Ultra-dominant in the first period then shaken in the second act, the Rochelais disposed of UBB on Saturday in San Sebastian. Their double dreams remain intact.
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The two-time Champions Cup winner has assumed his status. More powerful, La Rochelle dominated Bordeaux-Bègles (24-13), Saturday June 10 in the semi-finals of Top 14 in San Sebastian (Spain). The Maritimes stifled Bordeaux-Bègles for one half, scoring three tries, before stemming UBB’s hopes of a comeback in the second half. The second of the regular season will play the second championship final in its history against the first, Toulouse, next Saturday at the Stade de France.
There were therefore no surprises in these Top 14 semi-finals. There even floated at half-time, in the Basque furnace of Anoeta, the unpleasant scent of a new match too quickly bent, after the Toulouse card against Racing (41-14) the day before. Stade La Rochelais indeed led 21-3, won all its collisions and stifled the UBB in melee and on its devastating mauls. More concerned with shattering the opposing pack than driven by a concern for aesthetics, Ronan O’Gara’s players scored three times with the strength of their forwards.
Dillyn Leyds ultimately improved the advance of his team on a maul (9th), while Pierre Bourgarit did not even need to extract the ball from the casserole to plant the second try (21st). The overpower of the maritime golgoths also materialized when Pierre Boudehent crossed the line (38th), in what looked like a definitive blow.
The La Rochelle defense did not miss anything
But Bordeaux-Bègles, already back from the depths of the classification at the end of the season, and saved on the gong in the play-offs in Lyon last Sunday (32-25), could not offer such a dry exit to its coaches Julien Laïrle and Frédéric Charrier, in departure. Then the UBB quickly softened the mark, thanks to a penalty try embellished with a yellow card against the Rochelais Boudehent (49th). Finally in the game, Bordeaux-Bègles experienced the bitter feeling of knowing that they were close to their opponent without ever returning to their level, failing for the third time in a row in the half.
Because if La Rochelle eased off after its first admirable act, the maritime club still took care to contain the desires of the Bordelo-Béglais offshore, thanks to an intractable defense. It will take at least as much against Toulouse, in this long-awaited final, for the Old Port of La Rochelle to finally discover the Shield of Brennus.