Bordeaux revelling in English connection
Atrio of British coaches have inspired Bordeaux-Begles to their best start to a season since promotion six years ago. So often had they just missed out on the top six, the team had become known as the nearly men under previous boss Raphael Ibanez.
But Jacques Brunel, his replacement, is highlighting the Made in Britain role of the men he has empowered to run the side.
And they proved their worth with a thrilling 30-27 win over Toulon, their fifth success in seven games.
The Anglo-Saxons, as Brunel calls them, are Rory Teague, briefly England skills coach under Eddie Jones, Jeremy Davidson, the Northern Irish former Lion, and ex-England international Joe Worsley, who was appointed by Ibanez.
Brunel, former manager of Italy, says he leaves preparation of the team to them, adding: “They have brought a more pragmatic touch to our training with the aim of creating the intensity which is the basis of our game.”
You would not have noticed that, though, in a first half in which Toulon led after half an hour by 15 points with tries from Fijian winger Josua Tuisova and South African lock Juandre Kruger.
But their loss of both props to injury within that time encouraged Bordeaux, who reduced the gap with a try before the break by winger JeanBaptiste Dubie, who scored another on the hour.
In between, Bordeaux were awarded a penalty try after a yellow card for sub prop Laurent Delboulbes and should have won more convincingly as Kiwi fly-half Simon Hickey, the Top 14’s leading points scorer, missed ten more from his boot. Hickey made up for that by scoring Bordeaux’s fourth try himself.
Toulon solved their selection headache at fly-half between Francois Trinh-Duc and Antoine Belleau by moving the latter to centre.
Trinh-Duc rewarded the decision with a 100 per cent kicking performance that brought him 17 points.
A welcome feat with a European confrontation against former Toulon kicking ace Leigh Halfpenny, now of Scarlets, on the agenda next Sunday.
Controversial Montpellier chief Mohed Altrad has described three Top 14 presidents as “imbeciles” and several more as hardly rising above that level of intelligence.
Which explains why his team, heavily fancied for the title this season, win few hearts outside of the stadium immodestly named after their boss.
So, folk being only human, Stade Francais’ 31-20 win over Montpellier yesterday would almost certainly have provoked satisfied smiles all round.
Especially in Clermont whose president Eric de Cromieres, along with those from La Rochelle and Agen, were singled out as the imbeciles concerned for criticising Altrad’s behaviour.
Notably for his alleged buying of influence with the French Rugby Federation by financing their national team and hiring its president Bernard Laporte on a secret contract.
Stade, in 11th place, had a tough job on their hands against the league leaders of Montpellier, but were relieved not to see All-Black fly-half Aaron Cruden lining up.
He was given more time to recover from rib damage in view of his team’s testing European tie at Leinster next Saturday.
Stade made an inspired start with Fijian winger Waisea Nayacalevu scoring two fine first half tries.
Unhappily for them, their record of six yellow cards in six games was extended when back-rower Sekou Macalou was sin-binned just before the break.
He had to watch Montpellier hooker Bismarck du Plessis plunge over behind a maul seconds later and then Fijian giant Nemani Nadolo scoring another three minutes after the restart.
Montpellier prop Antoine Guillamon was punished with a yellow, too, for three scrum offences and that gave Stade, wobbling at the time, the chance of a revival crowned by an excellent try from South African fullback Tony Ensor.
Brive, who had managed just one point so far, beat Castres 27-22 in a match that frayed the nerves of their fans.
That is because they led by 15 points with just 12 minutes to play and ended up hanging on desperately for victory.
The penalty try they were awarded after a yellow card for Castres lock Victor Moreaux was the only one they’ve scored this season in the first half. And the one added just after the break by Aussie centre Putasi Luafutu was the first time they had scored two tries in a game.
Castres full-back Julien Dumora scored two, himself, the second setting up a grandstand finish that left them with a bonus point. Winger Julien Caminato had gone over earlier.
The value of Brive’s win was enhanced by defeat for relegation rivals Oyonnax, who lost 19-16 at home to Pau. Irish lock Dave Foley scored the late try to secure victory.
Racing seem likely to field Samoan prop Viliamu Afatia at La Rochelle today despite his alleged part in a night-club fight with front-row partner Ben Tameifuna after last week’s defeat by Lyon. Both were arrested.
Afatia had facial wounds after what coach Laurent Travers optimistically termed “a joke between friends rather than an argument”. Police are preferring charges against Tameifuna for allegedly insulting them.
“They are creating the intensity which is the basis of our game”
- Jacques Brunel