While waiting for the matches of Clermont against Leicester and Toulouse against Ulster later in the day, three French teams had an appointment this Saturday afternoon with the knockout stages of the European Cup. Montpellier, in pain, won their qualification on the ground of Harlequins while La Rochelle dominated Bordeaux Bègles. The two winners will meet in the next round.
La Rochelle confirms against Bordeaux-Bègles
In this 100% French European clash, between second and third in the Top 14, the two teams did not start with the same chances at kick-off (13-31). Thanks to its big victory in the first leg at the Chaban-Delmas stadium, La Rochelle had a good lead of 18 points. It therefore needed a feat from Bordeaux-Bègles, this Saturday, to hope to see the quarter-finals of the European Cup. But the team’s “recovery” mission was quickly complicated by the red card sent to Maama Vaipulu after 25 minutes of play.
The Tongan international, author of a coarse charge on Jonathan Danty without the ball, therefore forced his teammates to play more than 50 minutes at 14 against 15. A real blow as UBB displayed better defensive solidity than at the first leg and took advantage of La Rochelle’s feverishness to take a small lead of 3 points at the break (6-3).
But when they returned from the locker room, on the strength of their numerical superiority, Brice Dulin’s team rolled on with three tries from Ihaia West, Grégory Alldritt and Tawera Kerr-Barlow in the space of 15 minutes. UBB’s Italian Federico Mori saved the honor at the end of the game well served by Ulupano Seuteni. “And one and two and three zero”, chambered the La Rochelle public at the end of the match (31-23).
A reference to La Rochelle’s three victories in a row in three weekends against UBB: in the Top 14 on April 2 (15-16), then in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup on April 9 and this Saturday. “We had to keep a cool head (after the victory in the first leg). We were keen to represent our club well and we are very proud today, ”savored the Rochelais Matthias Haddad, at the microphone of France 2, who was celebrating his first tenure in the European Cup.
Montpellier in extremis
In a suffocating match against an enterprising and dominating opponent, the current leader of the Top 14 finally qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Cup, with only a point advantage in the aggregate score. The club will return to La Rochelle in the next round after qualifying at the expense of UBB.
Winner in the first leg 40-26 at home last Sunday, Montpellier nevertheless moved to Harlequins with a small comfortable mattress and a largely overhauled team – thirteen changes from the first leg – at kick-off. But his lead finally quickly melted against the offensives of the English champion.
The exit door was even very close when Louis Lynagh, the young Harlequins winger, scored his second try of the game less than five minutes from time, giving the English a 13-point lead. And therefore to offer a match point on the following transformation which was … missed by Marcus Smith. Cruel for the omnipresent English opening half in this match and author of an incredible ride at the origin of a test, in the first period.