UBB takes the advantage in its duel with Toulouse

“Our objective, I say again with great humility, is to finish first in the group”

“Our objective, I say again with a lot of humility, is to finish first in the group,” recalls Shaun Sowerby, the coach of the Gironde team. And for good reason, this 1^re place gives home advantage in the final stages. And the two best first are guaranteed to receive until the semi-finals. For now, the Gironde club is the only one to have 15 points after a solid performance over the first three days. With a point ahead of Toulouse, Yannick Bru’s men will have to confirm and aim for an improved victory against the Sharks on Sunday (2 p.m.) at Chaban-Delmas to finish the job. “Playing a group final like that in a full stadium against the South African world champions, there is nothing better,” emphasizes Maxime Lucu. I hope it’s going to be a great party. In any case, it’s up to us to make it beautiful. »

“We couldn’t have dreamed of better”

To take control of Pool 1 at Stade Toulousain, UBB did not tremble in Exeter where it achieved its biggest success of the season. “During the match, we wanted to score as many points as possible to take care of the goal average,” says Shaun Sowerby. On the Durban side, Toulouse failed to take the offensive bonus. “The conditions were really tough,” says Antoine Dupont. After 5 minutes, I looked at the timer and thought it was going to be a very long time. We are no longer masters of our destiny. If UBB takes 5 points next weekend, we will be 2^e. »

Despite this observation, Ugo Mola wanted to raise the unfairness of such a long trip to the Southern Hemisphere. “I think if the South Africans are to continue to exist in this competition, we really have to think about the pace of the calendar. It is not necessarily appropriate… Or distorts the competition. But others experienced it last year. And there’s no reason why we shouldn’t experience it, so we have to adapt. »

Seven months after the big slap received in the Top 14 final, Bordeaux-Bègles asserts itself as the main rival of Stade Toulousain. The victory at Ernest-Wallon (12-16), at the end of September, had erased the Girondins’ complexes against the Rouge et Noir. Today, UBB is leader of the Top 14 and 1^re of its Champions Cup group, ahead of Toulouse. “It’s a great start to the year, we couldn’t have dreamed of better,” smiles President Laurent Marti.

But the Bordelais remain humble in this distance duel against the reigning French champion and European champion. “Everything separates us from him,” declared Yannick Bru in an interview with “Sud Ouest” ten days ago. “There are already the results that speak for themselves. They are the locomotive of the Top 14 but we are not trying to copy them. We trace our path, we follow our history which is different. »

In the Champions Cup, UBB has performed flawlessly so far. She will have to make one last effort next weekend to put all the chances on her side in the spring.