Clermont target last eight after bruising Champions Cup win over Bordeaux

Last year’s runners-up Clermont stayed on course for the European Rugby Champions Cup quarter-finals Friday after winning a bad-tempered all-French clash against Bordeaux-Bègles.

The 28-10 victory put Clermont on top of Pool 2 in a game held over from November when it was called off in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks.

Bordeaux remain bottom of the group, behind Exeter and Ospreys, after a third defeat in four matches.

They also saw replacement lock Julien Le Devedec red-carded for head-butting Paul Jedrasiak just five minutes into the second period when Bordeaux were already trailing 23-10.

They then played 10 minutes with 13 men when replacement prop Francisco Gómez Kodela was yellow-carded for a crude shoulder charge which sent Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra careering off the pitch.

“It was a good performance to come here and get four points against Bordeaux. It was a committed match on a muddy surface,” said Clermont boss Franck Azema.