Stormers can look forward to Frans as they put France behind them

They will likely have tighthead prop Frans Malherbe back in the front row while the same is likely to apply to lock Marvin Orie.

The extent of Ernst van Rhyn's injury who left the field with a head injury assessment against Clermont, is not yet clear, while the fitness of No8 Evan Roos is still a matter for conjecture.

The Stormers though will have to dust themselves down before going into their round two clash.

Coach John Dobson was under no illusion about the task facing his team in their Champions Cup opener. He remarked that it will take something special for them to topple Clermont at home and for a while the Stormers played with the enough commitment and composure to build a healthy first half lead.

However, not having players like Malherbe, Orie and Roos in his pack meant when the hosts turned up the heat the Stormers were unable to fight fire with fire.

At the back several of their usually cool operators faltered.

Clermont's forwards rumbled into action and while their tight five applied the slow poison, it was 20-year-old loose forward Killian Tixeront who got the man of the match award.

“We weren't supposed to concede any points but we felt that we were much more present than them physically at the end of the game. In the duels, in the energy, we were better,” Tixeront was quoted in Midi-Olympique as saying.

“We showed huge heart. We stuck to the fundamentals, it did us a lot of good. I think this victory bodes well,” said Tixeront.

The Lions meanwhile are preparing to be without their Springbok tight-head prop Ruan Dreyer for an extended period. Dreyer departed the scene in the first quarter of their drawn Challenge Cup clash against the Dragons at Ellis Park.

Medics assisted him off the field with what appeared to be a leg injury

The match ended in a 31-all draw. Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen said he did not expect a positive result from the scan Dreyer is set to undergo.

The Lions showed some neat touches but it was generally a scrappy first half for the home side. They also fell on the wrong side of the law and were heavily penalised by the referee in that period.

Van Rooyen said while they are disappointed, they will take the three log points in the new competition.

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