So far this season Exeter have not been their usual fizzing selves and there was a distinct lack of champagne moments for the locals to savour in Devon on Sunday. A nagging fear always lurked that the Chiefs’ patchy recent form might not bode well for the visit of Clermont and the home side’s worst nightmares were duly confirmed long before the final whistle.
Those who opted to stay home on Sunday missed a one-sided contest in which the French Top 14 leaders registered three first-half tries against a stiff wind and then inflicted further punishment after the interval. With their capped England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie limping off prematurely, key men such as Jack Nowell, Dave Ewers and Phil Dolman all sidelined and Henry Slade omitted from the starting XV, Exeter’s European campaign already has a battered look to it.
In this instance there was no doubting the quality of their executioners. Clermont are not on top of the Top 14 by accident and they counter-attacked with consistent class, with Wesley Fofana scoring two of their five tries and cutting the sharpest of midfield lines. Ollie Devoto, a possible candidate for England recognition in November, also had a lively game at inside centre but, for the most part, the Chiefs found themselves firing pea-shooters at an immovable white object.
“I’m expecting us to be a bit angry with some of the things that went on out there,” said Exeter’s coach, Rob Baxter. “I’m not quite sure what we were doing defensively at times...we didn’t really work together. That level of performance isn’t anything like we can achieve.”
From the outset Clermont looked like a side determined to learn from previous errors. Last year they lost 31-14 in Devon and, while they duly exacted retribution in the Massif Central, it was the Chiefs who unexpectedly progressed as pool winners. For a club of Clermont’s stature and resources, finishing bottom of the pool was an unacceptable outcome and they have returned bristling with intent.
Some of their offloading, in particular, was a joy to watch once they had soaked up a brief early spell of Chiefs pressure. Soft hands from Noa Nakaitaci put Julian Bardy over in the left corner for their first try early in the second quarter and they grabbed a second after 28 minutes when the Fijian cruised over with Exeter struggling in vain to cover for the incapacitated Cowan-Dickie.
A potential glimmer of consolatory light emerged when David Strettle had a clearance kick charged down by Ian Whitten and scrabbled to recover under pressure from Dave Lewis. Video replays, though, showed Lewis had been in an offside position and it was Clermont who skipped up the other end to score their third shortly before the break, the sprightly Camille Lopez slipping Wesley Fofana over.
Any prospect of an Exeter recovery evaporated when Nick Abendanon stepped expertly past Olly Woodburn to secure the visitors a try bonus point three minutes after the restart. Exeter were well beaten by Saracens last month on this same ground but this was a flashback to their earliest European days when Clermont beat them 46-12 in 2012-13 and followed it up with a 46-3 drubbing at the Stade Michel Michelin.
Since then the Chiefs have grown into a consistent Premiership force but something is awry at the moment. It might be that their European heroics and Premiership final journey took too much out of their older forwards’ legs or merely that others have regrouped better following a disruptive World Cup season for many. Either way Baxter’s side will have to find some kind of solution before this weekend’s trip to face Ulster in Belfast, not the easiest place to go for a team searching for instant answers.
The good news is they have another promising local talent rolling off the production line in the shape of 19-year-old Jack Maunder, a member of the England Under-20 squad and the son of Andy Maunder, the club’s loyal captain in their County Ground days. These were not the easiest of circumstances in which to make a first-term debut but Maunder Jr added some much-needed spark; having already captained Exeter Braves in the A league, he did not look remotely fazed by the illustrious company he was keeping.
It takes more than the odd flash of youthful enthusiasm, however, to unsettle a side as good as these opponents. Toulon may be up against it in Europe after their opening weekend defeat by Saracens but, on this evidence, nothing looks more certain than that Clermont will top Pool Five. The French giants have not yet won a European title and that ambition clearly still burns bright.
They did relax sufficiently to allow Slade to create a last-minute try for the persevering Sam Hill but the weekend death of Anthony Foley put that into firm perspective. The impeccably observed minute’s silence before the game was given extra gravity by the referee, George Clancy, having attended the same school as the former Munster captain and coach. Everything that has happened in European rugby this weekend feels strictly relative.
Exeter Turner (Bodily, 53); Woodburn, Devoto, Hill, Whitten; Steenson (capt; Slade, 56), Lewis (Maunder, 56); Low (Rimmer, 53), Cowan-Dickie (Yeandle, 29), Williams (Holmes, 53), Parling, Welch (Lees, 56), Hortsmann, Salvi, Waldrom (Dennis, 56).
Try Hill Pen Steenson.
Clermont Auvergne Abendanon; Strettle, Lamerat (Rougerie, 68) Fofana, Nakaitaci; Lopez (Fernandez, 64), Parra (Radosavljevic, 66); Domingo (Falgoux, 53), Kayser (Charles, 69), Zirakashvili (Ric, 61), Van der Merwe, Vahaamahina, Chouly (capt; Jedrasik, 53), Bardy, Lee (Lapandry, 47).
Tries Bardy, Nakaitaci, Fofana 2, Abendanon Cons Parra 4, Fernandez.
Sin-bin Van der Merwe 53.
Referee G Clancy (Ireland). Attendance 9,879.
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