Annoyed by its cruel elimination in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup last weekend at home against Harlequins (41-42), UBB outclassed Clermont (41-7) this Sunday evening, during the 21st day of Top 14. The five tries scored by the Bordelais (only one for the Clermontois) allow them to pocket the five points of the improved victory.
The first minutes of this meeting had, however, been sterile. In the first period, Madosh Tambwe managed twice to pierce the Clermont curtain (10th, 16th) but each time these opportunities were poorly concluded, by crude advances. These Bordeaux blunders, numerous (6 in the first half), prevented the locals from scoring more during the first act, they who had still managed to score on a sharp run from Ben Tapuai in the 15 meter corridor (10 -0, 22nd). Two penalty goals from Maxime Lucu, unfortunate against Harlequins, who had missed the winning kick, allowed Bordeaux to lead 13-0 at the break.
Penaud and Tambwe weighed
But it was not until the locker room returned that Yannick Bru’s men showed themselves to be more precise, more clinical. Launched by Madosh Tambwe – him again -, Damian Penaud scored his 9th try of the season in the Championship, at the start of the second period after an attack finally well negotiated by the UBB. The French winger did not celebrate his try with too many displays of joy, given his many years spent within the Clermont squad (2014-2023). A few moments later, the two Bordeaux wingers reversed roles, Penaud becoming a passer for Tambwe, scoring at the end of the line to make the break definitively (27-0, 51st).
Liberated, the Bordelais further increased the gap in the score with two new tries from Penaud, receiving a kick in the back from Matthieu Jalibert (34-0, 53rd) then on a 100-meter counter (41-7, 79th) after a heroic save from Louis Bielle-Biarrey, preventing Baptiste Jauneau from scoring on the goal line and saving the offensive bonus point. In the meantime, Clermont had saved the honor by scoring a try, by Yohan Beheregaray in the 73rd.
With this improved success, the UBB, provisionally out of the top 6 after the first results of the 21st day and threatened by the astonishing form of Pau (7th) and Perpignan (8th), regains the top 6. The Girondins emerge in 5th place with only five days remaining before the end of the regular season. For its part, ASM will have to show much more and do much better to ensure its survival at the end of the season. On the evening of this 21st day, the Clermontois are 11th, with 42 points, as many as the LOU (12th).
