For the first Top 14 final in its history, UBB suffered a historic rout against Toulouse. But wants to believe in better days.
Special envoy to Marseille
The wound may take time to close. Bordeaux-Bègles fell from a height on Friday evening at the Vélodrome. Qualified for the first time in its short history (return to the elite in 2011) in the final of the championship, the UBB suffered a historic rout, the heaviest setback in the history of the French championship (59-3). “It’s very difficult to accept, confides scrum half Maxime Lucu. To have such a season, to give a lot of strength to reach the final… It’s difficult for the club and the supporters. And above all, what predominates beyond losing a final is to miss out and suffer this humiliation. It’s hard…”
The Bordelais never existed at the Vélodrome. From the start, they were completely asphyxiated and, after twenty minutes, they had already conceded more than 20 points. Scheduled rout. “They scored quickly on throws of their own. We knew they were going to want to put a lot of pressure on us because we had one less day of recovery. But we took tests too quickly, deplores the captain. At first we held on but we ended up exploding. We saw the Shield slowly going away and we gave up.” His pivotal partner, Matthieu Jalibert, who had tried a poker game when returning for this final after a thigh injury, was unable to do anything. Totally overwhelmed, unrecognizable, like his team.
This defeat must nourish us to come back with a lot of certainty next season
Maxime Lucu
“We were outclassed in all areas of play, he notes, helplessly. Against this type of team, you pay cash. Afterwards, there is a bit of disappointment about having given up at the end of the match. We gave up. The gap does not reflect the level between the two teams in my opinion. Even if Toulouse was superior, it is a team that dominates European rugby. And the international opener confessed that he was far from his best level: “I knew that, physically, it was going to be complicated. After 15 minutes, I felt pain and discomfort. To play my game, to put speed, it was complicated. We had made a pact with the staff that I would stay more in the organization and distribution. Honestly, my feelings were not good, but I do not want to complain. I was lucky to play the final: for me, it was something incredible.”
It’s hard to draw anything positive from this final. But not from this season, where progress has been observed on the UBB side, which has obtained excellent results thanks in particular to a spectacular and offensive game. “Losing like that hurt me a lot. The season was nervous, there were a lot of things, the World Cup, the Six Nations Tournament, and to finish like that, it’s hard to accept. Today I wanted to be rewarded and that wasn’t the case,” says Maxime Lucu, who nevertheless tries to be positive. “This defeat must fuel us to come back with a lot of certainty next season. We have made a lot of progress, he emphasizes. UBB had never been to the final, and we will have to build on that while analyzing what we lack compared to a team like Toulouse. Once again, we missed out against a team that wanted one more title.”
“It’s important for the group to know that they are able to invite themselves to the last meal.”
Matthieu Jalibert is on the same wavelength. And wants to see further. “All disappointments allow you to grow and improve. For the club, it was important to reach this stage of the competition, insists the international flyhalf. Well, it’s certain that the result in the end was not what we had hoped for. But it is important for the group to know that it is capable of inviting itself to the last meal against this type of teams. We see what we still need to get a Brennus.”
A message already hammered home by Yannick Bru. “Slapping like that calls for a lot of humility, work, and reflection. It’s always a driving force to get going again. Progression is never linear, you take falls and you heal to come back a little better. This defeat is a driving force to reach this technical and athletic level.» Get up. And come back stronger.
