In Chaban-Delmas, the Catalans once again experienced a nightmarish afternoon (66-12). A record defeat which does not call everything into question, but which could start to make people cringe if there is no rapid reaction to erase the content of this Saturday.
A proper shipwreck. With all that that implies: the inaccuracies, the lack of ideas and aggression, a red card and, above all, the score. But how can you challenge it? Because ultimately, USAP was only in the match for 20, 25 minutes. Finally, we thought she could still match this UBB this Saturday afternoon.
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DIRECT. Top 14: USAP pulverized by Union Bordeaux-Bègles (66-12)
Because we must not hide our faces. Soon enough, what all Catalan fans feared happened. Union Bordeaux-Bègles got their hands on the ball and deployed their game, with more or less success. Until the middle of the first half, where the blood and gold finally foundered. Final score? 66-12. What was the best defense in this Top 14 became, over the course of an afternoon, a sieve overwhelmed by all sides. Leading to the heaviest score ever conceded by USAP in its history in the French championship. That’s a slap in the face.
A red card which freed up space
The USAP did not advance to Bordeaux with any great certainties. The Catalan staff repeats it enough. But still… Ambitions, desire, character, everything had to come together to show that this USAP is better. This Saturday, in Chaban-Delmas, we thought we were back in the past, when traveling was torture. When each attack leads to nothing, hand mistakes undermining all hope. And when each defensive phase ends behind its own line.
So some will see it as a humiliation. They are not completely wrong, because 66 points is heavy. And because the UBB made fun of the Catalan weaknesses. Matthieu Jalibert’s two tries, on almost predictable interceptions (34th, 40th), that of Pete Samu on a restart from his in-goal by Damian Penaud, eliminating Sadek Deghmache and passing So’otala Fa’aso’o and Giorgi Tetrashvili without them flinching (63rd), or the first from Romain Buros (70th) thanks to a penalty quickly played with the foot by Maxime Lucu, were registered with too much ease. The red card from Apisai Naqalevu (45th) because of a high tackle and head contact with Nicolas Depoortère did not help. But the UBB sometimes gave the impression of playing its combinations as in training. The test refused to Tevita Tatafu (46th) on a touch from five meters away is proof of this.
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Top 14 – “We took the price, we are not invited…”: after the heavy defeat of USAP in Bordeaux (66-12), find the post-match reactions
No humiliation for Franck Azéma
But we must not forget that opposite was the UBB. This UBB with its polished, fantastic game, and pumped up after its narrow match against Bayonne last week. The Girondins are simply going too fast. The two attempts by young Enzo Reybier (29th and 49th) at the end of the line are models of speed and play towards the outside which always ends in numerical superiority. Passes after contact in the center of the field also hurt. Substitutes Connor Sa and Matis Perchaud showed it on the seventh try (53rd). Add to this, despite two missed transformations, a very inspired Matthieu Jalibert, adding the step needed to make the pass between Jean-Pascal Barraque and Ali Crossdale for Reybier’s first try, and definitively, the USAP was not not invited.
Clearly, the Catalans have foundered. Two small tries from Eneriko Buliruarua (56th) and Louis Dupichot (60th) were not even enough to spark a revolt when the inaccuracies with ball in hand were corrected. The finding is ultimately as expected: the USAP is still far from the French elite. The score is larger than against Montpellier last September (7-26), but this time, Franck Azéma does not want to talk about humiliation. However, we must quickly learn lessons before Lyon, next Saturday (4:30 p.m.). Otherwise, the “good” start to the season will just be a memory. The frustration will be highlighted. And the anger probably not very camouflaged. Because a poor performance at Aimé-Giral would start to do a lot for a team which had carried its new project so well until then. The Top 14 goes quickly. It’s up to the USAP to succeed in accelerating even further.
