Happy with the improved victory against Ulster (19-40), the captain of Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Maxime Lucu, returned to this scenario similar to that of last week against Leicester. Indeed, trailing at the break, UBB reversed the course of the match during the second act.
What is your explanation for this first, still difficult period for the UBB?
This evening we missed quite a few tackles against a fairly dense team, particularly at the back. We didn't help our forwards by missing these tackles. We found ourselves losing the advantage line, which inevitably leads to a few more errors. Afterwards when you play with three yellow cards in the first halfit’s more difficult to develop our rugby. It's then impossible to defend against a team like that on a fast-moving surface. We tried to fill the gaps and keep our backs rounded. Afterwards, we said to ourselves that in the second half, with the support of the wind, we would be able to come back. We were smart. We knew we were in trouble in the first half but we just had to be patient.
You were confident in your ability to turn the match around…
We knew we had missed tackles and that we had to get in our face a little more. We said to ourselves that with only five points behind at the break, we were still in the game. With the rugby that we can put in place, that we know, we just had to stay positive between us to succeed in turning the tide again. We had to be patient and sure of our strength.
Also read:
Champions Cup – Scores for Bordeaux-Bègles against Ulster: Maxime Lucu as boss, Lachie Swinton scattered
Don't you feel like you gave the ball away too much in the first half?
We also made a bit of a mistake. We knew that Ulster wanted to cut us off from the outside and we still tried to go there to avoid falling into the trap. We should have simply attacked in the middle with our big guys, who were huge today, and that's what we did in the second half. Our forwards and our center pair then gave us progress. That's how we forced the lock and Ulster ended up giving in.
Ten points in two matches, this first phase of the Champions Cup is perfect from an accounting point of view…
It was a goal coming here because we know that two big matches await us in January with the trip to Exeter and the reception of the Sharks, with a lot of Springboks in their ranks. We knew we had no room for error. We also knew that a victory here could kick off our winter as we did last season in Connacht. We needed a team match and we managed to do it. It’s perfect from an accounting perspective but also from a state of mind perspective. Travel in Ireland is never easy so they are important, especially here where it is always hot, against a team which had taken sixty points. We knew we were expected and we responded in spirit. Not everything was perfect but you have to know how to win in these places.
So you are in the race for first place in a very tough group…
We know we have a big hen. We win games in the spring while having a rough winter. We have just had two important victories for the future but two big matches still await us in January. But we know that the Champions Cup is really played in December and January. We must emphasize this.
