ESPN REPORT: L’ASM Clermont est désormais interdit pour la saison 2024 en raison de…
The TOP14 club ran in three tries before the break, wings Joris Jurand and Bautista Delguy penning their names on the scoresheet with hooker Etienne Fourcade also crossing.
Flyhalf Anthony Belleau contributed a trio of successful kicks – one penalty and a pair of conversions.
Replacement scrumhalf Baptiste Jauneau added a fourth try early in the second period to put the hosts up 27-3, with the French entity seemingly having one foot in the quarter-final with just 20 minutes remaining.
However, the United Rugby Championship (URC) club would make a game of it with three tries in the final quarter of the contest – replacement Sibabalo Qoma notching a brace in addition to a solo effort from full-back Tapiwa Mafura
Scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar matched his kicking counterpart with seven points from the tee.
The victory earns the TOP14 club a home match in the next round with either domestic rivals Montpellier Hérault Rugby or URC club Ulster Rugby set to visit the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region next weekend.
Over in the Champions Cup, the Bulls were at their ruthless best as they thrashed Lyon 59-19 in the European Champions Cup match, at Loftus Versfeld, in Pretoria on Saturday.
The Bulls outscored their opponents by nine tries to two, in a completely one-sided affair as the home side moved on to the quarter-final of the competition.
Gloucester Rugby host ASM Clermont Auvergne at Kingsholm on Friday night in the second pool stage game of the 2023/24 European Challenge Cup
Star number eight Zach Mercer has returned early from surgery on his ankle to start for Gloucester Rugby against ASM Clermont Auvergne in the European Challenge Cup at Kingsholm tomorrow night.
England international Mercer, leads a star-studded cast of players returning to action having been given a week off by director of rugby George Skivington, whose young second team earned a 15-10 victory away in Georgia against the Black Lion last weekend. Joining Mercer in the starting XV that includes 11 internationals are Argentina star Santi Carreras and Welsh wonder Louis Rees-Zammit. Scottish international fly-half Adam Hastings have been given one more week to continue his recovery from a knee injury that has seen him sidelined since October, Carreras will once again wear the 10 jersey in his absence.
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Harry Elrington, Santi Socino and Fraser Balmain return to form the front row with Matias Alemanno joining Freddie Clarke in the second-row. Clarke is the only player to retain his starting sport from last Saturday’s win over Black Lion Mercer returns to the back-row alongside the in form Jack Clement and club captain Lewis Ludlow, who penned a fresh deal at Kingsholm this week.
Stephen Varney and Santi Carreras start at half-backs, with Max Llewellyn and Chris Harris lining up in the centre. Rees-Zammit wears the number 15 shirt at full back, and is flanked by Ollie Thorley and Jonny May on the wing in an X-factor back three. Jamal Ford-Robinson and Kirill Gotovtsev impressed at scrum-time in Georgia, and are included on the bench for tomorrow. George McGuigan, Cam Jordan and Ben Donnell also wait in the wings for the forwards. Charlie Chapman, Seb Atkinson and Lloyd Evans are the backs replacements.
Team news:
Gloucester: 15. Louis Rees-Zammit, 14. Jony May, 13. Chris Harris, 12. Max Llewellyn, 11. Ollie Thorley, 10. Santi Carreras, 9. Stephen Varney, 1. Harry Elrington, 2. Santi Socino, 3. Fraser Balmain, 4. Freddie Clarke, 5. Matias Alemanno, Jack Clement, 7. Lewis Ludlow (C), 8. Zach Mercer.
Replacements: 16. George McGuigan, 17. Jamal Ford-Robinson, Kirill Gotovtsev, 19. Cam Jordan, Ben Donnell, 21. Charlie Chapman, 22. Seb Atkinson, 23. Lloyd Evans.
ASM Clermont Auvergne: 15 Alex Newsome, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Pierre Fouyssac, 12 Léon Darricarrere, 11 Thomas Roziere, 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Baptiste Jauneau, 1 Daniel Bibi Biziwu, 2 Yohan Beheregaray 3, Rabah Slimani, 4 Thibault Lanen, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 6 Pita Gus Sowakula, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Fritz Lee.
Replacements: 16 Etienne Fourcade, 17 Etienne Falgoux, 18 Henzo Kiteau, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Killian Tixeront, 21 Sebastien Bezy, 22 Anthony Belleau, 23 George Moala.
Gloucester unavailable list
Val Rapava-Ruskin, Adam Hastings, Ruan Ackermann, Mayco Vivas, Albert Tuisue, Caolan Englefield
