By winning on the Castres pitch with a reshuffled team, the UBB showed progress. From now on, the club knows how to adapt, particularly in the absence of its executives, to continue to win matches and aim for the summits.
Before this weekend, Castres was still undefeated at Pierre-Fabre this season, and could boast of having brought down renowned teams such as Stade Toulouse or La Rochelle in its lair. But that was before meeting Union Bordeaux-Bègles this Saturday. Without a solution in front of their public, in a match made difficult by the weather conditions, the Tarnais broke their teeth on the team from Gironde, which left with the four points of victory. It is never easy to win in Castres but the UBB did it without several of its executives. No Lucu, Jalibert, Bielle-Biarrey, Lamothe or even Poirot but a victory, despite everything.
Lessons from last year
“It was a real test because we took forty points here last year, jubilant Jean-Baptiste Poux after the meeting. We had escaped a bit in the physical challenge. We responded this time and we believed in it until the end.” The former pillar rightly pointed out that UBB was incapable of winning these matches before. This is also what, in part, led to the historic rout in the championship final last year. Because by chaining together defeats without their internationals, the Aquitaine side had condemned themselves to fighting until the end of the regular season to qualify for the final phase and compete in a play-off.
From now on, like the success in Toulouse which greatly marked the group, Yannick Bru's men seem to know how to adapt even in the absence of players on whom UBB was said to be dependent. What explains it? Certainly the confidence, but also the fact that each element of this team seems to know exactly what their role is in the group and on the pitch. This is the case of Mateo Garcia, barred by Jalibert and Carbery at the opening, leaving for Toulon, but so precious during the moments he has to spend on the field. The gunner is an asset on the outside, thanks to his propensity to score long-range penalties. When a whistle blows in favor of UBB on the halfway line, the fly-half knows that Yannick Bru will call him by raising his three fingers.
Not just a story of canes
The depth of the squad is also a reason for the new Bordelo-Béglaise ability to win unexpected matches. In the third line, Tevita Tatafu was able to respond while Gazzotti and Samu were notably missing. In the center, if Nicolas Depoortere was on the bench, Rohan Janse van Rensburg showed himself to his advantage, as did Yoram Moefana. The number 8 and the pair of centers were the symbols of a solid UBB on contacts and defensively. Because far from the immovable cliché, according to which Yannick Bru's men only rely on the canes of their three-quarters, Bordeaux-Bègles has adapted to the weather in Castres.
The UBB forwards put in a great performance on the Castres pitch. Tevita Tatafu caused damage, as did Janse Van Rensburg. Levan Chilachava suffered in the scrum and Louis Le Brun missed penalties on his ropes.https://t.co/bHU6GiBnce
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) https://twitter.com/RugbyramaFR/status/1870592739806736664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Under the downpours of rain, the Girondins stepped up their defense to avoid taking any attempts. They also found the key in scrum, a sector that has been very weak this season. “We knew we were expected and we responded, smiled Poux, a specialist in the test of strength. The players were challenged by the fact that against big teams, against big opposition, we were sometimes in difficulty. There, it went well.” In Vannes, UBB was able to react after being surprised from the start of the match. In the Tarn, they adapted to the weather and the opponent while having, it is true, that success which makes great teams.
