Last year, the Stade Toulousain was displayed as the black beast of the Union Bordeaux-Bègles. Four matches and four victories for Toulouse, including the two semi-finals in the European Cup and in the league. This four out of four (since 2020), Stade Rochelais also achieved it this Saturday evening in front of the 32,509 spectators at the Chaban-Delmas stadium by winning against UBB at the last second by the smallest of margins 16 -15.
Throughout the game, Union Bordeaux-Bègles ran into a wall. No space for the Bordeaux attackers, an aggressive defense from the maritimes who never gave up an inch of ground to their opponents. Add to that total realism in the first half for the two tries from Danty and Rhule on the only two real La Rochelle opportunities and only the indiscipline of Grégory Alldritt’s teammates in the first half allowed the Union to capitalize a minimum.
Revenge and beautiful the next two weekends
The concern is that on returning from the locker room, Stade Rochelais has further tightened its defensive grip and the Union has never found the fault. So, once again, the fate of the meeting was played out in the last seconds, a fate which does not want to smile at the moment on the players of Christophe Urios, already beaten at the very end of the game at home against Racing 92 and against Paul. It’s cruel, but La Rochelle has put the ingredients to the end to snatch this success which allows him to climb on the third step of the podium of this Top 14.
For the Union, there is no danger in delay. UBB retains its second place in the standings with a small mattress of five points on the competition. But they will have to find the way to victory at home at the end of the month against Toulon. In the meantime, she will have the opportunity to check whether La Rochelle has really become her pet peeve with the double confrontation of the next two weeks between the two teams in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup.