From Johnny Sexton’s kicking masterclass to Gordon D’Arcy’s last-minute tackle, a look back at some of the clubs’ Champions Cup encounters

There have been some memorable moments between Leinster and Clermont Auvergne throughout their shared history in the Champions Cup, one that will be renewed once again at the weekend when the Irish province travel to the Stade Marcel Michelin.

Players have stood up and out. Gordon D’Arcy scored a try, was stretchered off and in a different match between the clubs made a game-saving tackle to send Leinster to the 2012 final. Wesley Fofana crossed for a try in one match and was denied another by the D’Arcy tackle. Brock James suffered a kicking nightmare at the RDS on a day when Johnny Sexton couldn’t miss.

Leinster’s first European away win in France was against Montferrand, who later became Clermont Auvergne, a 23-20 success some 24 years ago. Here we look at a few of those tussles in a little more detail.

April 9^th, 2010, RDS – quarter-final: Leinster 29 Clermont Auvergne 28

The game is remembered for the off-colour day that Brock James suffered with the boot. He missed five kicks at goal plus a further three drop goal opportunities, including one at the death that would have handed the French club a victory. It would have been a result that Leinster couldn’t have quibbled with after a game in which Clermont wing Julien Malzieu scored a hat-trick of tries.

Down the road the Australian would go on to atone and enjoy happier days in a Clermont shirt against Leinster. The irony was that Johnny Sexton kicked superbly for the home side (19 points), and coupled with two tries from the man-of-the-match Jamie Heaslip it was enough to allow Leinster to squeeze home.

He said: “It was a see-saw kind of a game and there are mixed feelings in the dressingroom. They dominated at times and there’s a real sense of relief because they could have shaded it at the end.”

April 29^th, 2012, Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux – semi-final: Leinster 19 Clermont Auvergne 15

Another belter of a contest between the two sides in a Heineken Cup semi-final from which Joe Schmidt’s side emerged. Leinster trailed 12-6 at the interval to four penalties from James before the game spun on its axis with a brilliant training ground move that bore fruition for the Irish province.

Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney laid the groundwork, while Cian Healy scored the try. Minutes later Rob Kearney’s 45-metre drop goal nudged Leinster 16-12 in front. James kicked a penalty, missed another and a drop goal chance before the Australian and Johnny Sexton swapped penalties to leave the game delicately poised at 19-15.

It took a brilliant last-minute tackle by Gordon D’Arcy to force a fumble and deny Wesley Fofana a try at the death, a moment that required a TMO review.

December 15^th, 2012, Aviva Stadium – pool game: Leinster 21 Clermont 28

A then Irish record for a European pool match of 48,964 watched on as Clermont beat the reigning European champions for the second week in succession. Scrumhalf Morgan Parra was the standout player for the visitors as he kicked eight from nine attempts with the placed ball in a 23-point haul. It ended a run of five successive defeats in Ireland for the French club since 2007.

Fofana scored an early try as Clermont raced into a 25-9 lead and it was only late tries from Shane Jennings and Fergus McFadden that put a modicum of respectability on the final scoreline and earned the home side a losing bonus point. The French side had beaten Leinster 15-12 the previous week at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt said in the aftermath: “It’s very hard to take defeat two weeks in a row with the amount of effort the players put in. The bonus point is handy [for qualification]. Miracles happen in sport, I guess, but mathematical long shots seldom come into being.

“I knew Clermont would come to play, and they’d be better than they were last week. I think we out-thought them last week and they just outmuscled us this week.”

December 14^th, 2024, Aviva Stadium – pool game: Leinster 15 Clermont Auvergne 7

A ninth win in nine games to that point for Leo Cullen’s side but in keeping with many of the matches between the sides it was hard-fought. There were several notable lines from the game, primarily that it was Jordie Barrett’s second match of his Leinster stint.

Following on from scoring a try on debut the previous week against the Bristol Bears, he did likewise from his role at fullback. Leinster’s other try came from Garry Ringrose with Sam Prendergast tagging on five points. The home side struggled at lineout time with six of their 16 throws going astray.

Clermont managed a try from Fijian-born Alivereti Raka – he could be involved again at the weekend – and not even the arrival of Jack Conan and RG Snyman from the bench could provide the Irish province with the impetus to kick on when it came to the scoreboard.