Bordeaux-Begles player ratings v Toulouse: Matthieu Jalibert and Louis Bielle-Biarrey lead the way while Wallabies star also shines
Bordeaux-Begles playmaker Matthieu Jalibert and speedster Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
After an impressive 35-18 triumph over Toulouse in their Investec Champions Cup encounter at the Matmut Atlantique, here’s how the Bordeaux-Begles squad performed on Sunday.
Backline brilliance
15 Romain Buros: The 27-year-old was in the thick of the action from the outset as he gave his side good attacking momentum from the back and was brave under the high ball throughout. 8
14 Damain Penaud: Although he did not cross the whitewash, France’s leading Test try-scorer delivered a superb attacking performance and delivered a well-timed pass to Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who crossed for a deserved try. Penaud limped off with a leg injury in the 56th minute and was replaced by Arthur Retiere but made his mark with his brilliance on attack. 8
13 Nicolas Depoortere: He came into Bordeaux’s starting line-up as a replacement for Pablo Uberti and gave a good account of himself as he asked some questions of Toulouse’s defence. 7
12 Yoram Moefana: The Les Bleus star caught the eye with some deft offloads and excellent defensive reads during a fine all-round performance. He also competed ferociously at the breakdowns. 8
11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey: The France speedster showed why he is one of the world’s best players as he came to the fore with an outstanding attacking performance. Rounded off acrobatic fashion in the opening half after that assist from Penaud and repeated that feat soon after the restart after exchanging passes with Pete Samu. That meant he has now scored eight tries in this season’s Champions Cup. 9
10 Matthieu Jalibert: Went head-to-head with Les Bleus rival Romain Ntamack and won that battle quite comfortably in the end. Jalibert went to the line brilliantly and provided plenty of headaches to Toulouse’s defence. He showed his class with a superb 30-metre run and a deft offload to Samu who crossed for a try and continued to unlock his opponents’ defence at will which saw him being named as the official man of the match. 9
9 Maxime Lucu: The France star combined brilliantly with Jalibert and showed why he is so highly rated as he controlled the tempo of the game. His decision making was superb throughout and put his outside backs on the front foot with his excellent service. 8
Wallaby shines up front
8 Pete Samu: The Wallabies star was one of Bordeaux’s star performers as he was brilliant on attack which saw him rewarded with a deserved try while he also caught the eye with an outrageous offload to Bielle-Biarrey, who crossed for his second try. 8
7 Guido Petti: The experienced Argentina utility forward got through plenty of work in the tight exchanges as he put his body on the line on defence and won his fare share of balls in the lineouts. 7
6 Mahamadou Diaby: The veteran back-row delivered a solid performance as he emptied the tank on defence and attack during a 40-minute performance before being replaced by exciting youngster Marko Gazzotti. 7
5 Cyril Cazeaux: The 30-year-old did what was expected of him in the lineouts, was a willing ball carrier and caught the eye with some big defensive hits. 7
4 Adam Coleman: The veteran second-row made little impact during a 28-minute stint on the field and was forced off after failing a HIA following a tackle on Julien Marchand. 5
3 Sipili Falatea: Toulouse held the upper hand at the scrums for most this match and Falatea was on the back foot at the set-piece on several occasions. Apart from that he impressed on defence before being replaced by Ben Tameifuna in the 54th minute. 6
2 Maxime Lamothe: The 26-year-old did what was expected of him in the execution of his core duties but put plenty of pressure on the opposition at the breakdowns where he won two turnovers. Also did well with ball in hand before being replaced by Connor Sa after 70 minutes. 8
1 Jefferson Poirot: Like his fellow prop Falatea, the France international had some shaky moments in the scrums but did well on defence especially at close quarters. Was eventually yanked off in the 53rd minute with Matis Perchaud replacing him. 6
Replacements: UBB’s replacements gave a good account of themselves and maintained the high standards of the players who they replaced. Burly front-row Tameifuna was the standout performer off the bench as he caught the eye with several strong carries and was rewarded with a try for his efforts while he also won two turnovers at the breakdowns. Gazzotti also gave his all in the latter department but was yellow carded when he played the ball on the ground in the 52nd minute while Bochaton also crossed for a try. Meanwhile, Arthur Retiere was the best of the backline reserves as he made some fine line breaks. 8
