MATCH REPORT: Replacement lock Thomas Ceyte crashed over for an 86th-minute try as Clermont overcame Bristol 33-26 in their Champions Cup clash.

The French side will have to wait to learn their fate in Pool Two as four-time champions Leinster host Bath and Treviso play La Rochelle, winners in 2022 and 2023 later in the day.

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With an incredibly tight finish in France, Clermont Auvergne had to hold off a 14-man Bristol Bears comeback.

The scores were level at 26-26 as the clock went into the red after Alex Newsome’s first-half try and a double from Alivereti Raka, while Bears kept hitting back with four second-half scores through James Dun, Noah Heward, Keiran Marmion.

But with a man extra after Bears saw a man go to the bin, Clermont capitalised and Ceyte powered over at the death to win it.

The scorers:

For Clermont:
Tries: Newsome, Raka 2, Penalty Try, Ceyte
Cons: Belleau 2, Urdapilleta

For Bristol:
Tries: Penalty Try, Dun, Heward, Marmion
Cons: Byrne 2

Yellow cards: Harry Byrne (Bristol, 16′(; Etienne Falgoux (Clermont, 48′); Fitz Harding (Bristol, 75)

Teams:

Clermont: 15 Alex Newsome, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Mathys Belaubre, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Alivereti Raka, 10 Anthony Belleau, 9 Baptiste Jauneau, 8 Fritz Lee (captain), 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Killian Tixeront, 5 Peceli Yato, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Michael Ala’alatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Sacha Lotrian.
Replacements: 16 Barnabe Massa, 17 Etienne Falgoux, 18 Cristian Ojovan, 19 Thomas Ceyte, 20 Alexandre Fischer, 21 Sebastien Bezy, 22 Ben Urdapilleta, 23 Lucas Tauzin.

Bristol Bears: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Noah Heward, 13 Joe Jenkins, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Deago Bailey, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Harry Randal; 8 Fitz Harding (captain), 7 Santiago Grondona, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Joe Owen, 4 James Dun, 3 George Kloska, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Steele Barker, 20 Viliame Mata, 21 Kieran Marmion), 22 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 23 Benjamin Elizalde.

Referee: Sam Grove-White
Assistant referees: David Sutherland, Finlay Brown
TMO: Andrew McMenemy

AFP & @ChampionsCup