Clermont win thriller at Ashton Gate scoring seven scintillating tries

Clermont ran in seven tries at Bristol in highly entertaining Champions Cup Pool B performance with tries from Kotaro Matsushima (three), Apisai Naqalevu, Damian Penaud (two) and Fritz Lee. 

Japanese star scored a hat-trick for the TOP14 side to beat Bristol 51-38 in the Champions Cup at a chilly Ashton Gate. The highly entertaining game saw Bristol scored five tries themselves - enough for a bonus-point - in a brilliant game. Max Malins, Bryan Byrne, Harry Randall, Ioan Lloyd and Siale Piutau while Callum Sheedy kicked three conversions and a penalty. The clash was Bristol's first European Cup fixture for 12 years.

The Bears hardly touched the ball as Damian Penaud tore through the Bears' defence before sending his fellow winger Alivereti Raka tearing down the flank to set Matsushima for his first score. Lopez was accurate from the tee adding the extras. Callum Sheedy threw a speculative long pass that went straight into the arms of a grateful Apisai Naqalevu who sprinted clear from inside his own half as Clermont went into an early 14 point lead after just eight minutes.

A well-worked set-piece move from a scrum saw Damian Penaud coast in for his first try with Lopez making it 21-0 after 15 minutes. Bristol finally responded with Malins touching down after collecting Sheedy’s pass, with the fly-half converting.

A stunner from @ASMOfficiel 🤩 #BRIvASM pic.twitter.com/Z3T6aUQBhJ

— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) December 12, 2020

Clermont again tore through the Bristol defence allowing Matsushima to jink over for his second try, securing a bonus point just 27 minutes into the contest. The Bears bit back through Bryan Bryne crashing over from the rolling maul, Sheedy converted before Lopez slotted a penalty to make it 14-26 at the break.

Sheedy opened the second half scoring in the 42nd with a penalty but Lopez cancelled out his three just two minutes later. Henry Purdy surged into the Clermont 22 before Matsushima dragged him down but the Bristol winger managed to get the pass off with Harry Randall finishing off the effort.

That score brought Bristol within 8 of Clermont (24-32) but the French outfit put the game to bed with tries from Damian Penaud, Fritz Lee and Kotaro Matsushima with Lopez's extras on the final Clermont try taking the side into the 50s. A late surge from Bristol saw both Ioan Llyod and Siale Piutua score but it was not enough as Clermont closed out the 38-51 victory.