Women – Stade Bordeaux dominates ASM Romagnat in Michelin, for the first broadcast of an Elite 1 match by Canal +

The spotlight was on Clermont. First for the Top 14 meeting between ASM and Union Bordeaux-Bèglesbut also and above all for a historic first concerning women's Rugby. This Saturday, November 2, 2024, Canal + broadcast for the first time in its history an Elite 1 match, the French women's rugby championship. If the encrypted channel had already put women on its airwaves in 2015, the meeting between ASM Romagnat and Stade Bordeaux must be the first stone in the media development of women's rugby on the chain with the white cross.

In a favorable context, under the bright lights of the Marcel-Michelin stadium, the Bordelaises quickly put an end to the ever-increasing enthusiasm of the faithful of the Yellow Army towards “their” women's team. From the seventh minute, the Gironde cavalry got into marching order from its twenty-two meters by perfectly exploiting a three count two. Perfectly served by Nassira Kondé, Rhona Lloyd scored the first try of the game, on the edge of the sidelines. Six minutes later, Louise Lavabre took advantage of an enormous domination of the Bordeaux forward pack which was flattened again at the end of the line, opposite Lloyd. After a quarter of an hour of play, the Girondines led 12-0 and completely asphyxiated the Romagnatoises.

Growing domination as the game progresses

At home, Fabrice Ribeyrolles' daughters tried to take advantage of the public's support to rebel. In the 34th minute, the “Jaunardes” finally found gaps in the Bordeaux defense with a well-felt interception from Salomé Perraudin on the Lionesses' forty meters. But this reaction was only a flash in the pan. Dominated by Bordelaises who were faster, more physical and more precise than the locals, Jessy Trémoulière's teammates saw their gap widen as the match progressed. Shortly before half-time, Montserrat Amédée delivered another blow to the head of the Romagnatoises after another big sequence which sent Elise Pignot to the sidelines. The ASM center conceded a yellow card and the Girondines took the opportunity to break through the Romagnatois axis. And while the girls from Ribeyrolles could hope to return to the locker room with “only” twelve points behind (7-19), the Bordelaises put it back in stoppage time with a goal from Nassira Kondé, on the edge of the touch.

The second period was then a long way of the cross for the Auvergnates, until the 70th minute, where the Romagnatoises reacted through Jessy Trémoulière and Élise Pignot. Opposite, the reigning champions managed their lead, even allowing themselves the luxury of scoring a new try at the start of the second act. This fatal achievement by Morgane Bourgeois destroyed all suspense in a meeting which nevertheless excited all strata of women's rugby, between the reigning champions and their finalists. And for the first time under the Canal + cameras, the Bordeaux Lionesses made the Romagnatoises bite the dust and sent a clear message to their future competitors for the final title…