Leicester completed a miserable weekend in France for the east Midlands when, like Northampton the day before in Castres, they suffered a heavy defeat after failing to exploit a marked superiority in the set pieces and losing two players to the sin-bin.

Clermont lost their France loosehead prop, Lionel Faure, when he suffered a knee injury at the end of the warm-up; their scrum rocked from the outset. Their lineout was not markedly better but the breakdown has become the key battleground and it was there that the home side had the advantage.

Leicester had muscle but not composure. They enjoyed territorial dominance but went into the interval 16-5 down after wasting position and possession with elementary errors. It was like watching a re-run of the Saints game; only the colours were different.

The Clermont scrum-half, Morgan Parra, niggled away from the kick-off. He tangled with Tom Croft, squared up to Marcos Ayerza and shoved George Chuter in the first five minutes. He provoked more than one response and Alesana Tuilagi was fortunate the officials missed his kick at the France player's ankle, innocuous though it was.

Parra was at the centre of the incident that effectively ended the game as a contest, nine minutes into the second half. Faure's replacement, Vincent Debaty (his place on the bench was taken by Daniel Kotze, summoned from a bar where he had been drinking with friends as the match kicked off) was tackled high by Manu Tuilagi on Leicester's 22. Parra had fed Debaty with a pass that was disguised enough for Chuter to tackle the scrum-half late. The two were about to tussle on the ground when Manu Tuilagi, making his first appearance for six weeks after recovering from a broken jaw, tackled the prop around the head. As Clermont players protested and the spectators howled with indignation, Alain Rolland gave Tuilagi and Chuter 10 minutes off.

Parra appeared to close his teeth on the top of Chuter's arm, although Leicester made no complaint while disputing both yellow cards. They had been hard done by a minute before, when Brock James's drop-goal attempt was charged down by Toby Flood. Flood was pulled back by James but what should have been a penalty and perhaps a yellow card was neither.

"You expect that when you come to a place like this," said the Leicester director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, who spent the end of his playing days with Clermont.

Leicester were awarded 17 penalties to nine and were hurt more by themselves than by the officials. This was rugby in all its modern ugliness: big hits, big mouths and big business. A record crowd was treated to a gladiatorial contest in which rugby, very occasionally, broke out.

Clermont were leading 9-5 just before the break, three Parra penalties to a breakout try by Ben Youngs after a chip by James on the Leicester 22 had cannoned off Flood for the fly-half to hack the ball downfield. James took possession on his own 22 but was dispossessed by Manu Tuilagi, who fed the unmarked Youngs.

Three minutes from the break the elder Tuilagi, Alesana, dropped a James high kick. The centre Wesley Fofana, one player with the capacity to react quickly, seized possession and the wing Julien Malzieu broke two tackles to score.

When Fofana scored his side's second try, 14 minutes after the restart and profiting from another Malzieu break, Leicester, down to 13 men, were down and out. Fofana made it 30-5 with 15 minutes to go when he chased James's chip to the line but Clermont failed to secure the bonus point they may need in a tight group.

They lost their No8, Julien Bonnaire, to the sin-bin 10 minutes from time for messing up a Leicester ruck near his own line. The Tigers were awarded a penalty try after they were illegally denied a pushover score but, had a late Malzieu break been better supported, Clermont would have had a fourth try.

"We were sloppy," said the Leicester captain, Geordan Murphy. "We will have to play a lot better in the return game on Saturday." Cockerill savoured his side's set-piece dominance but the game today demands more. The Tigers seem to be lacking a full set of teeth.

Clermont Auvergne Byrne; Sivivatu, Rougerie (capt; King, 78), Fofana, Malzieu; James (Skrela, 74), Parra; Debaty (Kotze, 68), Kayser (Paulo, 47), Zirakashvili (Ric, 36), Pierre (Cudmore, 71), Hines (Vermeulen, 75), Vosloo, Lapandry, Bonnaire.

Tries Fofana 2, Malzieu Cons Parra 3 Pens Parra 3.

Sin-bin Bonnaire 70.

Leicester Murphy (capt); Agulla (Hamilton, 71), Smith (Twelvetrees, 71), M Tuilagi, A Tuilagi; Flood, Youngs; Ayerza (Stankovich, 49), Chuter (Hawkins, 59), Castrogiovanni (Cole, 61), Deacon (Slater, 74), Skivington, Croft, Salvi, Mafi (Waldrom, 59).

Tries Youngs, penalty try Con Flood.

Sin-bin M Tuilagi, Chuter 49.

Referee A Rolland (Ireland). Attendance 17,688.