Captain Jelonch leads champions Toulouse to winning Top 14 start / Photo: Alex MARTIN - AFP
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Captain Jelonch leads champions Toulouse to winning Top 14 start
Champions Toulouse put on a masterclass to open their French Top 14 defence with a 34-24 victory at Clermont on Sunday with tries from Paul Graou, Guillaume Cramont, Dimitri Delibes and captain Anthony Jelonch.
Clermont hit back with tries from front rowers Barnabe Massa and Giorgi Akhaladze, while New Zealander fly-half Harry Plummer added 14 points with the boot, but it was not enough to earn the hosts at the Stade Marcel-Michelin a losing bonus point.
The Jaunards were off to a flying start in front of their fervent home crowd as hooker Massa was forced over from a driving maul after a five-metre line-out.
Plummer missed the conversation but added a penalty on 10 minutes to increase their lead.
Toulouse lost New Zealander centre Pita Ahki and back rower Theo Ntamack to early head knocks but had soon turned the match on its head.
Good work from flanker Jelonch set up scrum-half Graou to cross the whitewash and then their forwards bulldozed forwards to force hooker Cramont over the line.
Full-back Thomas Ramos converted both but two Plummer penalties levelled the scores before Ramos kicked three points to send Toulouse into the half-time break leading 17-14.
Plummer briefly restored parity again just after the restart but Ramos's pinpoint kick set up winger Delibes to score the champions' third try.
Clermont drew level when their forwards drove prop Akhaladze over after another short-range line-out but Ramos kicked Toulouse ahead just after the hour mark.
Jelonch then sealed the win eight minutes from time through more forward power close to the line and Ramos added the conversion to finish with 14 points.
C.Katsaros--AN-GR
