unchallenged scamper from the back of a ruck, and Bristol’s failure to deal with a restart just before half time had allowed the Top 14 side to swap ends in front.

“These sort of mistakes happen, it’s sport,” said Lam, Bristol’s director of rugby. “The first person who’s upset about it is the player. He (Siva) thought it was going to bounce out, it didn’t. We’re all human, we make mistakes and the people who hurt the most are those who make them.