Bristol beat Bordeaux to make first-ever Challenge Cup final
BRISTOL scored 17 unanswered points in extra-time to win a titanic struggle and qualify for their first European final.
However the final scoreline bears no resemblance to the closeness and ferocity of a thrilling contest with the misfiring Bears coming back from a 13-0 deficit to triumph.
This was against a side which controversially had to play the extra period with 14 men as their No.8, Marco Tauleigne, was denied a return having been deemed injured when he left the field minutes before the end of normal time.
With the scores tied at 20-20 after normal time, Bristol took full advantage with Piers O’Conor racing over within a minute of the restart. Max Malins added another with Calum Sheedy converting both and adding a penalty to break French resistance.
Bristol director of rugby, Pat Lam, said: “We put ourselves under a lot of pressure, gave them a 13point lead, worked our way back , took the lead, gave it up again and then, with extra time, we came home strong.”
It was rough justice on Bordeaux Begles who prevented Bristol from having barely a sniff in the first half as fly-half Mathieu Jalibert ran the show to reward some hard graft from their forwards, with Cameron Woki and Ben Tameifuna at the forefront.
The French visitors were firmly in control but the concession of a try just before the interval, and then the departure of Jalibert with a calf injury, proved crucial.
Up until then hooker Harry Thacker had been Bristol’s best attacker but as the second half progressed, captain Steven Luatua and back row partner Ben Earl stepped up their game which enabled Semi Radradra and Malins to cause problems.
Bordeaux had the better of the early exchanges and were rewarded with the opening score. From a ruck on half-way, Woki burst away to feed Jalibert who rounded Malins with ease on a 45m run to the line.
Bristol struggled to gain a foothold but Harry Randall woke them up by quickly taking a penalty on half-way to race into the opposition 22. Siale Piutau was up in the support but the centre was hauled down and Bordeaux were able to keep their line intact with a try-saving turnover.
Jailbert extended the lead with two penalties in quick succession before Bears opened their account with an excellent try.
From a lineout in the French 22, the ball was swiftly moved left along the three-quarter line to
Alapati Leiua. The wing was tackled but possession was quickly recycled for Radradra to provide Luatua was an easy run-in.
Within a minute of the restart, Radradra was sinbinned for a high tackle on Jean-Baptiste Dubie but it was Bristol who scored in the Fijian’s absence when a brilliantly judged chip through from Randall saw Malins collect and score.
Sheedy converted to give Bears the lead for the first time before he kicked two penalties to reward their third-quarter dominance.
However a couple of needless penalties allowed the French a platform in the home 22 from where a neat pass from Yann Lesourgues sent Joseph Dweba rumbling over with Ben Botica’s conversion sending the match into extra time.
O’Conor jinked in down the left wing from Malins’ pass and five minutes later Radradra’s quick pass put Malins in the clear on the right wing and the full-back got his second try.
Bordeaux’s Lekso Kaulashvili had a try ruled out by the TMO and Sheedy kicked a penalty with four minutes left to seal the win.