Let us be honest, the Champions Cup tie between Leicester and Clermont is in effect over. The Premiership leaders produced one of the more remarkable away performances in European rugby last week, thrashing the Top 14 side 29-10, scoring five tries to one and maintaining their supremacy despite playing with 14 men for the final 20 minutes.
Based on those events in the Auvergne, something spectacular and calamitous in equal measure would need to transpire at Welford Road on Saturday to prevent Leicester’s march into the next round. That is exactly what Clermont are banking on.
