Un thunderous return from the locker room. A fire attack (6 attempts registered). Subdued in recent weeks, Union Bordeaux-Bègles ended up regaining its offensive efficiency and fluidity in its game. It started its seventh campaign in the Champions Cup by signing an improved success against Leicester (42-28 ), this Sunday afternoon, in a Chaban-Delmas stadium happy to see the French internationals at their best again, like a “superstar” Louis Bielle-Biarrey, author of a double (44e49e) who turned the match around after the break.
“We wanted to find this confidence behind, this standing game, movement”
“We had a month where we struggled a little in the game,” admits Maxime Lucu. We had difficulty finding our rugby, we had some sluggish moments, notably against Pau (19-6) or Vannes (29-37)… Against Montpellier (9-6), we didn't put our effort into it at all. game in place. We wanted to find this confidence behind, this standing game, movement. Conditions permitted it. They had predicted rain all week, the wind had dried the ground well. We were able to play as we should.” And find colors.
A wild match
After a locked-in match against Montpellier in the Top 14, the Bordelais were nevertheless prepared to face the pressure game of the English who had brought them down here three years ago. “We talked about it all week, we laughed about it at the end,” smiles Maxime Lucu. Indeed, the Tigers have changed their approach by offering a lot more play. “They wanted to make us explode physically, they underestimated us a little in this regard,” underlines the Girondin scrum half. We knew how to keep our backs and we planted banderillas when necessary. We knew how to impose our own pace. By wanting to play too much, we countered them on what is our strength: turnover balls.”
Before launching its arrows, the UBB had to be patient. In the first period, she suffered collisions from the British forwards in her 22 meters and conceded three tries close to the lines signed Wells (6e), Bassett (15e) and Joussain (35e). Si Samu (7th) and Petti (28e) went to flatten in the in-goal, the Bordelais left a lot of points on the way by failing in the last gesture, as in this attempt refused to Retière (38th) for a forward at the start of the action or when Samu was too short on this crossbar at the foot of Jalibert (27e). Trailing 14-21 at halftime, Yannick Bru's men did not panic but were able to make a necessary adjustment in the locker room.
“The break was good in the sense that we recovered, we reduced the tension,” explains Maxime Lucu. We remembered what we did well. We told ourselves to continue in this state of mind and that the bench would make the difference. By playing in their camp and with the arrows we had, we knew they were going to give in. We made it happen and we killed them when necessary. We knocked them out on that.”
They adjusted the sights
Returning from the locker room, the UBB was able to increase the cursor on the impacts and mark its territory. The breaches have opened. And the talent of the back lines ended up making the difference. Bielle-Biarrey accelerated twice, on a Penaud kick and on a Depoortere serve, to score a devastating double in the space of six minutes. In the meantime, the crossbar at the foot of Jalibert this time arrived at the destination of Samu, also author of a double (46e). Moefana then pierced the Leicester defense, before Depoortere raced along the touchline for Bordeaux's sixth try (42-21, 73e).
“We can do even better. Watching the game there will be a bit of frustration, I'm sure.”
Following an interception on a Penaud kick, Leicester fought to score a fourth try by Perese at the very end of the match (42-28, 80th + 1) but the UBB signed a large victory which was reassuring in many respects. “I said after the match against Montpellier, you can't score five or six tries in each match,” tempered Noel McNamara, the backs coach. It's certain, we have the opportunities, we lack a little precision. We can do even better. Watching the game there will be a bit of frustration, I'm sure. I usually say it's never too high and never too low. But the 5 points are important to start this competition.”
