Exeter vs Clermont match report: Thomas Waldrom at the double as Clermont subside

Exeter Chiefs 31 Clermont Auvergne 14

(Getty Images)

These are heady days in Devon. Just a win over such illustrious opponents would have been considered miraculous half a decade ago, but in the here and now Exeter’s forwards made mincemeat of a Clermont line-out in the closing minutes and finished off last season’s European Cup runners-up with a bonus-point try by Mitch Lees as the Chiefs put down a heavy anchor in what is likely to be a very tight pool.

In the highest-ranked match of the European weekend, it was the second-placed team in the Premiership hosting the leaders of France’s Top 14, and for the new England head coach Eddie Jones the latest stop on his whirlwind tour of club matches – from Newcastle last Sunday to Worcester on Thursday and on to Coventry for Wasps against Bath today – and he took a seat in the hospitality area directly behind the Exeter coaches, led by Rob Baxter.

Inconveniently for Jones, long-term injuries had put paid already to his chance of assessing Exeter’s centre Henry Slade, flanker Dave Ewers and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, and the uncapped prospect Sam Hill joined them when he was hurt in the warm-up.

The resultant reshuffle brought the England wing Jack Nowell infield for Exeter and he found himself foxed by a Clermont move direct from a scrum in the ninth minute to bring the 2013 and 2015 European Cup losing finalists their first try.

Camille Lopez, at fly-half near the posts, delayed his pass cleverly as Nowell pushed up in the defensive line until the time was right to launch the former All Black centre Hosea Gear through a gap. Parra converted and did so again when Clermont had their second try 10 minutes later.

Exeter had grasped three points in the meantime when a rangy run by Nowell ended with Clermont offending at a ruck. But the home team were pulled apart down their right wing, where Nowell had been due to be stationed until Hill’s injury.

Gear shrugged off a challenge from Gareth Steenson and offloaded adroitly out of the next Exeter tackle to find Noa Nakaitaci. The huge Fiji-born France wing showed a deft side to him with a chip over Phil Dollman, and it was gathered in by the venerable centre Aurelien Rougerie for the score, and a 14-3 lead.

The strength in Clermont’s starting line-up was extraordinary considering they had 13 players missing, including Nick Abendanon, although of course Jones is not permitted to pick the full-back anyway under the RFU’s no-overseas-players rule. Dave Strettle, who moved to the Massif Central from Saracens in the summer, is another in that off-limits bracket.

The experienced wing kept Exeter on their toes with a couple of kick-and-chases; in turn, Exeter nicked a couple of line-outs from Clermont and were only denied by an inconclusive grounding from grabbing a try of their own from an early driving line-out, reminiscent of the four tries from that tactic they plundered at Wasps last weekend.

Eventually, though, there was tangible reward from another run by Nowell that led to a fourth try in two matches for the No 8 Thomas Waldrom – a great boost five minutes before half-time, as Steenson’s conversion trimmed the Clermont lead to four; a decent effort by Exeter into a strong wind.

Waldrom had superstitiously considered buying new boots before his hat-trick at Wasps eight days ago but it is skill he relies on, not luck. His second try here came from Slade’s stand-in Ian Whitten making a bash behind a line-out, and Waldrom followed up to half-hurdle over a couple of Clermont yellow jerseys.

Steenson, one of the fine core of players who have been with Exeter from before their promotion to the Premiership five years ago, added the conversion.

Meanwhile Nakaitaci blew a three-on-one breakaway by allowing himself to be tap-tackled, and Olly Woodburn, the late call-up to the wing, pulled off a brilliant chase to haul down the flanker Peceli Yato.

With each side reduced to 14 men by a sin-binning, Exeter missed out by centimetres from scoring off another line-out drive. Instead, it was a scrum that was the platform for Don Armand’s try with six minutes to go, converted by Steenson for 24-14, and Lees put the seal on a famous day for the Chiefs by crashing over in the game’s final throes.

Most of Clermont’s missing luminaries will still be absent when the teams meet again next Sunday.

Exeter: P Dollman (sin-bin, 65); O Woodburn, J Nowell, I Whitten (M Campagnaro, 29-33), J Short; G Steenson, W Chudley (D Lewis, 65); B Moon (C Rimmer, 64), J Yeandle (capt, E Taione, 66), T Francis (M Low, 64), M Lees, D Welch (G Parling, 60), D Armand, J Salvi, T Waldrom (T Johnson, 66).

Clermont Auvergne: S Spedding; D Strettle (A Vulivuli, 32-39), A Rougerie, H Gear, N Nakaitaci; C Lopez (P Fernandez, 64), M Parra (L Radoslavjevic, 75); T Domingo (R Chaume, 48), J Ulugia (M van der Westhuizen, 59), C Ric (D Kotze, 59), P Jedrasiak (F van der Merwe, 39), S Vahaamahina (J Cancoriet, 70), P Yato (sin-bin, 70), V Kolelishvili, D Chouly (capt).

Referee: J Lacey (Ireland).