Dylan Hartley sent to sin-bin as Northampton fall to defeat at Clermont

The Michelin men have been running on flat tyres this season and this was a missed opportunity for Northampton, who have to win their remaining four matches to have a chance of qualifying for the tournament’s last eight. The Saints fronted up and were on top for long periods, but this was a stuttering, stop-start affair that at times proved too much for the referee, Ben Whitehouse. He struggled to impose his authority from the start and a match that included the England captain, Dylan Hartley, being sent to the sin-bin for entering a ruck with a swinging arm deteriorated into skirmishes and brawls.

Hartley saw yellow when his right arm caught the prop Rabah Slimani, who was lying on the floor. Ten months ago Hartley was sent off for catching Sean O’Brien in the face with a swinging arm. That was a more overtly dangerous act but in the current climate, when any action that either causes or risks an opponent suffering a head injury (Slimani was treated for a bloody nose) is considered punishable by suspension, the hooker faces a nervous wait to see whether the citing commissioner will take the matter further. All this a week before the England squad gathers to prepare for the autumn internationals.

The action, with his arm held low, did not seem worthy of a yellow card, never mind a ban, but these are times when examples are being made of and the yellow card comes when Jamie George has turned the debate over the hooker jersey into one between form and leadership. Hartley drove his side forward in the second period after they had appeared out of the contest at 19-0 down, but as the drizzle fell a match that only flickered finally died.

It had looked different at the start. Clermont, greeted resoundingly by their banner-waving supporters, started by turning their power up front into free-kicks, a penalty and a try when Northampton, daring not collapse five metres from their own line knowing that a penalty try and yellow card would result, stayed stuck in reverse gear and the No8, Fritz Lee, dribbled the ball to the line before diving on it.

It looked ominous at this stage for Northampton, who were playing six days after conceding 57 points and nine tries at home to Saracens. They were overwhelmed physically in defence and attack and here they struggled to contain Clermont’s big runners in the back five, who stormed the gainline and were knocked back when in possession.

The visitors lost the penalty count heavily, largely because of their problems up front, where Jamal Ford-Robinson – making his first start for Saints since joining from Bristol in the summer – received three lectures from the referee and was taken off at half-time. The tighthead prop struggled to remain upright on the occasions he was not penalised for engaging too early.

There was a point when Northampton had enjoyed more than 70% of the possession and territory, but they made little impact. Clermont have made an indifferent start to the defence of their Top 14 title, unbeaten at home but only just squeezing past Toulon and Racing 92 while losing all four league matches on the road. They were so disjointed in attack and so sloppy in possession that it was not difficult to see why.

After 22 minutes they lost their France fly-half Camille Lopez with a serious ankle injury that held up play for 10 minutes but they were listless throughout. Despite that, they in effect won the match either side of half-time through Lopez’s replacement, Charlie Cassang, who played at scrum-half with Morgan Parra moving to No10. Cassang scored a try one minute before half-time when, after a series of drives, he reacted to the defence fanning out wide near their own line, by taking advantage of an unguarded side of a ruck. Forty seconds after the restart, he collected a kick and ran 70 metres to score, holding off Northampton’s two wingers.

Otherwise, it was a tale of knock-ons and cock-ups. Christian Day scored a consolation try for Northampton moments after getting away with a foot in touch. As players lay on the ground and the referee asked for a review, the big screen showed Day treading on the whitewash before Northampton were awarded a penalty. It stood, Saints kicked to touch and Day scored.

Northampton had other rumbles – Rémi Lamerat saving a try in the first period by quickly getting back to his feet after stopping Ben Foden on the line and then winning a penalty off the wing, but the replacement prop Etienne Falgoux secured Clermont’s try bonus point to leave Saints second best in a disappointing affair that brought two more yellow cards.