A battle of openers that only went one direction, a third line that was on the pitch, but also a burst that came too late and a zero point… Find out who came out on top and who lost in the match between Montpellier and Union Bordeaux-Bègles (29-19), which was part of the second day of the Top 14 competition.
Tops
Louis Carbonel disgusts the UBB
When playing against the Girondins, the striker and half-opening for the Cities were extremely effective against the poles. As a result, he scored 19 points (7/7) and contributed more than ever before to the success of his club. Applied to his job as the first striker, the former RCT youth appears to have adapted brilliantly to the method of play used by the French champions, and his relationship with Léo Coly at the hinge is already igniting, as indicated by the fact that they went their first period without a wrong note.
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Alexandre Bécognée, the handyman of the Hérault scrum
The third line of the MHR was not only omnipresent in his slaughter (10/10 on the tackle), but it also served as a symbol for the extensive dominance that Montpellier’s forwards exerted in the first quarter. In close-quarters combat and ruck environments. The player who was trained at UBB was detrimental to the club from the moment he made his debut. He was the author of a trial that was full of mischief after a counter on a clearance attempt made by Mathieu Jalibert (20th).
The surge of Girondin pride
The arrival of Jefferson Poirot back in the changing room was beneficial for his teammates. After an unrecognizable performance in the first period, the Bordeaux-Bèglais went on to demonstrate a far higher level of initiative and discipline in the subsequent periods. The UBB dominated the discussions that took place throughout the second period after being rewarded by Clément Maynadier’s second try in the 45th minute. This try came at the finish of a ball carried just like in the 14th minute of the first period. But this was not reflected in the final score, even though there were several noteworthy performances in the 22 competing meters. It was already too late to expect even a defensive bonus when winger Federico Mori scored a late try at the end of the line in the 75th minute, but they will nonetheless be rewarded for their efforts thanks to the try.
Read also: Bayonne knocks down Racing, Castres, and Clermont at home to take the top 14 spots.
flops
Jalibert crosses the meeting like a shadow
Mathieu Jalibert’s start to the season has been nothing short of a nightmare. The UBB opener has not returned to the saddle at GGL Stadium a week after missing two penalties during the win against Stade Toulousain. The game took place last week. The French international was responsible for the try scored by Alexandre Bécognée, which was the result of a clearing that was made too late, and he also failed to have himself dismissed in the 27th minute, which gave his opponents a scrum in the middle of the field. Zack Holmes came on as a substitute for him in the 52nd minute after he failed to excite the team.
UBB’s chronic indiscipline in the first act
The guys led by Christophe Urios received eight penalties in the first period, and as a result, they were mostly thwarted and forced to bear the law of the defending French champions. After it was too late in the ruck areas, but also defensively with multiple offsides, the Girondins served on a set of five well-placed penalties to Louis Carbonel, who was the author of a clear round this evening. The UBB will long regret the fact that it let up 22 points (29-7) in the first 40 minutes of the game, given how the second act is shaping up to play out.
The zero points of the MHR after returning from the locker room
Following an initial phase characterized by a thousand separate fires, the Cities subsequently fell entirely out of order. The fact that Montpellier was unable to score a single point in the final forty minutes of the game is because Bordeaux had possession of all the balls and was the one who initiated all of the moves. A second act in which Anthony Bouthier will have been cautioned for a voluntary forward in front of his line and received a yellow card as a result. The Héraultais were able to put an end to their three-year drought against their rivals in their territory, even though they were able to see the return of the Girondins in their rearview mirror.