Clermont Auvergne Suffers Heavy Defeat Against Sale Sharks in Champions Cup

Clermont Auvergne faced a tough loss at home against Sale Sharks with a final score of 14-35 during the second round of the 2025 Champions Cup on December 13. The match exposed Clermont’s struggles with inaccuracies and penalties, which Sale effectively capitalized on to secure five tries and a bonus point. Despite Sale not having won an away game in the competition for three years, their strong performance unsettled Clermont throughout the match.

Clermont attempted to recover after Lucas Zamora scored a try off an intercepted pass, reducing the gap to 20-14. However, a critical error by Clermont’s Harry Plummer led to another try by Sale’s Joseph Bedlow, which decisively put the game out of Clermont’s reach. This defeat adds to the challenges for Clermont in the Champions Cup, highlighting tactical errors and missed opportunities.

Elsewhere, La Rochelle also faced defeat in South Africa against the Stormers, losing 21-42 despite fielding a significantly altered squad. Clermont now must reflect on their performance and aim to correct their mistakes in upcoming fixtures to keep their European ambitions alive.