TOPS
Would the UBB not hold its benchmark match with this victory in Ireland against Connacht (5-41). By winning in 9th place in the United Rugby Championship, the Bordelais took care of their entry into the competition. Dominators in all sectors of the game and above all very efficient, they mastered the match from start to finish. Despite the absence of Louis Bielle Biarrey and Yoram Moefana, the Bordeaux three-quarter line still stood out while the forwards did the job with a good scrum and a constant presence in the rucks.
Mathieu Jalibert, Damian Penaud, Louis Bielle Biarrey and Maxime Lucu… The UBB back line is full of stars. However, this evening, it was Romain Buros and Pablo Uberti who shone by each scoring a double. The 26-year-old fullback once again showed all his qualities as a rebounder and his kicking skills, as evidenced by the touch obtained after a kicking game of more than 50 meters (70th). For his part, Pablo Uberti, training center but aligned on the wing since the start of the season, continues his momentum. He perfectly meets his coach’s expectations and takes advantage of the playing time granted to him to showcase himself. In short between quality, quantity and emulation, the UBB 3/4 line looks great.
His arrival in Gironde caused less noise than Damian Penaud in the offseason. But he is also having an excellent start to the season and his match this evening confirms the trend. Still making progress in his role as a perforator, he was involved in three tries for his team, twice proving himself to be a decisive passer. Active in the game with the ball, he is also decisive in defense with great activity and an ability to scratch balls in the rucks (49th). The UBB holds its number 8.
FLOPS
This time it is of no consequence for the UBB. As since the start of the season, Union Bordeaux-Bègles was penalized far too much, especially in the first period (8 penalties in 40 minutes). If Connacht was unable to take advantage of it, the Gironde club’s next opponents could well use this black point. Very often reported offside, Mathieu Jalibert’s teammates will have to correct this issue to hope to go to the end of this Champions Cup. This number of mistakes in the quarter-finals or semi-finals could be crippling.
We had the impression of seeing the action repeated throughout the meeting. The Irish swept the field from right to left, setting the pace and doubling up on passes. But the conclusion was the same each time: a ball returned to UBB. Andrew Friend’s players never really managed to cross the Bordeaux curtain and were unable to take advantage of the situations offered by the indiscipline of their opponents. However, often around the 22 meters of the UBB, they will have lacked accuracy in the scoring zones to hope to compete. Dominated in scrums (3 penalties against them) and irregular in touch (3 lost balls), the Irish will have to work.
